This moist Lemon Pound Cake is a delicious combination of sweet and tart. Made with fresh lemons, you’re going to love this dense and flavorful dessert.
For other amazing desserts, try this Berry Chantilly cake and Cream Cheese Danish (VIDEO), too.
Table Of Contents
Recipe Details
This recipe makes the moistest lemon pound cake! You’ll be coming back for seconds before you know it. I know I always do 🙂
- TASTE: Every bite of this lemon loaf is bursting with zesty lemon flavor and topped with sweet and tangy icing.
- TEXTURE: It’s super MOIST! It’s honestly the best part about this recipe. The crumb is so soft, it just melts in your mouth.
- TIME: The process of making the pound cake is pretty quick, but it takes about 1 hour and 20 minutes to bake. You also need to wait for it to cool before you add the lemon icing on top.
- EASE: Since this entire recipe is made it one bowl, it makes it easy enough for newbie bakers to nail it from the first try!
What You’ll Need
Ingredient Notes
- All-purpose flour– This is the base of the cake
- Baking soda- This leavening agent keeps it from being too dense.
- Granulated sugar– For sweetness
- Butter– This makes the pound cake extra moist.
- Buttermilk- For moisture and tanginess.
- Lemon juice and zest- This adds loads of lemony flavor to the cake and icing.
- Powdered sugar- This sweetens the icing.
Add-ins and Substitutions
- No lemons? Then use lemon extract to mimic lemon flavor.
- Add berries– Add strawberries, raspberries, or blueberries to add more texture and berry flavor.
- Thicken the icing– Just mix in heavy cream and extra powdered sugar.
How to Make Lemon Pound Cake
- Sift the dry ingredients. Sift together into a bowl the flour, salt, and baking soda using a sifter.
- Mix the butter with sugar. In a large bowl, add the sugar and butter, and mix them with an electric hand mixer.
- Add the lemon zest, juice, and eggs. Add these ingredients to the butter and sugar mixture.
- Slowly add the flour mixture and buttermilk. Splitting it into thirds, add the flour mixture and the buttermilk to the wet ingredients. In between each third, mix the batter again to make sure it is smooth and lump-free.
Pro Tip: Be careful not to overmix the batter as this can make the cake tough and too dense by killing the air that has been incorporated with the eggs and baking soda.
- Prep the loaf pan. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray. Pour the batter into the pan.
- Bake. For 1 hour, bake the lemon pound cake in the oven at 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, drop the temperature to 300 degrees and bake for another 20 minutes.
- Make the icing. Whisk the lemon juice and powdered sugar together in a small bowl, mixing until smooth.
- Ice the pound cake. When the cake is done, allow it to rest in the pan for about 10 minutes and then transfer it to a cooling rack. Once cool, drizzle the lemon icing over the top.
- Serve. Slice the cake and serve as is or alongside a scoop of cool Honeydew Melon Fruit Sorbet or some Fruit Pizza.
Recipe Tips
- Use room temperature butter for optimal texture– If you forgot to soften your butter, just warm in the microwave on the “melt chocolate” setting. Yes, it works better than the “soften butter” setting. Just do it in 10-second increments.
- Only use fresh lemon juice– The artificial stuff does not taste the same!
- Avoid over-baking– Insert a toothpick in the center of the pound cake towards the end of bake time. If it comes out clean, you’re done baking!
FAQs
Pound cakes are extremely dense, which is what causes them to crack on top. The outside of the cake will cook first, resulting in the batter rising up and cracking the top of the loaf. So if your pound cake cracks, it’s okay!
This type of cake got the name “pound cake” in the 18th century because, traditionally, it calls for a pound of flour, a pound of sugar, a pound of eggs, and a pound of butter. You don’t necessarily have to make it with that much of each ingredient, but the proportion of each is what makes a pound cake a pound cake.
Eureka lemons are best for baking since they have the perfect amount of acid to balance the sugar. Meyer lemons on the other hand, are a lot sweeter and less acidic making them perfect for lemonade.
Use room temperature ingredients, don’t over-mix the eggs, use buttermilk, and don’t over-bake. Also, adding syrup or icing on top will moisten the cake as well.
Serving Suggestions
This sweet and citrusy Lemon Pound Cake recipe is super moist and makes a delicious dessert. Serve it with other sweet treats or your favorite coffee for an afternoon snack.
- Cookies: Serve this tender cake with some Easy Cream Cheese Cookies, Double Chocolate Cookies (VIDEO), White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies, or Chewy Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies.
- Sweet treats: Pair this with some other desserts, like Paleo Chocolate Fudge, Chocolate Creme Brulee, Candied Pecans, or Coffee Chocolate Mousse.
- Cakes: Enjoy this Lemon Cake alongside Tiramisu Cake (VIDEO), Chocolate Honey Cake (Spartak Cake), Chocolate Mousse Cake, or New York Style Cheesecake.
- Beverages: Serve a slice of this cake with a Pumpkin Spice Latte, Iced Caramel Macchiato, Caramel Frappuccino (Starbucks Copycat), or Iced Matcha Latte.
Make This Recipe in Advance
Make ahead: The lemon glaze icing can be made days in advance and wrapped with plastic wrap to preserve freshness. The lemon pound cake can be made the day before and baked the following morning.
Storing: This Lemon Pound Cake can last for about 4 days at room temperature or a week in the refrigerator. Wrap it in plastic wrap or place it in an airtight container to keep it fresh.
Freeze: This pound cake freezes really well. Just place it in an airtight container to avoid any freezer burn and this cake will last for about a month in the freezer. If possible, ice it after thawing so that the icing is thick and smooth as it’s drizzled on top. Frozen icing will crack, melt, and absorb when it is thawed.
More Scrumptious Cakes!
Watch the VIDEO Here
Full Recipe Instructions
Lemon Pound Cake
Ingredients
Pound cake
- 3 cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled off with a knife
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 tbsp grated lemon zest
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 3 large eggs
Lemon icing
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
Instructions
- Sift the 3 cups all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a bowl. Then set it aside for later.
- In a separate bowl combine 1 cup unsalted softened butter with 2 cups granulated sugar. It works best to do this using an electric hand mixer. It may seem like a lot of sugar but trust me, this loaf is big. So the extra sweetness is necessary.
- Once the sugar and butter are combined mix in 2 tablespoons lemon zest, 3 tablespoons lemon juice, and 3 eggs.
- Now mix in 1/3 of the buttermilk. You will need a total of 1 cup, but only add 1/3 cup at first. Once it's mixed, add in a third of the flour mixture. Continue interchanging a third of the buttermilk and a third flour of the mixture with mixing in between. This will ensure the batter is smooth and not lumpy.
- Line a 9×5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper and coat it with nonstick spray. Then pour the lemon pound cake batter into the loaf pan.
- Bake at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 1 hour, then drop the temperature to 300 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for an additional 20 minutes. A good way to tell if the pound cake is baked through is by inserting a toothpick in the center of the loaf. If it comes out clean, your pound cake is done baking.
- Now make the icing by combing 1 cup powdered sugar with 2 tablespoons lemon juice in a small bowl. Tip: if you want to make the icing thicker, and some heavy cream or milk and a little more powdered sugar. Add a little at a time until you get your desired consistency.
- Once the lemon pound cake is baked, let it rest for 10 minutes in the pan, then transfer it to a cooling rack. Once it’s cooled, drizzle on the lemon icing.
Nutrition
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Jasmin says
I had to try this recipe. I love it. It’s moist and yummy. Thank you for sharing.
Dina says
Thank you so much! I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Cindy says
OMG. The loaf pan is to small! The batter is spilling over the top and burning on the bottom of the oven. Pan should be larger than 9 by 5. Hoping it will firm up as it’s too late to put into a larger pan. Might be a disaster and waste of ingredients. Should still taste good with whatever is left.
Dina says
Hi Cindy, I am so sorry you ran into this issue. Unfortunately you are not the first to run into this problem. I have never had this problem. I wonder if over-beating the eggs might be causing extra incorporated air to make the loaf rise too high? I will test this recipe out again and see why people keep running into this issue. Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I will be updating this recipe as needed.
Cindy Crocker says
Moist fluffy and delicious. Can’t go wrong here.
Dina says
Thank you Cindy for your awesome feedback! Thanks for giving my lemon pound cake a try. 🙂
Irina says
Like the previous person mentioned, batter bubbled over edges of pan while baking and made a huge mess. Didn’t seem like I over-mixed but maybe a possibility. Also, followed the oven temperature recommendation to the end, but cake was completely raw in the middle. I ended up covering the top of the cake with foil to prevent burning and baking at 350 for the rest of the time.
Dina says
I am so sorry to hear that Irina. What size loaf pan did you use? Maybe it was on the smaller side perhaps?
Stephanie says
I suggest cooking in a larger pan. Too much batter for a 9×5 loaf pan. Bubbled over edges of pan while cooking and made a huge mess.
Dina says
Thank you for the honest feedback Stephanie. Sometimes if you mix too long, it tends to incorporate extra air into the batter which creates more volume as is rises and bakes. There is a chance that is maybe what happened?
Sarah says
Such a wonderful pound cake recipe! This is the one to go with, the cake is super moist and tender. The amount of lemon is perfect, not too much and not too little. The icing is the perfect consistency, it hardens a bit and doesn’t make the cake mushy. I normally always go for chocolate anything but stumbled upon this recipe on Pinterest and I’m so so glad I made it. I wish I could give it more stars.
Dina says
Wow Sarah, your kind words totally made my day! Thank you so much! I too am a die hard chocolate lover, but there is something so special about this lemon pound cake! It’s such a treat 🙂
Mrs.B says
If I were to make this the night before for my husband’s work how do I store the cake?
Dina says
Hi 🙂 I hope your husband loves this lemon pound cake! You can store it in an airtight container. However, make sure to let the pound cake completely cool down before putting it in any container. I hope that helps! Let me know how your husband likes this recipe. 🙂
Eliana says
if I make this in a bundt pan, how long do I bake it for and at what temperature, so it still keeps moist?
Dina says
Hi Eliana, I have not tried making this in a bundt cake, but I would keep the same temperature but take it out sooner since it will be a thinner layer which will bake faster. I hope that helps! 😊