This post may contain affiliate links. Please see disclosure policy here.
This easy Lemon Pound Cake is rich, buttery and tender with plenty of fresh lemon flavor. Serve with lemon curd and whipped cream for the perfect dessert.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe!
This Lemon Pound Cake was inspired by a lunch I had with a friend at a little student-run cafe at the School of Arts & Crafts in Portland. We decided to split a slice of their lemon pound cake topped with lemon curd and whipped cream—and I immediately regretted agreeing to share! It was so good my friend practically had to stop me from licking the plate. I knew I needed to come home and create my own version.
This cake has everything I love in a pound cake—a rich, buttery flavor and a tender, slightly dense texture—but with plenty of bright, fresh lemon flavor. It’s delicious all on its own, but adding lemon curd and a dollop of whipped cream takes it to a whole new level. If you’re a lemon lover like me, this one is going to be hard to resist!
Ingredients Needed
- All Purpose Flour
- Butter, salted
- Buttermilk
- Sugar
- Eggs
- Baking Powder
- Baking Soda
- Salt
- Lemons, zest and juice
- Powdered Sugar
- Milk
How to Make Lemon Pound Cake
- Combine flour, baking powder and baking soda and salt in a bow and set aside.
- Add sugar and butter to a second large bowl. Beat on medium speed until creamy, scraping the bowl often.
- Continue beating, adding eggs one at a time, until well mixed.
- Reduce speed to low.
- Alternate adding dry ingredients and buttermilk to the batter. Scrape the bowl often and do not over mix.Â
- Add lemon zest and lemon juice, use a citrus zester to make zest. Continue beating until well mixed.
- Spread batter into a prepared bundt pan or a 10 inch angel food cake pan.
- Bake at 350 degrees F until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 55-65 minutes.
- Cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack, then remove cake from pan and cool completely.
- Stir together powdered sugar, lemon juice and enough milk for desired glazing consistency.
- Drizzle over cooled cake.
Tips from leigh Anne
- Use fresh lemon juice. Freshly squeezed lemon juice will give you the brightest, freshest lemon flavor. Skip the bottled juice if possible.
- Don’t skip the lemon zest. The zest contains the natural oils of the lemon and adds even more lemon flavor without adding extra liquid to the cake. Be sure to zest only the yellow portion of the peel, not the bitter white pith.
- Use room temperature ingredients. Allow your butter, eggs and other refrigerated ingredients to come to room temperature before mixing. This helps everything combine more evenly and gives the cake a better texture.
- Don’t overmix. Once you add the flour, mix just until everything is combined. Overmixing can make your pound cake tough instead of tender.
- Don’t overbake. Pound cake should be moist and tender. Begin checking it a few minutes before the suggested baking time. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
- Let it cool before slicing. Allow the cake to cool before removing it from the pan and slicing. Pound cake slices much more cleanly once it has cooled.
- Dress it up. This Lemon Pound Cake is delicious on its own, but my favorite way to serve it is with lemon curd and freshly whipped cream. Fresh berries are also a delicious addition.
- Butter is an important ingredient in pound cake so be sure and use a good quality butter.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes a pound cake different than a regular cake?
Pound cake has a richer, denser texture than a traditional layer cake. The original pound cake was made with a pound each of butter, sugar, eggs and flour, which is where it got its name. Modern recipes, including this one, use different proportions while still keeping that classic rich, buttery texture.
Can I make a pound cake ahead of time?
Yes! Pound cake is a great make-ahead dessert and is often even better the next day. Once completely cooled, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or store it in an airtight container at room temperature.
How do I store leftover pound cake?
Store the cake in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days. If you are serving it with lemon curd and whipped cream, store those separately in the fridge and add them just before serving.
Can I freeze pound cake?
Yes. Allow the cake to cool completely, then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap followed by foil or place it in a freezer-safe container. It can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw it at room temperature before serving.
Why is my pound cake dry?
A dry pound cake is usually caused by adding too much flour or baking it too long. Measure the flour carefully and begin checking the cake for doneness toward the end of the recommended baking time.
What can I serve with lemon pound cake?
My favorite combination is lemon curd and freshly whipped cream. You can also serve it with strawberries, raspberries, blueberries or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
What can I use instead of a bundt pan?
You can use two 9 x 5″ loaf pans.
This Lemon Pound Cake is the perfect dessert for anyone who loves bright, fresh lemon flavor. The rich, buttery cake is delicious all on its own, but add a spoonful of lemon curd and some freshly whipped cream and it becomes something extra special. Serve it for a spring or summer gathering, a special occasion or simply because you’re craving something lemony—you may just wish you hadn’t agreed to share!
Check out more of my favorite recipes:
Be sure and follow me over on YouTube for weekly cooking demos.
Lemon Pound Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Lemon Pound Cake
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup butter softened
- 4 eggs
- 3 cups flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 1 Tbsp freshly grated lemon zest
- 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
Lemon Glaze
- 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1-2 Tbsp milk
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees.
- Combine sugar and butter in large bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy.
- Continue beating, adding eggs one at a time, until well mixed.
- Reduce speed to low. Gradually adding flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt alternately with buttermilk and scraping bowl often, until well mixed.
- Add lemon peel and 1 Tbsp lemon juice. Continue beating until well mixed.
- Spread batter into a greased and flour 12 cup Bundt pan or a 10 inch angel food cake pan.
- Bake for 55-65 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
- Cool for 10 minutes, then remove from pan and cool completely.
Lemon Glaze
- Stir together powdered sugar, 2 tsp lemon juice and enough milk for desired glazing consistency in small bowl.
- Drizzle over cooled cake.
Tips & Notes:
- Use fresh lemon juice. Freshly squeezed lemon juice will give you the brightest, freshest lemon flavor. Skip the bottled juice if possible.
- Don’t skip the lemon zest. The zest contains the natural oils of the lemon and adds even more lemon flavor without adding extra liquid to the cake. Be sure to zest only the yellow portion of the peel, not the bitter white pith.
- Use room temperature ingredients. Allow your butter, eggs and other refrigerated ingredients to come to room temperature before mixing. This helps everything combine more evenly and gives the cake a better texture.
- Don’t overmix. Once you add the flour, mix just until everything is combined. Overmixing can make your pound cake tough instead of tender.
- Don’t overbake. Pound cake should be moist and tender. Begin checking it a few minutes before the suggested baking time. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
- Let it cool before slicing. Allow the cake to cool before removing it from the pan and slicing. Pound cake slices much more cleanly once it has cooled.
- Dress it up. This Lemon Pound Cake is delicious on its own, but my favorite way to serve it is with lemon curd and freshly whipped cream. Fresh berries are also a delicious addition.
- Butter is an important ingredient in pound cake so be sure and use a good quality butter.
Recommended Products
Nutrition Facts:
Valerie H. says
Sounds refreshing!
Tamara says
This looks so good. I can almost taste it. Thanks for sharing all these fun cake recipes!