Lemon Pound Cake

This moist and zesty Lemon Pound Cake with sweet lemon glaze proves that you can make a sophisticated dessert with pantry-staple ingredients!

The Best Lemon Pound Cake Recipe

Calling all the lemon lovers! This Lemon Pound Cake is buttery and dense with lovely lemon flavor throughout both the cake and the sweet sugar glaze. While I enjoy the convenience of using box cake mix, nothing quite beats the satisfaction of baking cake from scratch. 

Don’t be fooled, though. This recipe is incredibly simple to make and tastes like a dream. Don’t forget to serve it with a scoop of creamy vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream!

Ingredients for Lemon Pound Cake

To print: see recipe card below.

For the Cake Batter:

• 3 ¼ cups flour – All-purpose flour is sturdy flour for baking. You could use gluten-free flour instead.
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt – Omit if using salted butter. 
• 1 cup buttermilk – If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, make homemade buttermilk instead!
• 2 lemons – Zested and juiced. Always zest the lemons first before juicing them, otherwise it’s almost an impossible task! 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup butter – Preferably unsalted butter, softened at room temperature for easy creaming. 
• 2 cups sugar – Granulated sugar is best for this lemon pound cake. However, if preferred, you can use light brown sugar. 
• 3 eggs – Brought to room temperature.

For the Glaze:

• 1 cup powdered sugar – Sift the powdered sugar to prevent lumps in the glaze. 
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice – Freshly squeezed lemon juice is always best for flavor, but you can use bottled lemon juice in a pinch.

Variations

• Change the flavor of this pound cake entirely by omitting the lemon. Then, add any other flavoring ingredients of your preference such as orange juice, chocolate, or even bourbon or rum!
• Make a single pound cake by halving this recipe. The baking and cooling time will remain the same. 
• Top these pound cakes with lemon-flavored cream cheese frosting instead of the lemon glaze. 
• Get fancy, and add candied sliced lemon to these lemon pound cakes while the glaze is still slightly wet. 

Directions For How To Make Lemon Pound Cake

1. Prepare: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, spray two 9×4-inch loaf pans with baking spray, and dust them with flour. Tap the excess flour out of the pans, and set them aside.
2. Whisk the wet ingredients: In a medium bowl or pitcher, whisk the buttermilk, lemon zest, and lemon juice.
3. Whisk the dry ingredients: In a separate large bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt.
4. Cream: In a third bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to ensure the ingredients combine completely. The butter and sugar mixture should be pale and airy!
5. Add the eggs: Add the eggs one at a time, stirring to combine. Then, stir in the vanilla.
6. Combine the ingredients: Add about 1/3 of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, and stir until smooth. Add 1/2 the lemon buttermilk, and stir again. Repeat this process, alternating the flour and buttermilk until all the ingredients combine and a smooth batter forms.
7. Divide and bake: Pour the batter evenly between the prepared loaf pans. I like to smooth the top of the batter in the pans before placing the pans in the oven for an even finish. Bake the cakes for one hour. The tops will be golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean when done.
8. Cool: Allow your lemon pound cakes to cool in the pans for ten minutes. Then, invert them onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
9. Prepare the glaze: While the cakes cool, whisk the powdered sugar and lemon juice in a bowl until smooth. The glaze should have a consistency similar to honey! If it’s too thin, add a bit more powdered sugar. Or, if it’s too thick, add a little more lemon juice.
10. Glaze the cakes: Pour the glaze over the cooled cakes, letting it drip down the sides. Let the glaze set for about 30 minutes. Then, slice the pound cakes, and enjoy!

Serving Suggestions

• Snack: Enjoy this lemon pound cake with whipped coffee or freshly brewed steaming coffee as a scrumptious mid-morning or afternoon sweet snack. 
• Dessert: Serve a slice of this lemon pound cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.

Did you make this Lemon Pound Cake recipe? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below!

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