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This easy lemon pound cake with lemon glaze is bright, buttery, and perfectly tender, with just the right balance of sweet and citrus. It’s the kind of simple lemon pound cake you can make for breakfast, brunch, or dessert and it always feels a little special, thanks to that sweet tart lemon glaze poured over the top.
For more lemony treats, try Lemon Coconut Cake and my Homemade Lemon Meringue Pie!
Why you’ll love this simple lemon pound cake recipe!
Calling all the lemon lovers! This moist lemon pound cake recipe 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 in my Starbucks Copycat Lemon Loaf, nothing beats the satisfaction of baking cake from scratch.
Don’t be fooled, though. This recipe is still incredibly simple to make and tastes like a dream. Don’t forget to serve it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of chantilly cream!
Here are just a few reasons you’ll love it:
- Simple and reliable: Pound cakes are a classic for a reason: they just work.
- Bright fresh lemon flavor: Fresh lemon juice and zest shine without being overpowering.
- Perfect texture: Dense but tender, just like a classic pound cake should be.
- That lemon glaze: Sweet, tangy, and the best part of every slice.
- Great for any occasion: From casual mornings to baby showers and brunch.
Table of Contents
Ingredients You’ll Need
You will just need a few common baking ingredients for this easy recipe!
You’ll find the full ingredient list with measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
For the Cake Batter:
- All-Purpose Flour – You could use gluten-free flour instead if needed.
- Buttermilk – If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, make homemade buttermilk instead!
- Lemons – Zested and juiced. Always zest the lemons first before juicing them.
- Butter – Preferably unsalted butter, softened at room temperature for easy creaming.
- Sugar – Granulated sugar is best for this cake. However, if preferred, you can use light brown sugar.
- Eggs – Brought to room temperature.
- Other baking ingredients – You will also need baking soda, pure vanilla extract, and salt.
For the Glaze:
- Powdered sugar – Sift the powdered sugar to prevent lumps in the glaze.
- Lemon juice – Freshly squeezed lemon juice is always best for flavor, but you can use bottled lemon juice in a pinch.
Variations
- 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. Or you can add slices of fresh lemon on top of the cake for garnish.
How To Make Easy Lemon Pound Cake With Lemon Glaze
- Make the batter: Combine the wet and dry ingredients in the order described in the instructions below.
- Bake: Divide the batter evenly into two loaf pans and bake at 350ºF.
- Cool: Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then invert them onto a wire rack to continue cooling.
- Finish: Make the lemon glaze for the poundcake, then frost and serve.
How To Store + Freeze Lemon Pound Cake
- Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 to 5 days. Or, store it in the fridge for up to one week. Wrap it in plastic wrap, or transfer it to an airtight container to keep it fresh!
- Freeze the pound cake for up to 3 months. Wrap individual slices with plastic wrap followed by aluminum foil. Then, transfer them to an airtight container or sealable bags.
- Thaw frozen cake in the fridge overnight or at room temperature for a few hours. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! This cake actually tastes better the next day once the flavors settle.
Overbaking or overmeasuring flour are the most common causes. Be sure to check it early.
You can, but I don’t recommend it. Fresh lemon juice is strongly recommended for the best flavor.
It should pour slowly off a spoon — thick enough to cling, thin enough to drizzle.
More Delicious Pound Cakes To Try!
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Easy Lemon Pound Cake With Lemon Glaze
Equipment
- Two 9×4” loaf pans
- 3 Mixing bowls
- Measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- Baking spray
- Electric hand mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment
- whisk
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 lemons zested and juiced
- 3 ¼ cups flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup butter
- 2 cups sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350ºF. Spray two 9×4-inch loaf pans with baking spray then dust them with flour. Tap the excess flour out of the pans and discard. Set the greased, floured pans aside.
- In a medium bowl or pitcher, whisk together the buttermilk, zest from the two lemons, and juice from the two lemons.1 cup buttermilk, 2 lemons
- In a separate large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.3 ¼ cups flour, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt
- In another large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl several times to incorporate all the butter evenly. The butter and sugar mix should be pale and airy.1 cup butter, 2 cups sugar
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after adding each egg. Stir in the vanilla extract.3 eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Add about ⅓ of the flour mixture to the bowl with the butter mix and stir until smooth. Add ½ of the lemon buttermilk and stir again. Repeat alternating the flour and buttermilk until all of the ingredients are mixed into a smooth batter.
- Divide the batter between the two loaf pans then bake for one hour. The tops of the pound cake will be golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake will come out cleanly.
- Let the cakes cool for ten minutes in the pan then flip the upside down and remove them from the pan. Place the cakes on a cooling rack to cool to room temperature.
- Make the glaze while the cakes are cooling. Whisk the powdered sugar and lemon juice together until smooth. You want the glaze to be the consistency of honey. Add a little more powdered sugar to make it thicker or a little more lemon juice if you need to make it thinner. 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 serve.1 cup powdered sugar, 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
Notes
- You can easily cut this recipe in half to make just one pound cake.
- When making this recipe ahead of time, leave the glaze off for easier storage. Glaze the cake about 30 minutes before serving to allow the wet glaze to set for easy slicing.
This Lemon Pound Cake sounds perfectly moist and zesty—simple ingredients, big flavor!
Pantry staples turned into a perfect cake!
You’ve officially spoiled store-bought versions for me!
I’m not much of a cook, but this turned out great for me!