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Lemon Pound Cake
Flavored with lemon zest and juice, and drizzled with a tart lemon glaze, this lemon pound cake is the ultimate dessert for lemon lovers.
This lemon pound cake is the ultimate dessert for lemon lovers. Lemon zest and lemon juice are added to the batter, which lightly perfume the cake with lemon. Then, while the cake is still warm from the oven, I douse it with lemon syrup to further enhance the lemon flavor. Finally, I drizzle the cake with a tart lemon glaze, which adds a pop of intense lemon flavor to every bite.
The cake can be made in a Bundt pan or two 8½ x 4½-inch loaf pans. Before deciding which pans to use, please see the notes at the bottom of the recipe. The cake keeps well for days on the countertop, and it freezes well, too. Many thanks to my longtime reader Karen Tannenbaum for inspiring the recipe.
What You’ll Need To Make Lemon Pound Cake
STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS
Start by zesting and juicing your lemons. And be sure you zest the lemons first, otherwise it will be impossible once they are juiced. The best tool for zesting is a rasp grater but any fine grater will do.
Combine the flour, salt, and baking soda in a mixing bowl. I always add dry ingredients in little piles so I don’t forget what I’ve already added.
Whisk and set aside.
In a separate bowl or measuring cup, combine the buttermilk, lemon juice and lemon zest. Set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Beat in the eggs one at a time.
With the mixer on low speed, gradually alternate adding the flour mixture and buttermilk mixture to the batter.
It’s important to add these ingredients gradually because the butter base of the cake does not absorb a lot of liquid easily. If you rush it, the batter may separate, which will cause your cake to be heavy.
Transfer the cake batter to the prepared bundt pan and smooth with a rubber spatula. As you can see in the photo below, to prep the pan, I grease it with vegetable shortening and then dust with sugar. It works beautifully and leaves no floury residue on the outside of the cake.
Bake the cake for 65 to 75 minutes, until golden brown and a cake tester comes out clean.
Let the cake cool in the pan for about ten minutes. Meanwhile, make the syrup. Combine the water and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, then stir in the lemon juice.
Invert the cake onto a wire rack. (Note: be sure to pop the cake out of the pan after ten minutes, as cooling too long in the pan will cause the cake to stick.) Slip a piece of parchment paper, aluminum foil, or paper towels underneath for easy clean-up.
Gradually brush the cake with the syrup, allowing it to soak in as you go. Try not to rush — some of the syrup will drip off but you want the cake to absorb as much as possible.
Leave the cake to cool completely, about one hour, before glazing. To make the glaze, combine the confectioners’ sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl. Stir until well combined. Add more confectioners’ sugar or lemon juice if necessary to make a thick but pourable glaze.
Once the cake is cool, drizzle the syrup over top, letting it drip down the sides.
Let the glaze set, then serve.
How To Freeze Lemon Pound Cake
The cake can be frozen without the glaze for up to 3 months. After it is completely cooled, double-wrap it securely with aluminum foil or plastic freezer wrap, or place it in a heavy-duty freezer bag. Thaw the overnight on the countertop before serving. (Add the syrup before the cake is frozen and add the glaze after the cake is thawed.)
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Lemon Pound Cake
Flavored with lemon zest and juice, and drizzled with a tart lemon glaze, this lemon pound cake is the ultimate dessert for lemon lovers.
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 3 cups all purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off with a knife
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup buttermilk (low fat is fine)
- 2 tablespoons grated lemon zest, packed (see note)
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 2-1/4 cups granulated sugar, plus more for the pan
- 3 large eggs
For the Syrup
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1-1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
For the Glaze
- 1 cup confectioners' sugar
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F and set an oven rack in the middle position.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In another bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, lemon zest and lemon juice. Set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or beaters), cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then beat in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl again.
- With the mixer on low speed, beat in one-quarter of the flour mixture, then one-third of the buttermilk mixture. Beat in another quarter of the flour, then another third of the buttermilk mixture. Repeat with another quarter of the flour and the remaining buttermilk mixture. Finally, beat in the remaining flour mixture. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and give a quick mix to make sure all of the ingredients are well incorporated.
- (See note below before completing this step.) Thoroughly grease a 10-inch Bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray or vegetable shortening, making sure to get into all the crevices. Coat the greased pan generously with granulated sugar, making sure the entire surface of the pan is evenly coated.
- Spoon the thick batter into the prepared Bundt pan and smooth with a rubber spatula. Bake for 65 to 75 minutes, or until the cake is golden and a tester comes out clean.
- Set the cake on a cooling rack. Carefully run an offset spatula or table knife around the edges of your pan, between the pan and the cake, to loosen the cake from the pan (don't forget the center tube). Cool the cake in the pan for ten minutes. (Set a timer because if it stays in the pan too long, it may stick.)
- Meanwhile, make the syrup. Combine the water and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice.
- Invert the warm cake onto a rack. Slip a large piece of parchment paper, aluminum foil, or paper towels under the rack for easy clean-up. Gradually brush the hot syrup over the cake, letting it soak in (a little syrup will drip off, but try not to rush so that most of it is absorbed). Allow the cake to cool completely, about one hour.
- When the cake is cool, carefully transfer it to a serving platter. To make the glaze: in a medium bowl, whisk together the confectioners' sugar and lemon juice. Add more confectioners' sugar or lemon juice as necessary to make a thick but pourable glaze (it should be a little thicker than you'd think, about the consistency of molasses or honey). Spoon the glaze over the top of the cake, letting it drip down the sides.
- Note: You'll need 4 to 5 large lemons for the entire recipe.
- Note: As the recipe indicates, I grease the Bundt pan with vegetable shortening and then dust it with sugar. It has always worked beautifully for me, but a number of readers have mentioned problems with the cake sticking. If you’d prefer to use a different method, treat the pan by generously coating it with butter and then dusting it with flour, or use a nonstick baking spray with flour like Pam with Flour or Baker’s Joy. (Also, it's best not to use a Bundt pan with an intricate design for this cake, as they are more prone to sticking.) Another option (that is foolproof) is to use two 8½ x 4½-inch loaf pans instead of a Bundt pan. Loaf pans are much less prone to sticking, and you can line them with parchment paper for extra insurance. To prepare the loaf pans, spray them with nonstick baking spray, line the bottoms with parchment, and then spray them again. The bake time will be 50 to 60 minutes, and you will only need half of the soaking syrup.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The cake can be frozen (without the glaze) for up to 3 months. After it is completely cooled, double-wrap it securely with aluminum foil or plastic freezer wrap, or place it in a heavy-duty freezer bag. Thaw overnight on the countertop before serving. (Add the syrup before the cake is frozen and add the glaze after the cake is thawed.)
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (16 servings)
- Serving size: 1 slice
- Calories: 313
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated fat: 4g
- Carbohydrates: 59g
- Sugar: 40g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 4g
- Sodium: 143mg
- Cholesterol: 51mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Reviews & Comments
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Made this today and the flavor is simply fantastic! However, the cakes didn’t rise. The texture is tender, but dense. Is this what you meant when you said, don’t rush mixing the flour and wet ingredients because it could make the cake “heavy”?
I’m going to try again and follow your directions more precisely.
Hi Deborah, Because it’s a pound cake, the texture is more dense but sorry to hear the cake didn’t rise. Couple questions — Did you use a 10-inch Bundt pan? Was your baking soda very old or expired?
Hello,
Im in France and am having a hard time finding the french equivalent, (babeurre) is there something you can suggest for me as a replacement?
Thank you! BTW I make your pancakes here and everyone loves them 🙂
Hi Janelle, You can make your own buttermilk/babeurre if you have milk and either lemon juice or white vinegar. See how here. Hope that helps and that you enjoy!
LOVED this recipe! SO delicious – everyone had seconds! I did find it a bit heavy (hence the ‘pound cake’ name) but the lemon flavour freshened it up.
I was wondering if there is a version of this that would work in cupcake form? Easier for birthdays.. any recommendations?
Hi Amanda, glad you enjoyed this! I haven’t made this cake into cupcakes, but I think it would work. I’d suggest the same temp and start checking for doneness at about 18 minutes. Please LMK how they turn out!
Not going to lie – the cupcakes were EVEN BETTER! This recipe made between 1.5-2 batches of cupcakes, took between 20-25 minutes to bake (in my less than stellar oven) and they were to die for. I still painted the tops with syrup and dipped the tops in the glaze – highly recommend.
So glad you enjoyed them — thanks for the follow-up!! 🙂
I made this beautiful pound cake yesterday. What a keeper !! Thank you 🙂 Just delicious, you want to devour the whole thing just looking at it as you cut this moist cake. I had to use 2 loaf pans, was careful not to overfill and the results were still a great success. This one will be made again and again.
I made this recipe for the first time and it, by far, is the BEST lemon pound cake I ever had! For easy storage and to send some home with my son, I used two loaf pans. The combination of Pam and a generous sprinkling of sugar created a beautiful sweet crust. It slid out of the loaf pan easily and I was able to slide one back into the loaf pan for easy transport. This was my greatest recipe find for 2021!
I made this today and it’s fantastic! It has a great balance between sweet and tart. This one is going straight into my “favorite” folder
This recipe is a winner and keeper in my book! Thank you for sharing your detailed instructions which made the process easier and produced a spectacular result. I baked it for Easter Octave Sunday, yesterday. The slight adjustments I made were cutting the sugar to 2 cups and using the 1/4 cup in the recipe to dust the Bundt pan after brushing it with vegetable shortening. There was absolutely no residual sticking when I turned the cake out. Brushing the lemon/sugar syrup over the cake gently as you suggested, made the cake truly moist. The cooking time was about 70 minutes- at 65 the tester came out clean so I turned off the oven and kept the cake in for 5 minutes more. Finally, instead of the lemon glaze, I used my own chocolate ganache with Amaretto (using bittersweet Callebaut chocolate) and the contrast of flavors was delicious. So again, your generosity in sharing this spring delight wins my hearty applause!
Baked this as a last minute birthday cake & the results were remarkably sumptuous! Because of the pinch of time I was in, I skipped making the syrup, but the moist rich full flavor on its own was “wow”. Will try again w/the syrup to compare, nevertheless, thank you for this recipe of extreme yumminess!
I made this for Easter. It was good but I wished it was moister. (Like starbucks lemon pound cake) The flavor was there but a little dry. I was thinking next time I might poke holes in the cake and double the syrup so it soaks in more. Any other tips to make it moister? I would make again with a few changes. Thanks
Hi Stacey, Sorry you found this to be a bit dry. Dryness is usually caused by measuring the flour incorrectly. Did you use the spoon and level method to measure the flour? Even a few extra ounces can make a big difference. This article/video explains it nicely. Please LMK if I can help in any other way.
Yes I used that method and fluffed the flour first. Next time I will weigh the flour and cook for a shorter amount of time. I cooked it for 65 min and the outside was pretty dark so maybe the cook time was too long. What about adding 2 eggs yolks for one of the whole eggs? Will that change the texture?
If the outside was dark, I suspect it was a bit overbaked so I;d pull it out a few minutes earlier next time. I wouldn’t bother with adding two egg yolks instead of one of the eggs but think it couldn’t hurt to make a little more syrup and, as you suggested, poke some holes in the cake for the syrup to go down into. Hope you find it more moist next time around!
Hi Stacey,
You may have cooked it a tad to long. I made the cake yesterday and it was great. My oven runs hot its fan forced and I found my cake cooked after 45min at 160c, 325f. Your idea of poking holes in cake for the syrup to soak I’ll be using next time. Great tip.
Cheers.
Five stars is not enough for this amazing recipe! I made this for an early Easter dinner. The recipe is perfect without adding anything. So moist and just the right amount of lemon. My husband said I could make it anytime I want! Great job Jenn!
I made this for my mom’s birthday and it was a giant hit. My dad says it might be the best cake he’s ever had. I did jazz up the syrup a little with honey and vanilla bean but otherwise I followed the recipe. A+ cake
Hi, how early can I make this cake? How do I store if made early?
Thanks heaps
Hi, This keeps well for 3 to 4 days. (I’d store it in a cake dome on your counter.) Hope you enjoy!
Hi there,
Would this recipe work in a 9″ bundt pan? Thanks!
I wouldn’t recommend it – I think it will be too small – sorry!
Hi! I’m confused . What size Bundt pan are you suggesting then? You mentioned loaf pans or Bundt pans to be used . Thank you!
Hi Maggi, You’ll need either a 10-inch bundt pan or two 8½ x 4½-inch loaf pans. Hope that clarifies!
Thank you for this wonderful recipe. I made it yesterday and it was amazing, moist, flavorful, simply delicious.
I did have trouble with the glaze as it didn’t turn white as you show in the picture. I am not sure what went wrong. It gave the cake a shine. Any idea what the problem was?
Thank you again.
María
Hi Maria, so glad you liked it! It sounds like your glaze wasn’t thick enough. If you make it again, I’d add more confectioners sugar until it gets to a texture similar to honey. Hope that helps!
Love the scale – do you think I could substitute blood orange juice and zest – then maybe a dark Chocolate glaze ?
Hi Robbie, I think those tweaks would work. I think lemon provides a bit more zing, but some readers have commented they’ve made this with orange and have been happy with the results. Please LMK what you think if you try it!
Thanks – trying it this weekend – will let you know
I did try it with Blood oranges and it is delicious – I made 2 smaller bundts from this recipe as always and it is sweeter so I put a dark chocolate ganache drizzle on top of one and it was amazing.. For the other I did a blood orange drizzle and it was also amazing but quite sweet.. its a nice twist, the cake & drizzle are pinkish from the blood orange so it is visually appealing.. thanks as always for such great recipes and pictures – you are amazing.
I’ve made it a few times – it’s delicious!
Hi Jenn,
I made this recipe yesterday with store-bought egg replacer and turned out so good! I couldn’t believe how well it turned out without eggs. I usually stay away from egg recipes because they don’t turn good. But this Lemon cake was exceptional!!
My daughter who has egg allergies now enjoying the lemon cake🥰
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!!
Does anyone have experience using lemon curd as a filling? Was wondering specifically how this cake would be if made it into a two layer cake And use the lemon curd as a filling. If so was thinking perhaps I need to poke some holes into the bottom layer to add the syrup prior to using the filling.
Hi Diane, I think you could make this into a layer cake, but keep in mind that it will be more dense than your typical layer cake. Lemon curd should work between the layers and I think your suggestion of adding some of the syrup to the bottom layer is a good one. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it!
Buttery texture, perfect density, and flavor. Made this for our family’s Sunday Dinner. Everyone enjoyed the cake. This will be my go-to recipe for Lemon Pound. Thanks for the recipe!
Love this flawless, foolproof recipe and have made it repeatedly. Quick question, I have a lemon blueberry ‘project’ that I am going to use this recipe for. The project requires a layered cake so I was wondering how long would you bake this recipe in 2 x 8″ round pans? Also convection or regular ?
Hi Taylor, Glad you like this! You can bake this in two 8-inch round pans. Bake time will be shorter but I’m not sure by how much so keep a close eye on them. Please LMK how it turns out!
OMG! I can’t express this is the BEST Lemon Pound Cake I ever had!
I’m a beginner! So, maybe obvious question but I’m going to do the 2 loaf pan option since don’t have a Bundt pan. How do you put the glaze on at the end to make it look pretty? When I look at a picture of the lemon blueberry loaf it looks like you made a cut in the top of the loaf to let it soak in?
Hi Sarah, happy to help! For the glaze, just take spoonfuls of it and go back and forth across the top of the loaves letting it drip down the sides. The cut that you see in the lemon blueberry loaf just happened naturally during baking; I didn’t make it so that the glaze could soak in. Hope that helps and that you enjoy!