Lemon Pound Cake
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This lemon pound cake is the ultimate dessert for lemon lovers.
Calling all lemon lovers! This lemon pound cake is a dessert made just for you. The recipe incorporates both lemon zest and lemon juice into the cake batter, infusing the cake with a lovely lemon flavor. But the real magic happens after baking — the cake is generously doused with lemon syrup and then drizzled with a tart lemon glaze, delivering an intense burst of lemon flavor with every bite. The recipe yields two ultra-moist loaves that stay fresh for days on the countertop or can be frozen for later. If you’d like to switch things up, try my popular lemon poppyseed cake and lemon blueberry pound cake variations. A big thank you and shoutout to Karen Tannenbaum, one of my longtime readers, for inspiring this wonderful 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 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.
Transfer the cake batter to the prepared pans and smooth with a rubber spatula.
Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, or until the top is golden and a tester comes out clean.
Set the cakes on a cooling rack, and cool in the pans for 10 minutes.
Carefully run a knife along the unlined sides of the pans to loosen the cake from the pan. Using the parchment slings, lift the cakes out of the pans and place onto the rack, leaving the parchment paper in place under the cakes. Let cool for about 1 hour.
When the cakes are almost cool, 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.
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).
When the cakes are cool, carefully transfer them to serving platters. Gradually brush the warm syrup all over the cakes, including the sides, letting it soak in as you go.
Finally, spoon the glaze over the top of the cake, letting it drip down the sides.
Let the cakes sit for about one hour to allow the glaze to set before serving.
How To Freeze Lemon Pound Cake
The cakes can be frozen without the glaze for up to 3 months. After they are completely cooled, double-wrap them securely with aluminum foil or plastic freezer wrap, or place them 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.)
Note: This recipe was updated in 2022; to see the original version, click here.
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- Warm Lemon Pudding Cakes
- Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
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Lemon Pound Cake
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
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup buttermilk (low-fat is fine) (see note)
- 2 tablespoons (packed) grated lemon zest (see note)
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 2¼ cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
For the Syrup
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
For the Glaze
- 1 cup confectioners' sugar
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Spray two 8½ x 4½-inch loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray. Line the long sides of the pans with parchment paper “slings” and spray lightly with nonstick cooking spray again.
- 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.
- Divide the thick batter into the prepared pans and smooth with a rubber spatula. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, or until the top is golden and a tester comes out clean.
- Set the cakes on a cooling rack, and cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife along the unlined sides of the pans to loosen the cake from the pan. Using the parchment slings, lift the cakes out of the pans and place onto the rack, leaving the parchment paper in place under the cakes. Let cool for about 1 hour.
- When the cakes are almost cool, 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.
- When the cakes are cool, carefully transfer them to serving platters.
- Gradually brush the warm syrup all over the cakes, including the sides, letting it soak in as you go.
- 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. Let the cakes sit for about one hour to allow the glaze to set before serving.
- Note: If you’d like to make your own buttermilk, check out the easy method here.
- Note: You'll need 4 to 5 large lemons for the entire recipe.
- Make-Ahead/Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The cakes can be made up to 1 day ahead of time and stored in a cake dome or airtight container at room temperature. They can also be frozen (without the final glaze) for up to 3 months. After they are completely cooled, double-wrap securely with aluminum foil or plastic freezer wrap, or place them 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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This cake is amazing!! I’m an avid baker and I try to substitute slightly healthier ingredients for sugar and flour, (to lessen the gluten). I used spelt flour, and coconut sugar and the cake still came out amazing. So moist, dense, lemony, kids loved it!! Would definitely make again. Thank you Jenn!
My lemon pound cake turned out amazing! It was sooo moist and delicious. I really reccomend this for lemon lovers.💛
This is definitely a KEEPER!!! I followed the instructions except when I grease my pan I use flour instead of sugar. That cake just pops right out, perfectly !!!!
How should I store my cake? I am giving it to somebody else tomorrow and I’m not sure how I should keep it so it stays moist. The cake was so easy and to make even for me (I’m 14!). I’m never disappointed by your recipes!
Hi Sidney, Sorry I’m weighing in too late to be helpful! For future reference, if you have a cake dome, I’d use that. If not, covering it with foil works fine too. (And good for you for being so active in the kitchen at 14!) 🙂
A good thing to note for people having problems with their cake sticking (recently learned this myself):
If what you grease with is LIQUID (oil, most cooking sprays) at room temperature, chill the cake in a freezer for 5-10 minutes to help get it out
If what you grease with is SOLID (butter, coconut oil, shortening) at room temperature, stick it back in the oven for 5 minutes and then immediately try to turn it out.
Hope this helps others as much as it helped me!
Ahhhhhmazing! Best lemon cake I’ve had. Inside was so moist and had such a nice lemony essence. I personally would use more lemon juice for syrup next time, but I love a good tartness to my cake. I also used butter and sugar to coat my pan, the outer layer of the cake had a crisp, but lovely chewy texture and soaked up the syrup beautifully. I have already shared this recipe a few times and just made this last night! For those that gave this 1 star for this cake? Ya did it wrong. I am not a baker and this straightforward recipe made me feel like Martha Stewart.
Hi! I wanted to ask if I can make this cake using two 9 inch pans.
And can I use lime instead of lemon? Want to make this for my daughter’s birthday.
Hi Saba, Are you referring to round pans? If so, I think that should work. Bake time will be shorter so keep a close eye on them. And yes, you can use lime here; it won’t have quite the same “pop” as the lemon, but it will work. Hope your daughter has a nice birthday!
Yes, I used 9″ round pans and used lime instead of lemon and the cake turned out great! Used 2 cups sugar instead of 2¼ and just glazed it afterwards. Cake was moist enough even without syrup.
My daughter was so thrilled! She wanted to thank you for the birthday wish and the recipe 🙂
PS : I’ve also tried your Apple cake recipe and it’s the best!
Thank you Jenn
So glad to hear it worked out well and that your daughter was happy — thanks for the follow-up! 🙂
I made the lemon pound cake; it was absolutely marvelous it’s the first time I’ve baked a cake in 30 years and it turned out great. everyone loved it.
The most delicious, delectable lemon pound cake & it was a huge hit with my company. I will never make a different version of this cake.
Oh dear. I’m afraid the issue is with you and not with the recipe. As you can see, most find this recipe to be great – I’ve made it twice and both times it was delicious.
I made the cake. It was absolutely awesome. My only problem was after putting the syrup on the cake and leaving on the rack to completely cool my cake stuck to the rack.
An absolute disaster. I reread the recipe twice before beginning, then followed it to the letter. Assembled all the ingredients and double-checked that everything was correct. After removing from the oven, Iset the timer the recommended 10 minutes before removing the cake from the pan. I ran a knife around the edges and the center tube, but the cake totally stuck to the pan. I ran the knife around the edges again and lightly tapped the pan – still wouldn’t come out of the pan. It eventually came out in chunks and pieces. I’ve never had an issue with this pan, and I made sure it was well-coated. A complete waste of ingredients and time. Furthermore, the texture and flavor are nothing like pound cake. If I could somehow give negative stars, I would.
So lemony-moist, beautiful and delicious! It was a big hit at my house! You will not regret making this cake!
Me too! So much effort for a total mess and now I get to make another birthday cake. The “see note below” comment regarding the pan isn’t clear which note, so I didn’t realize how badly it could go. Terrible.
This was absolutely amazing! For my first try at anything pound cake, it came out perfect. And to make it even better, my husband was floored. He loved it! Another plus, is that my picky dessert eating son, who doesn’t eat anything cake, surprisingly, took to this one. He smelled all that refreshing, lemony love, had a little taste and he was hooked. I am so happy. The pound cake lasted 3 days. LOL He’s getting a lemon pound cake for his birthday. Thank you for sharing.
Question: Hello, I love your recipes–puzzled because this and the Ina Garten recipe for Meyer Lemon cake to be strikingly similar. Did she copy from you or did you both get it from the same source?? I hold you in much higher regard than Ina and is why I wouldn’t put it past her people to maybe find and copy recipes.
Hi Alison, a reader actually suggested this recipe to me so using that as a foundation, I made some tweaks to it (so any resemblance to Ina’s recipe is coincidental). That said, most lemon pound cakes use a lot of the same ingredients and techniques. The base of this version is actually most similar to the lemon cake from the Silver Palate cookbook. (BTW, I am so flattered you hold me in higher regard than Ina!!!) 🙂
I’m a pretty inexperienced baker, but this cake turned out fabulous. I will be making more of your recipes! Thank you so much for sharing.
I am rather inexperienced when it comes to baking, but this cake turned out fabulous! I do have a question. I used my new stand mixer for the first tme on this recipe, and the ingredients tended to
gather on the sides of the bowl. It certainly didn’t affect the results. Any thoughts? I will be making more of your recipes!
Hi Marianne, So glad you enjoyed it! That is typical with stand mixers. Every once in a while, just stop the mixer and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. 🙂
so good! i swapped for gluten free flour, almond milk, and doubled the lemon juice. so good!!
I just tried your recipe for the first time this evening. I followed your directions exactly as written and the cake turned out beautifully! It looks so professional and I am an amateur baker! Wow! Thanks for the great recipe that I am sure I will turn to on many occasions to come!
Many thanks!
This is the third time I’ve made this….it is SO delicious and lemony….I love anything lemon but I found this recipe to be the best and your instructions are always so clear….ALL of your recipes that I have tried were superior…Thank you
Loved this cake! Made it for my boyfriend’s birthday, and he requested it next year as well! Excellent recipe, I loved how descriptive the instructions were.
One of the best cakes I’ve ever made or eaten. Followed recipe and directions exactly. Total perfection. Thank you so much, Jen.
I made this twice in two days: once for a friend for her birthday, and then again the next day, as my family wanted one. This is the best pound cake I think I have ever made (I’m a lemon lover)! The instructions were clear and complete, and I will certainly make it again. Oh, I have a more textured bundt pan, but liberal butter and flour (as well as following the injunction to remove it from the pan after 10 minutes) worked like a charm both times. Thank you!
Absolutely perfect! This is my mom’s favorite dessert, and she loved it! I greased the pan and added sugar as directed, and I had no problems removing the cake from the pan.
Made this yesterday. As someone else posted I added fresh blueberries. My wife and I loved this cake. Loved it so much I took the time to post a review.
I made this cake and added blueberries to the batter. OMG!!!!! It was amazing! My daughter wanted it for her 18th birthday cake because she is CRAZY about lemons and my family FLIPPED over it!! My husband loved it so much he ate half of it! The cake didn’t even last 48 hours!!
Another successful Once Upon a Chef recipe. Lemon desserts are my favorite and you always come through!
Sidenote. I just learned a new hack called “magic cake pan release”. It’s a paste that you make that you rub all over your cake pan (that lasts for three months). My lemon cake slipped out of the bundt pan 🙂
1/3 shortening
1/3 vegetable oil
1/3 flour
(or any equal parts)
Thank you for another delicious recipe
I subbed 1 stick of butter for 1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce (1:1 sub) and 1/8 cup vanilla greek yogurt (1:0.5 sub). I read online when using applesauce to sub for butter, add some fat like yogurt. …Yogurt I had says 0% fat, but it turned out fine. Reduced sugar to 2 cups, since applesauce is naturally sweet. I used the butter and flour on my bundt pan.
I threw in frozen blueberries, rinsed and dried(-ish. Quick pat down/roll in a towel.) before adding to the batter, as recommended by King Arthur to reduce blueberry color bleeding.
Had some trouble with the syrup – when it reached boiling, I took it off and added the lemon juice, but mine looked too liquidy to be syrup. I ended up putting it back on the heat for about 5 more minutes before it thickened slightly; constantly stirring, letting it boil rigorously for 5-10sec, taking it off to inspect it and returning it to the heat.
Came out pretty good! Delicious and dense as pound cake should be. Hubby always orders the lemon pound cake from Starbucks, and he warned me this cake is not going to last around him. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for the easy step by step. Was my first time baking a pound cake. Made it for mother’s day, as a gift for mom. She loved it. I had to make a second one the following week.
K.
Can i cook this in a loaf pan to make lemon bread? If so would anything about it change?
Definitely! You’ll need two 8½ x 4½-inch loaf pans. 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. Enjoy!
This turned out SO good. I am in my third trimester and home a lot these days trying to stay busy, so what better way to satisfy my sweet tooth than bake! I think the buttermilk along with the fresh lemon zest and fresh squeezed lemon juice is what really made the recipe stand out. The cake taste and consistency turned out wonderful and my family all loved it. It pairs wonderfully with a latte. YUM
OMG! This is the best cake recipe I have found in a long time. A super tender cake with the perfect texture. My lemons were very zingy so the icing suited the cake very well.
This looks great. I want to try it for my Daughter’s birthday. Can i make cupcakes with same recipe instead of a cake ?
TIA
RA
Hi RA, I haven’t made cupcakes with this recipe, but it should definitely work. Hope your daughter enjoys! 🙂
Great cake, everyone loved it! I followed what other people said, and only added 1 2/3 cups of sugar. I didn’t include the syrup because I felt it was sweet enough. I added additional lemon juice + zest to both the batter and the glaze, but next time I would add even more to the batter since I felt the lemon flavor in the cake was weak. I did not coat the pan with sugar, instead I beat together equal parts butter, vegetable oil and flour and coated the pan with that, and I had no problems with the cake sticking. Will be making again!
I used Criscoe shortening to line the Bundt pan and had no issue. I love lemons, and added extra zest and lemon concentrate (2 tablespoons of each). I brought it to work and everyone loved it. I didn’t make the icing…. no need… it’s fantastic. Thank you for this recipe.
hi i’ve a question! I don’t have an electric stand mixer. Can I use a electric hand whisker instead?
Sure – you’ll just need to increase the speed on the mixer a little bit. Enjoy!
Adding to the archives! I followed this recipe to the letter and it came out perfect! So rich and delicious with the perfect amount of lemon flavor. Thank you for sharing!
This cake is DELICIOUS!!! I made it for Mother’s Day and it was a hit! Just the right amount of lemon flavor. And so easy to make!
The ratings for this recipe are misleading- does anyone actually try these before rating them lol?I followed the recipe down to the letter and it was too dense, even after recommended cooking time . I actually fell asleep waiting for it to bake through in 5 min increments and when it didn’t, it was tough as nails on the outside and like fudge on the inside. I think there’s too much liquid(omit lemon juice and butter milk, maybe just add lemon rind?) and not enough egg to get that cake-y texture. I was pretty disappointed and 1/5 is being generous.
This cake was delicious. Just enough lemon flavor. My family enjoyed it.
Everyone found the cake too dense. Followed the recipe exactly.
Hi
Thanks for the recipe. I tried it today but it did not rise much at all. I had substituted ener-g egg replacer for the eggs since we don’t eat them, added a buttermilk substitute (cold milk plus lemon juice rested for 10 mins), and halved the recipe to make in a loaf tin. Please advise as to where I might have gone wrong.
Hi Anupriya, I’m sorry you had a problem with this. When you made the buttermilk, did you wait until it looked curdled before incorporating it? If so, the only thing I can think of is that maybe the egg replacer had an impact. If you want to try it again, two of the best egg substitutes I’ve heard about (I haven’t personally tried either of them) are a combination of water, oil, and baking powder and carbonated water. Scroll down to the bottom of this article for more information about both.
Wonderful. You have the best recipes on the web. I have been using your website and the entire family loves the cakes. Thank you for sharing.
This by far is The BEST poundcake I’ve ever made. Very light! I added 1/2 tsp of the following Vanilla, Coconut, Almond and Butter flavorings instead of the lemon…Delicious!
I made it per instructions for prepping the Bundt pan. It STUCK big time, don’t recommend that prep, cake taste good just in pieces.
R.Baker
Despite not prepping my pan properly (ended up with plugs missing lol) and accidentally adding the sugar to the dry ingredients instead of creaming it with the butter, this cake came out perfectly. One of the best cakes I’ve ever made and my family loved it. I will be making it again. So good – thank you!
My cake turned out perfectly. I made it in a loaf pan so i halved the ingredients, used 2 medium eggs and 3/4 cup sugar. If anything, i think i could have used less sugar. Instructions were very clear and i found the pictorial guide very useful. I love the lemony flavour. My boyfriend who doesn’t really like dessert found it irresistible. Will definitely make again!
Just made this for Mother’s Day! It’s heavenly! Glad I came across your recipe, thank you for sharing! Just follow the directions, be patient, and it will turn out great! I didn’t have any issues with greasing the pan with shortening and applying the sugar. I think that actually helped the cake NOT to stick to the pan.
is a a video for this recipe?
Not for this one — sorry! I have videos for a handful of my recipes. You see all of them here.
Delicious!! Great instructions. My family couldn’t get enough of the cake. We don’t ordinarily eat or buy lemon cakes, but this was simply divine. Thank you so much for sharing.
Question! Is there a way to make this without any lemon flavoring? Will leaving the juice out effect the consistency at all??
Hi Jacqui, if you don’t want the lemon flavoring, I’d actually use this recipe for my Kentucky butter cake. Hope you enjoy if you make it!
The cake turned out great. I will make it again. Thanks for sharing.
Great recipe! Easy to follow. My cake didn’t turn out nicely with the sugar coating but still tastes good. A tad too sweet still even after I cut the sugar to 2 cups instead. I will give it a try again! Thanks for the recipe!
Using sugar on the pan instead of flour is going to be my new go-to move! Amazing tip! Love the added texture it gives the cake. The sugar syrup is also a must. I threw in some poppy seeds and also used a little King Arthur lemon oil to boost the lemon flavor a bit. I’ve sent the recipe to numerous people already and I’ve had three slices in ten minutes… so I would say that I recommend it!
I just made one for the first time. I used a silicone bundt pan, sprayed with pam, coated the pan with sugar. I reduced the cooling time to five minutes, and it turned out of the pan onto the cooling rack beautifully. I toothpick checked after 60 minutes, and it was perfectly cooked. This is a fantastic cake.