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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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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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!
This Lemon pound cake is fantastic, a little time consuming but well worth it. I have made this several times since I found this recipe and everyone loves it. Very lemony and moist. If you are a lemon fan you must make this cake, it’s for any occasion.
Hi Jenn! Thanks for another amazing recipe! 🙂 Is it possible to make the batter in advance then bake it at a later date? If not, should I freeze the cake if I plan to serve it two days after baking, or should I just leave it at room temperature? We live in a tropical country so our room temperature is on the warmer side.
Hi Rose, I would not recommend making the batter in advance as the cake will not rise properly when you go to bake it.
But you should be fine as this keeps well for 3 to 4 days. (I’d store it in a cake dome on your counter.) Hope you enjoy!
Got it. Will do as you advise. Thanks again. 🙂
Just made this today and it is excellent. I added two cups of frozen raspberries and cranberries (dusted with flour) because my family likes a little extra tang. A really nice compliment to the lemon. Definitely will make this again. Thank you!
Jenn, this is another winner! I was so impressed with your zucchini bread that I decided to give this a try, too. I made the recipe as two lemon pound cakes, as per your alternate instructions. They came out perfect at 60 minutes. The flavor and texture is as good as it gets. I’ve tried other lemon pound recipes but found them disappointing in one way or another. Not this one, convinced by how the two cakes disappeared in three days—without children in the house! You are my new go-to!
If you like lemon cake, you are going to love this recipe! It was the best lemon pound cake I ever had! I personally enjoyed it more than a popular coffee shop’s version. I made it for a get-together and it received rave reviews from all who ate it.
This recipe is delicious! This is my first time making a homemade cake and it is wonderful!
This is the best lemon pound and has become a family favorite. The syrup really makes it moist and the glaze adds a delightful lemon touch and beautiful presentation!
A lovely large, moist and lemony cake. The lemon flavour appeals to those who do not cakes that are sickly sweet. A well-greased and floured pan prevented the cake from sticking. Looking forward to trying the Lemon Poppyseed cake soon.
This is a great recipe flavour wise. My first time baking I found the very centre of the cake to be slightly dense/gummy, but I can’t attribute this to underbaking as the outside was very dark, and the inner slightly dry! I think the ‘wet’ centre may have been due to slicing too soon after baking, so the second time I made it I baked at a slightly lower temp and let it cool completely before slicing. Perfect!
This cake is always a hit when I make it! I always think of expanding into other dessert recipes but this has just been such a requested favorite that I’m not ready to explore other desserts yet! I love it – it has the right density, the right amount of lemon and sweetness! This is my favorite cake to bake. I’ll look at other recipes of yours one day!! But for now – this cake will be coming with me to every event!
Made this pound cake this past weekend and it was delicious. We are lemon lovers and it was so flavorful and easy to make. Will definitely be using this recipe again.
This Lemon Pound Cake is the best I’ve ever had. I’ve made this several times. I have baked it in the Bundt pan as the recipe suggests and I have also baked it in two 8×4 loaf pans for approximately 45-60 minutes. The last time I made this recipe, I forgot the second step of drizzling the lemon syrup over the warm cake and it was still amazing!
I had tons of lemons in my backyard so I tried making this. Unfortunately it came out very dry for me. I don’t know what I did wrong. I will try again next time.
This cake is so lemony, moist and delicious! I can’t get enough of it. I love lemony baked goods and this, with that lemon syrup is definitely a good one! Jenn’s recipes never disappoint!
By far the best lemon cake I’ve had, hands down! And to think I made it myself! Jenn Segal isn’t my new culinary hero! The perfect balance of sweet and tart. Don’t be intimidated, she explains everything perfectly. My first cake stuck a bit so on the next one I used Pam for baking with flour instead of regular cooking spray and it’s come out clean and beautifully every time! Everyone loves this cake. I’ve even had people try it who say they don’t usually like lemon and they even loved it! Can’t thank you enough Jenn!
This is my all time favorite lemon dessert, so moist and fresh tasting. Every time I serve it, everyone wants the recipe! I did have some trouble with removing the cake from my fluted pan when using cooking spray. I have since switched to using butter making sure to get it into all the crevices and haven’t had a problem since.
Made for grandson’s 12th birthday. A hit with all the ages. Will be making it again.
Made this and my husband and I loved it. I had cut the recipe in half and just made one in a loaf pan. Boy was I sorry I didn’t make the whole recipe and made two! I will make it again to eat right away and will freeze the other to enjoy later. So delicious!! This is a keeper!!!
This is my go to recipe for anything lemon related! I have always loved lemons so this was an easy choice to try out. I have never been a baker, but the easy steps and pictures made this fool proof. I was even confident enough to make it for a neighbor!
I made this for my family a couple of weeks ago and it was a total success! I love the lemon glaze, but my parents found it a bit too sweet.
Even without the glaze, the cake has a delightful lemon flavour. Like some others here, I was wary of using sugar to dust the pan, so I used flour and it worked beautifully.
This is a wonderful recipe – I usually halve it for a traditional loaf pound cake. The buttermilk works beautifully for the taste and texture; do not skip the syrup step – it makes a huge difference! Great for gifting.
Thanks so much for this absolutely perfect recipe! This yummy lemon pound cake has now become a staple of my desserts. I’ve made it countless times, each one of them turning out great – not to mention, everyone loves it! I love it so much that I’ve now incorporated the icing part for use in other similar desserts, with the same success.
I love lemon flavour and this has it in abundance. Its my hubbys favourite cake and so simple to make. I came across once upon a chef while searching for some good stew recipies. I subscribed to the emails and now building a collection. The informative guidance on using the exact measure was spot on. So important as I have discovered. Since we moved from the UK 7 years ago, this is best collection I have come across.
Hi, can I substitute the buttermilk with a homemade buttermilk mixture? Will it still turn out the same or will it affect the texture of the cake?
Hi Joselyn, that’s perfectly fine. Hope you enjoy!
I love anything lemon and this pound cake was the best ever. So moist and tasty eaten just by itself.
This is the best lemon pound cake I have made. We use this recipe on a regular basis as it is a family favorite (right behind the pumpkin pound cake). It does take a little more time with adding the lemon simple sugar but that step adds so much moisture and flavor to the cake.
PS. Used butter and flour for the tin and had no problems.
My friend has a lemon tree, and she brought me a whole bag of gorgeous lemons (like, A LOT). When searching my fav recipe sites for something to make with these beauties, I came across this cake and made it for the rest of the nurses on my unit. They LOVED it. P.S. loved the retro feel of this cake ☺️
I made two of these today for the first time. I followed the recipe as written and did not modify anything. It turned out excellent. One was an anniversary gift for friends. I bet they will love it as well.
PS. I have been weighing my flour for several years now and find it makes all recipes consistent across time and when shared with friends. Professional bakers such as yourself have done that forever and we hobby chefs should do the same! It’s the one best piece of advice for any baker especially a novice.
I would have uploaded my picture but don’t know how 😊
PPS
I buttered a nonstick Bundt pan ans floured it as well. I cooked it about 15 min and has absolutely no problem with it releasing from the pan. I think the flour helped
So glad you liked it! Unfortunately, the blog isn’t set up to receive pictures but if you’re on Instagram, you can share it there; be sure to tag me @onceuponachef!
What is the best way to halve the recipe? I don’t know how 3 eggs can be split equally…
Hi Sadie, beat the third egg in a measuring cup, discard half of it, and use the remaining half. Hope that helps and that you enjoy! 🙂
I made the cake before you replied, with the full recipe, but thank goodness anyway!
Loved it
Im also a classically trained chef and although I have a wide range of my own recipes I browse the internet for new ones. Even though I multiplied this recipe by 4 for my use, which may not fit the average home user, it came out super good! One of the best cakes I’ve ever made to be honest! Well done! Highly recommend!
Hi Jenn,
Could use sour cream instead of buttermilk or that would not give the same result?
Thank you.
Sure, but you’ll need to thin it with a bit of milk. Please LMK how it turns out!
Hands down the most delicious cake I’ve ever made! Spectacular!! I was so worried because I was making this cake for the first time for a potluck picnic with some friends (I know, not smart to try a new recipe at such a time :D) but I simply couldn’t resist when I came across it. Needless to say it was an absolute hit and everyone wanted the recipe! I don’t usually stick to a recipe 100% because I either don’t have the exact ingredients or I like to add my own little twist but for this lemon cake I stuck to the ingredients and recipe to the T. I made my own buttermilk and it turned out amazing. I didn’t add the syrup though because I just thought it would be too sweet but the lemon icing on top was magnificent and the sweetness all around was perfect. Thank you so much Jenn for sharing such a wonderful recipe and for such easy to follow instructions!
Jenn
I have a 12 cup Bundt pan, will that be ok to use ( since the recipe calls for a 10 cup)?
Thank you!
Lisa
Hi Lisa, This actually calls for a 10-inch bundt pan (which holds 12 cups) so you’ve got exactly what you need. Hope you enjoy!
Oh Yeah Jenn!!!!
Thank you ….sometimes it’s a good thing
not reading correctly! Lol!
Thank you again!
Have my muse en place ready to go!
Lisa
Yikes! I used a regular bundt pan and it wayyyy overflowed, leaving a huge mess in my oven. I’m really confused, I followed the recipe to a T, all of my ingredients set out ahead of time and they were all fresh. Anyone know why this happened to me ???
Hi Mary, sorry you had a problem with this! It sounds like you bundt pan was too small. Did you use a 10-inch bundt pan?
Moist, delicious pound cake. I followed the recipe exactly and it was super easy to follow and turned out better than expected. My mother loved it and she is a tough critic. Definitely going to make this at every special occasion; family loved it! Tastes even better after freezing.
Absolutely delicious! This recipe is a keeper for me.
Great recipe and delicious cake – followed exactly as written, including how to prepare the pan (with sugar) and had no problems turning it out.
The cake tastes like more like a lemon cake than a pound cake. Not bad but not what I was personally looking for.
Spectacular! Made this today and it was wonderful. I made it in 2 loaf pans, thinking I’d freeze one, per the instructions in the recipe. Well, my husband immediately ate most of one loaf, so I think we’ll be finishing off the second loaf for breakfast and I’ll just have to make it again! I will definitely come back to this recipe whenever I’m in the mood for something lemony.
I think next time I might try the Bon Appetit tip of putting the lemon zest in the sugar and then using my hands to rub the zest into the sugar, thereby releasing more of the zestiness, then creaming the lemony sugar with the butter. We’ll see!
My 2 loaves were done in about an hour and I did use the butter the pan and then use sugar, rather than flour, to help keep the loaf from sticking, in addition to the parchment at the bottom of the pan. No issues with sticking!
Just made this cake today, and was just amazed how good it turned out!! Thanks a million for sharing! I will make it again for sure!! Five stars!!🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Today I assembled a double recipe for lemon pound cakes for gifts. Like you, l prefer to assemble all ingredients and then proceed. I was (I thought) ready to fill the prepared pans when I looked up to see 6 eggs staring at me from the counter. Yikes! So, I put them in another bowl and whipped them well, then returned the thick batter to the mixer and added the eggs, mixing until blended. With trepidation, I filled the pans and, unbelievably, the cake is fine. What a forgiving recipe. The taste and texture are perfect. Like many, I reduced sugar by 25% and upped the juice and zest a bit.
Excellent pound cake recipe. I did half butter half coconut oil to reduce some of the dairy and it was wonderful! This recipe is light moist and I love the flavor. We skipped the glaze just so we could reduce sugar but did do the syrup which added a nice touch. My favorite lemon pound cake recipe by far!
Question: you mention being able to reduce the sugar by a quarter. Is that 1/4 cup or 25%? 25% puts the sugar content in the cake at about 1 2/3 cups versus 2 1/4 cups. I only reduced it by a quarter cup just to be safe the first go round. Let me know your thoughts. Thanks again for a fantastic recipe!
Hi Gabrielle, Glad you liked it. You can get away with reducing the sugar by 25%.
I made this tonight and followed the recipe except reduced the sugar by 1/4. It was delicious and everyone wanted more. I was planning to freeze the other half, but I think we will end up eating all of it. I am planning to make this again for Christmas.
Not a heavy cake. Great lemony taste. Wonderful for holiday serving.
I made this cake out of the blue back in July to cheer spirits at work. Now I make one every Monday morning with some banana muffins. Keeps the bosses happy.
Did everything the recipe said. My cake did not cook all the way through with 70 mins cook time, it stuck to the pan and very little lemon taste. Overall not a good experience!
This is THE BEST lemon pound cake I have ever made. Everyone loves it and requests it anytime there’s a gathering where food will be brought! This is the only recipe you’ll need… Make one today!!!