Lemon Pound Cake
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This lemon pound cake is a lemon lover’s dream: soft, buttery, and soaked in citrusy syrup with a bright, tangy glaze on top. Make one for now and stash the second in the freezer—you’ll be glad you did.
Calling all lemon lovers! This lemon pound cake recipe is made just for you. The recipe incorporates both fresh lemon juice and lemon zest into the cake batter, giving the cake a bright, fresh flavor. But the real magic happens after baking—it gets soaked with lemon syrup and finished with a tart lemon glaze, so every bite is packed with intense lemony goodness.
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 classic pound cake and popular lemon poppyseed cake and lemon blueberry pound cake variations. A big thank you to Karen Tannenbaum, one of my longtime readers, for inspiring this wonderful recipe!
“I had fresh lemons to use up, so gave this a whirl. The texture, flavor, and, well, everything, was spot on. I keep stealing little slices each time I walk by!”
What You’ll Need To Make Lemon Pound Cake
- All-Purpose Flour: Forms the base of the batter and gives the cake structure. Be sure to spoon and level for an accurate measure; excess flour can make the cake dry.
- Baking Soda: Helps the cake rise for a light, tender crumb.
- Buttermilk: Adds moisture and tenderness to the cake.
- Lemon Zest And Lemon Juice: Team up to give the cake its bright, citrusy flavor—the zest brings the fragrant oils, and the juice adds tang. Be sure to zest the lemons before juicing (it’s almost impossible after!). A rasp grater works best, and avoid the bitter white pith under the skin.
- Unsalted Butter: Adds rich flavor and gives the cake its classic pound cake texture—soft, dense, and buttery. Remember to remove the butter from the fridge and bring it to room temperature; you’ll know it’s soft enough when you can press it with a finger and leave a slight indent.
- Granulated Sugar: Sweetens the batter and syrup and also gives the cake a moist texture.
- Large Eggs: Add richness, moisture, and structure.
- Confectioners’ Sugar: Used to make the sweet glaze that gets drizzled over the cake.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS
Step 1: Mix the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt, and baking soda. Whisk until evenly combined.
Step 2: Mix the buttermilk and lemon. In another bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk the buttermilk with the lemon zest and lemon juice. Set it aside.
Step 3: Cream the butter and sugar. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or using beaters), cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy. This creaming step incorporates air into the batter, which helps the cake rise and gives it a fine, tender crumb.
Step 4: Beat in the eggs. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each one. Adding the eggs gradually helps them emulsify into the batter, creating a stable, smooth mixture that won’t split or curdle.
Step 5: Add the dry and wet ingredients. With the mixer on low, alternate adding the flour and buttermilk mixtures, beginning and ending with the flour. (These gradual additions keep the batter from becoming over-mixed, which helps maintain a tender texture.) Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and give a quick mix to make sure all of the ingredients are well-incorporated.
Step 6: Fill the pans. Transfer the cake batter to the loaf pans lined with parchment slings and smooth the tops with a rubber spatula. (The parchment slings help prevent the cake from sticking to the pan and make it easy to lift out cleanly—no need to invert or risk breaking the crust.)
Step 7: Bake and cool. Bake the cakes in a 350°F oven for 55 to 65 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then lift them out using the parchment slings and cool for about an hour more.
Step 8: Make the syrup. Combine the water and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice. Adding lemon juice after boiling keeps the flavor bright and fresh rather than cooked or muted.
Step 9: Make the glaze. In a medium bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar and lemon juice until smooth. Adjust with more sugar or juice if needed for your preferred consistency—for a thicker glaze, use less juice; for a thinner drizzle, add a tiny splash more.
Step 10: Top the cakes with syrup and glaze. Once the cakes are cool, brush the warm syrup all over—don’t forget the sides—and let it soak in. Make sure the cakes are completely cool; applying the syrup to a fully cooled cake helps it soak in evenly without making the crumb gummy. Last, spoon the glaze over the top, letting it drip down the sides. The cake will keep nicely for a few days; freeze without the glaze for up to 3 months.
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Lemon Pound Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
- 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
- 1 cup (2 sticks) 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 (175°C) and set an oven rack in the middle position. Spray two 8½ x 4½-in (22 x 11-cm) 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.
Notes
- If you’d prefer not to buy it, check out some easy guidance on how to make buttermilk using milk and lemon juice or vinegar.
- You'll need 4 to 5 large lemons for the entire recipe.
- Make-Ahead/Freezing 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
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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I baked this to take to work. I followed the recipe as is and it turned out great! I used the shortening and sugar method and it didn’t stick. Looked so pretty. Everyone loved it. I will make it again!
Hi, Jenn, I love your recipes and have used many of them many times, but this one was a fail for me. My bundt pan is new and non-stick, I used generous veg shortening and dusted the pan with sugar, followed the instructions exactly but the darn thing would not leave the pan. I patched it together near my kitchen sink, but all was not lost until it slipped of my cooling rack onto the floor when I moved back to the island. My husband who was in another room wondered why he didn’t hear me crying — it made me laugh. All the best and thanks for your great recipes.
Ugh!! Better to laugh than to cry. 🙂
If you want to make this again, I’ve developed a different method that uses two 8½ x 4½-inch loaf pans and with these, you won’t have to worry about sticking!
Baked this cake about two weeks ago. Me and my family loved it so much baked a second one today. I’m not a baker and typically don’t make cakes by scratch. This recipe makes me never want to buy boxed cake again. Delicious.
First off, I am not a baker. With that being said, I was attracted to Jenn’s recipes because of the explanation of various ingredients, especially her tips shared from erroneous trials. I thank you for being brave and selfless for sharing not only your journey and detail with each recipe, but also explaining what works best for you! There are not many people who could provide such detail and finesse. It’s so easy to be negative, and I’m sorry that you have to endure such remarks! Ok…let me get off my high horse 😂…I tried three of your recipes so far. I read thoroughly and took into consideration your tips and how to handle each ingredient. I ran and bought a hand mixer for $20, a mixing bowl set and spatulas. Overall? ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS! I gifted some to my friends and they couldn’t believe that I baked it! (Really shows you that I am not the baker!) Each oven is different, each baking tool is made with different material. With that in mind, I stayed within your guideline of time frames and checked it every 5 minutes thereafter. This cake is my favorite. I popped it right out of the pan. I used the butter stick to grease the pan, and sprinkled sugar. I rolled the pan around to evenly coat it. I used the exact ingredients (no margarine here!) and made sure not to over mix once I added the eggs. (In a previous recipe you stated over mixed eggs create a tough cake) My co-workers asked me to make it again and said they would even purchase these cakes! Thank you, Jenn. You really created a masterpiece of baked goods 🥰
Thanks so much for your very sweet words, Mia — glad you enjoyed this! 💗
Just made this DELICIOUS lemon pound cake out of boredom and to bump my Vit C-Ha!. It turned out perfectly moist. Some tips:
-Used the metric directions for scale measurements
-Generous spray of Bakers Joy and then dusted the bundt pan with sugar
-Used whole buttermilk and packed the lemon zest in the measuring spoon
-Baked in two small bundt pans for about 55 min- then used a Therapen instant-read thermometer and took out at an internal reading of 208 degrees
-Doubled the glaze to accommodate for the edge drips
How much flour should be used by weight? Measuring by volume makes it difficult to replicate a recipe.
Hi Shade, this recipe has conversions to weight/metric measures. To view them, scroll down to the recipe and immediately under the recipe title on the right side, you’ll see a little toggle. If you move it from “cup measures” to metric, you’ll see measurements that will work for you. Hope you enjoy the cake!
Hi, I’m just wondering why there’s no vanilla called for in this recipe? Curious because it’s usually a staple ingredient for cakes.
Hi Ciara, I honestly don’t remember the reason behind not using vanilla, but I suspect I thought it had enough flavor without it. If you’d like to add a little though, that would be fine. 🙂
Jenn- I’ve done all these steps and I’ve cooked the cake well over and 1.5 hr at 325 degrees and my cake looks still like liquid. What in the world could I have done wrong ? I’m very irritated and this is a first attempt at a scratch cake not a box. I did plain flour, the baking soda and salt as well. Just so stumped and after A lot of effort on my part would like to know what in the tarnation I did wrong? Help desperately wanting to have this beautiful cake. I did taste the batter it was scrupulous.
Hi Mandy, so sorry to hear you had a problem with this! It sounds like you may have made a measuring error as the cake should definitely have been fully baked at that point. How did it end up turning out?
Yummy. No buttermilk so I used 1 T white vinegar and whole milk t make a cup. Also mixed in a container of lemon yogurt just because. All went well a beautiful pound cake…thank you
I made this recipe over the weekend. My brother and I ate almost the entire cake. It was delicious. I gave away the balance to church friends and they gave rave reviews as well. I definitely plan to make it again. Thank you.
I made this once as is, and it was absolutely delicious. The next time I made it I added a cup of blueberries, and that was a huge hit with everyone. Thank you so much for sharing this. It’s so popular that I’m being asked to bring it to every gathering.
I just made this for my daughter’s birthday and it was fantastic! My new favorite cake! I used butter to grease the pan, spread with a pastry brush to get in all the nooks, and a generous coating of sugar. The cake didn’t stick at all. I love the little crunchy coating the sugar provides and the lemony syrup and glaze complements the cake perfectly. I will make this may times!! Thank you!