Lemon Pound Cake Recipe
If you love lemon, you’ve gotta try this lemon pound cake recipe! Just bursting with tangy lemon flavor, and so moist! Made with all butter, for a velvety texture that practically melts in your mouth.
Is that totally cliche if I talk about the weather?
If so I’m sorry, but at this time of year it tends to be front of mind for me. I am just SO SICK of WINTER!!!
Spring cannot get here soon enough for me.
I’m craving bright, sunny flavors to get me through these last few weeks of bitter cold!
This lemon pound cake is just what the doctor ordered!
When I set out to make a lemon pound cake recipe, I’ve got a few things in mind. Namely, it should be:
- Moist.
- Buttery.
- Lemon-y!
That last one is a biggie! There’s nothing that bugs me more than a dessert that doesn’t have flavor.
Not an issue here, my friend. This lemon pound cake recipe is made with the zest and juice of two whole lemons! Plus there’s a little lemon extract in there too, just for good measure.
There’s no mistaking that this is a lemon pound cake. So bright, tangy, and sunshine-y!
And the “moist” and “buttery” are covered too. It’s made with all butter, which makes the recipe simple and straightforward, and makes the final cake so moist and velvety!
A few tips and tricks:
- Use a 10-cup capacity bundt pan to make this lemon pound cake. It will yield about 16 servings, so it’s perfect for entertaining! (…I’m thinking Easter!)
- I love it with just a light dusting of powdered sugar for garnish, but if you’d prefer it glazed, just stir 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar together with the juice of half a lemon. It’s a simple icing that will really bring out the citrus-y flavors!
- And if you’d like it jazzed up even more, think about topping it with fresh berries and whipped cream. I think that would be a perfect compliment.
- If you’ve got leftovers, just wrap them tightly in plastic wrap. This lemon pound cake will keep at room temperature for 4 days, in the fridge for a week, or in the freezer for a month.
Enjoy!
Browse more great cake recipes on my “Cake Recipes” Pinterest board!
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** WATCH THIS LIVE RECIPE DEMO FOR LOTS OF TIPS & TRICKS! **
Lemon Pound Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups (567.5 g) unsalted butter, , softened
- 3 cups (600 g) granulated sugar
- 6 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons lemon extract
- 1/4 cup (61 g) lemon juice , (from about 2 lemons)
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest
- 3 cups (375 g) cake flour
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon powdered sugar, (for garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, generously mist a 10-cup bundt pan with non-stick spray, and dust with flour.
- In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar together on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy (about 5 minutes).
- Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until incorporated.
- Scrape the bottom and sides of the mixing bowl with a silicone spatula, then add the lemon extract, lemon zest, and lemon juice, mixing on medium speed until smooth.
- Add the flour and salt, mixing on medium speed until just barely incorporated.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, and bake for 75 to 85 minutes, or until a bamboo skewer inserted in the thickest part of a cake comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool in the pan for 30 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Dust with powdered sugar, for garnish
Can this lemon pound cake be made with gluten free flour?
I have not tested it that way so I can’t say for sure, but I think it’s worth a try. Be sure to use a blend that swaps 1:1 for regular flour. Good luck and I hope you enjoy!
2-1/2 CUPS of butter to 3 cups of flour?? That has to be a typo. Are you sure it shouldn’t be 2-1/2 STICKS of butter, which is 1-1/4 cups? I was all set to make this but I don’t dare.
I’m quite sure. It’s a pound cake & that ratio is typical for pound cake. Do a quick google search & see for yourself. Also if you take a minute to read the comments before you you’ll see that several other readers have made it & been very happy with the outcome.
Super moist and absolutely delicious. Very lemony which I like. The only negative is that the exterior was too dark. I made half the recipe, adjusted for pan size, and cooked at 350 for an hour. I checked at 50 mins, still raw, at an hour it was perfect. So I honestly think it just browns too quickly. Do you think an hour at 325 would be better? Thanks!
Hey Jade! I think it might for you. It could have something to do with your oven or it may have to do with the pan you used. Darker pans tend to absorb more heat, so if you use a lighter-colored pan that could make a difference as well.
When I do not have cake flour, here is a great substitute. For each cup of flour, I put one tablespoon of corn starch ( corn flour) in the bottom of the measuring cup and add sifted flour to fill the cup. Works beautifully.
Thanks for the great tip!
I made this cake for a Anniversary Dinner and it was amazing. It was rich lemony and moist. I made a strawberry buttercream icing and put chocolate covered strawberries on top. My family and friends was hooked on the first bite and couldn’t stop eating it until it was all gone. This one is definitely a hit and keeper.
That sounds fantastic! Love how you made it your own. And so glad everyone loved it!
Only thing I can say is simply delicious followed the directions and whew child 5-stars
So happy you liked it! Thank you for the positive feedback!
So glad to hear it! Thank you so much!
What if I wanted to tweak the measurements for a 9×5 loaf
Pan
You would just want to halve it in that case. And be sure to adjust the bake time. You’ll know it’s done when a toothpick inserted in the thickest part comes out clean.
First time in several hundred cakes that a recipe totally failed. Cake wouldn‘t come out of the form, was burned on top and still uncooked inside, although I followed the recipe closely.Â
Looks to me like there is too much butter – have never seen that much butter in a cake. Could it be that there is spelling error and the right quantity would be 1 1/2 cups??
Sorry to hear you had trouble. The amounts stated are correct- it’s a large cake (serves 16-20; 10 baked in a 10-cup pan), and it’s a pound cake so the ratios are standard for this type of cake. I’ve made it successfully numerous times, one of which was on camera and can be viewed on this post. There are also a lot of comments from other bakers here who have had success with the recipe as written. It can be tricky to get out of the pan, so you really need to grease it well and flour it generously. If it is browning too quickly, it may be because your oven runs a little hot (this is not uncommon). You might want to lower the temperature to compensate for that, and extend the bake time as needed.