Lemon Pound Cake is soft and moist with a golden exterior and a tangy lemon glaze...an easy, scrumptious dessert recipe for Easter, spring, or summer!
If you enjoy lemon treats, you'll also love Lemon Texas Sheet Cake, topping everything with Lemon Whipped Cream, or having these Lemon Sugar Baked Donuts for breakfast!
The time has arrived for all things lemon! I don't know what it is about springtime and the approach of Easter, but this time of year always gives me a hankering for lemon recipes of any kind...and particularly desserts. And year after year, that means I make this delectable, homemade Lemon Pound Cake!
It's hard to beat a good pound cake, but sometimes it's not so simple to create a good pound cake. Luckily, today's recipe is beyond good...it's downright delicious. Annnnd it's easy to make, to boot!
Ingredients
To create this easy Lemon Pound Cake recipe, I took a classic sour cream pound cake recipe made in a bundt pan -- the kind you'd likely find in your grandmother's recipe files or old church cookbooks -- and gave it a lusciously lemon twist.
That means that this here pound cake is from-scratch and 100% homemade! No cake mix or pudding mix in the mix -- heh.
- Flour. This recipe was tested using unbleached all-purpose flour. I have not tried it with cake flour, which may change its traditional bundt cake density.
- Baking soda. Make sure it's fresh!
- Salt. I prefer using fine sea salt.
- Fresh lemons. Necessary for both the juice and the zest, in both the cake and the glaze.
- Unsalted butter. At room temperature.
- Sugar. Granulated.
- Eggs. At room temperature.
- Sour cream. Again, at room temperature...are we noticing a trend here? 😉 Sour cream adds richness and moisture to pound cake. I always use it when making this recipe, because I don't want to mess with a good thing. However, if you wish to substitute yogurt, I recommend using full-fat plain Greek yogurt for the most comparable texture/results.
- Lemon extract. For even more lemony flavor!
- Powdered sugar. To be mixed with lemon juice for the glaze.
How to Make Lemon Pound Cake
Let's break it down, shall we?
Make the Cake
- Preheat the oven to 325°F and generously grease and flour a 12-cup bundt pan.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients and the lemon zest.
- In another bowl, use an electric mixer to cream together the butter and sugar. Increase the speed and beat until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs individually, mixing well after each addition.
- With the mixer set to low speed, alternately add half of the flour mixture, half of the sour cream, and then the remaining flour mixture, sour cream, lemon juice, and lemon extract. Mix until all of the ingredients are just combined, taking care not to over-mix.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, smooth the top with a spatula, and firmly tap the pan on the counter to release any air bubbles.
- Pop the pan in the oven and bake until the cakes tests done.
- After 15 minutes, turn out your Lemon Pound Cake onto a cooling rack and cool completely.
Make the Glaze
- For the finale, a puckery-sweet glaze puts everything over the lemon-lovin’ top. It's as simple as stirring even more fresh lemon juice into powdered sugar. Then simply pour the lemon glaze over the top of the cooled pound cake.
Lemon Simple Syrup Option
This traditional Lemon Pound Cake gets its soft, dense texture and moist crumb from the combo of butter, sour cream, and half a dozen (yep — a whole six of 'em) eggs. I decided to slightly decrease the sugar from the original recipe. My cake still turned out nice and sweet with a decidedly crisp, golden crust.
So made as directed, this cake is already pretty moist and lemony. But if you want it to be over-the-top moist and lemony, you can make a half-batch of Lemon Simple Syrup from this recipe (feel free to leave out the sliced lemons).
- Poke holes all over the cooled pound cake and brush on the syrup.
- Allow it to soak in before brushing on any remaining syrup.
- Then glaze as usual.
Again, this cake turns out amazing even without a simple syrup soak. But if you'd like to add the extra step, go for it!
Bundt Cake Pan Size
You'll want to use a bundt pan with a 12-cup capacity.
The measurements for a pan of this capacity are typically 10- by 3-inches, but this can vary based on the "design" of the pan. So to be absolutely sure, you can measure cups of water into the pan to determine if 12 cups fit.
If you're still worried about overflow, place a baking sheet under the pan while your cake bakes. As someone who is admittedly paranoid and doesn't like cleaning my oven, I always do.
Converting to Loaf Pans
Pan Size
Bundt cake recipes typically bake beautifully in loaf pans, but you just need to ensure that the size of your loaf pans will hold all of the bundt cake batter.
To make it simple, a 12-cup capacity bundt pan can be evenly divided between TWO 8.5- by 4.5-inch loaf pans, which have a capacity of 6 cups each.
If your loaf pans are smaller than that, you will have extra batter that can be baked in a few muffin cups.
If your loaf pans are larger than that, just be aware that your loaves won't rise up as high in the pans.
Either way, I recommend putting a sheet pan under your loaf pans to catch any potential spills as a result of your pan conversion experimentation. 😉
Baking Time
Along the same lines, the baking time will be reduced if you convert this Lemon Pound Cake recipe to loaf pans, but I can't say by *exactly* how much since the size of loaf pans can vary.
My best advice is to stay near the oven while your lemon loaves bake and keep an eye on them. The "cross section" of cake in a loaf pan won't be much thinner than the cross section from a bundt pan. In other words, even though you're dividing the batter between two pans, the baking time WILL NOT be cut in half.
I recommend testing your lemon loaves for doneness about 20 minutes earlier than the recommended baking time for the Lemon Pound Cake recipe. But in the end, you will likely find that two loaves only take about 10-15 minutes less than the baking time for a typical bundt cake.
And that’s it!
This BEST Lemon Pound Cake is the perfect antidote for any springtime lemon cravings.
My family goes crazy over it every time. I mean, my lemon-fanatic middle son obviously loves it. But everyone who tries it positively scarfs it down…the whole cake never lasts long at all.
Helpful Tips, Tricks, and Equipment
- Some people swear by a no-stick baking spray that contains flour, but I think the safest way to ensure that your pound cake will release from the pan is to very generously grease and flour the pan.
- For the best results, make sure your ingredients are at room temperature, which helps ensure a light, airy, fluffy texture. Room temp ingredients will also whip together more easily.
- Don't overmix after adding the dry ingredients or your cake may turn out dense.
- The lemon juice is added towards the end of the recipe, along with the flour and sour cream. This prevents the batter from curdling, which could adversely affect the final texture of the cake.
- In addition to the glzae, slices of this Lemon Pound Cake are also delicious topped with glossy Blueberry Compote!
So how about you?
Are you a fan of a simple, classic pound cake?
Do you adore lemon desserts, but relegate them to the spring and summer months? Or are you the type to choose the slab of lemon pound cake out of the Starbucks bakery case even in December?
Finally, do you adore an icing that makes your mouth pucker?
If you answered "yes" to any or all of the above questions, this scrumptious, easy Lemon Pound Cake recipe is a must-make! I hope you get to try it soon. 🙂
More Lemon Treats
- Lemon Sugar Cookie Bars
- Lemon Fruit Dip
- The BEST Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
- Lemon Blueberry Overnight Baked French Toast with Lemon Syrup
Lemon Pound Cake
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 ½ cups sugar
- 6 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup sour cream, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons freshly-squeezed lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon pure lemon extract
For the glaze:
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons freshly-squeezed lemon juice
Instructions
- Arrange a rack in the center position of the oven and preheat to 325°F. Generously grease and flour a 12-cup bundt pan and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and lemon zest. In another large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream together the butter and sugar. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat for about 5 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- With the mixer set to low speed, alternately add half of the flour mixture, half of the sour cream, and then the remaining flour mixture, sour cream, lemon juice, and lemon extract. Mix until all ingredients are just combined, taking care not to overmix.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, smooth the top with a spatula, and firmly tap the pan on the counter to release any air bubbles. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes (up to 1 hour hour and 30 minutes) until a few moist crumbs stick to a toothpick inserted in the center. Cool cake in the pan for 15 minutes before turning out onto a wire to finish cooling completely.
- For the glaze, measure the powdered sugar into a bowl and stir in 2 tablespoons lemon juice with a spoon until completely smooth. Add a bit more lemon juice if the glaze is too thick. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cake and allow to harden and set. If desired, garnish with additional lemon zest.
EQUIPMENT NEEDED
Video
Notes
- For the best results, make sure your ingredients are at room temperature, which helps ensure a light, airy, fluffy texture. Room temp ingredients will also whip together more easily.
- Don't overmix after adding the dry ingredients or your cake may turn out dense.
- The lemon juice is added towards the end of the recipe, along with the flour and sour cream. This prevents the batter from curdling, which could adversely affect the final texture of the cake.
- The first time you make this cake, you may want to test it at an hour just in case your oven runs on the hotter side.
- For a Lemon Pound Cake that's extra moist and lemony, you may brush the cake with a lemon simple syrup while it's still warm, and then glaze once it's completely cool.
- To make (optional) lemon simple syrup: Combine ¼ cup water + ¼ cup sugar in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally, to dissolve the sugar, and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and stir in 2 tablespoons of lemon juice.
Adapted from Taste of Home.
Post originally published on March 19, 2018, and updated on March 24, 2019, and March 31, 2022.
Terica
Excellent recipe! My favorite one out of a few I have tried. Perfectly moist cake with wonderful lemon flavor.
Irene
Simple, moist and delicious lemon flavor. First time making it snd it was a success.
Vanessa
Can I substitute the lemon extract with anything else?
Samantha Skaggs
Hi Vanessa! The lemon extract is just to boost the overall lemon flavor. You can just leave it out if you don't have any, though the lemon flavor of your cake will be a bit more subtle. 🙂
Tahia
Excellent recipe- Can this be made in the round cake pans?
Samantha Skaggs
Hi Tahia! I haven't tried it, but I don't see why this recipe wouldn't be convertible to different pans...you'd just have to reduce and watch the baking time. 🙂
Danielle M Avitia
I'm scared to use lemon extract
Samantha Skaggs
You can leave it out. It'll still be yummy. 🙂
Yvonne
I made this and used lemon essential oil. Omg. Amazing.
Jennifer C
How many drops did you use?
Shelly
Can you tell us how many drops you used please?
Chezi
I have made this twice so far. It does not disappoint. I did not use the lemon extract.
2nd time i did add the simple syrup but I don’t think it makes a huge difference. So yummy!
Katrina
Will the taste be different if I don't add in lemon extract?
Samantha Skaggs
You can leave it out, Katrina...it will just be slightly less lemony. 🙂
Theola Thornton
Hi this cake turned out moist and tasted great if I leave out the baking soda and salt will that make a difference I use cake flour instead of plain flour
Samantha Skaggs
Hi Theola! I have only tested this recipe as written, but I imagine that leaving out the baking soda and salt could definitely affect the final result.
Veronica
I loved this cake. I’ll admit that I couldn’t stop eating it. It didn’t even need the lemon simple syrup. It was just so moist and good. Just a question. Did you trim the bottom of your cake? I felt like I should have and the bottom of yours looked different from mine.
Samantha Skaggs
Glad you enjoyed it, Veronica! I did not trim the bottom of my cake.
Ella
Was it supposed to be baking powder and not baking soda? Because when I made it with baking soda which you said in the recipe it turned out really flat.
Samantha Skaggs
Sorry to hear that, Ella. The recipe is correct as written.
Do you happen to know if your baking soda is fresh? Put a spoonful of baking soda into a bowl and add a splash of vinegar or lemon juice. The baking soda is still good if the mixture fizzes a lot. If it doesn't fizz much, it's gone bad. Hope that helps!
Dianne Young- Lewis
Waiting for the ingredients to reach room temperature. Then making a practice cake. This one sounds delicious. My daughter wants a lemon pound cake for her 24th birthday this week. Wish me luck.
Diane
The cake was delicious. This recipe was not complicated. I especially appreciated the authors’s tips, which I found to be most helpful.
Sydnye
Made this tonight for Mothers Day. It was a hit! Love love love
Candace White
I have to say ,one of the best pound cakes I have ever made. Moist, lemony and rich. This is a great pound cake. 5 stars.
Teresa Cooper
Sooooo delicious and moist!!!
Angela
I just made this cake and it is really good. I followed the recipe to a tee. Although I like glazes, I made this one without the glaze. The only change I would make is to not leave the cake in the oven for the full hour and fifteen minutes. My cake, made in a Bundt pan, was just a little on the dry side rather than nice and moist. The next time I make it, I am going to time it for one hour then check it for doneness. If not done per the toothpick test, I will keep checking after that every five minutes. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Dreamgirl
I made this cake today. When I tell you that this cake is awesome, please believe me!!
Super moist, buttery, and a full lemon flavor!! I brushed the top with the lemon simple syrup and topped the cake with the lemon glaze!! I must say I baked the cake in 2 large loaf pans. Turned out great!! I am so glad I made 2!! The family is all over this cake. All I can say is OMG!!! This is a keeper!!! Thank you Samantha!!!
Kayla
This was so delicious!! My husband wanted a lemon cake, which I greatly enjoy but had never made. So I searched for a recipe, yours was the first one I tried - and the search is over! I won’t be trying any others, they won’t beat this! This cake leaves you wanting for absolutely nothing.. except maybe a second slice 🙂 Thank you for sharing, it is going in my personal recipe box where I keep my absolute favorites!! Made exactly as written.
Ashley
This recipe is perfect and amazing! My mom gave me a ton of fresh tangeloes and lemons over Christmas. So, I subbed out the lemons for tangeloes and used wild orange essential oil in place of the extract for one cake. Followed it precisely for the lemon one. They are delicious! Love it!!
Shelly
Hi can you tell me how many drops of the essential oil did you use?
Rita Snipes
This lemon pound cake is AWESOME!! Truly the best recipe I have found for a lemon pound cake!! My husband LOVES it and so do I!!
JESS
THis was a huge hit! I loved the simple syrup , I made it on the side and used meyer lemons. I had to zest a lot of lemons, so be prepared!
Veronica
Loved this recipe. It was a huge hit with the family. I followed the recipe to a T and wow it’s been my breakfast for the past three days. I swear it tasted better the second day. My only concern was I may have left it too long and the bottom lifted up quite a bit so it looks somewhat raised at what should be a flat bottom. Other than cutting off the bottom any suggestions on how to improve?
Lauren
I love the light lemon flavor. I added a pint of blueberries and it turned out amazing!
Borah
Is it possible to substitute buttermilk or cream cheese for the sour cream? I saw some other lemon pound cake recipes with those ingredients, and was wondering how that’d affect the end result
Samantha Skaggs
Hi Borah! I've never substituted those ingredients when making this cake, so I'm unable to say how it would turn out. I apologize that I can't answer your question!
Christina
Perfecto! I replaced the sour cream with Curt and baked it in my rice cooker and it came out awesome!
Heather
Getting ready to make this as my very first bundt 🥳 Will an 11 cup pan work instead of the 12? I got all the stuff ready and raised that the bundt I've had in my cupboard forever is only 11 cups 🤦
Samantha Skaggs
Hi Heather! I'm worried the batter might overflow. You could always bake the extra batter in a few muffin cups. If you decide to give it all a try in the bundt, though, I'd definitely put a rimmed sheet pan under your pan to catch any possible overflow. Good luck!
Ann Schindel
Hello, I was wondering 🤔 I plan on baking this Cake the day before serving it, Is it best to put the glaze on right after or the next day? Can’t wait to try this! 🤗
Samantha Skaggs
I'd go ahead and glaze it right after you make it. It'll help seal in the moisture. 🙂
Pooja
This is a foolproof recipe, my cake came out soft, moist and fluffy. Had been looking for a good lemon cake recipe since ages, soooooo soooo glad I finally got one. Thanks Samantha 😊
M
Delish!!! I just made this cake for my nephew's bday last weekend. It was perfect! So lemon-y and had great moisture . Good recipe! Thx!
KP
I made this tonight and it was good, but not as lemony as I’d hoped it would be and it was a little dry.