Lemon Pound Cake

I don’t always write my recipes as soon as I’ve made them but after baking, shooting and slicing off a piece of this lemon pound cake, I had a slice and knew I needed to write it asap, while immersed in this delicious lemony crumbs.

You all know by now that I take my lemon bakes very seriously and love them deeply. This lemon cake was no exception. I wanted to bring something new to the table, a recipe that achieved what we so often struggle to do: a really moist pound cake and one that burst with the sharp citrus lemon flavor. 

Recipe Origins 

I started working from my lime cake recipe here. But, I found myself wanting to use less eggs (it’s winter ’25, you know why) and achieve an even softer, more tender crumb. I traded an egg for more sour cream and reduced the cake flour overall. This lemon cake has less of those deeply caramelized edges but the result is a cake crumb that will literally melt in your mouth. 

Recipe Ingredients 

Sugar: fine granulated sugar. Note: reducing the sugar will make the cake less moist. 

Lemons: fresh lemons. Wash and rub the skin before zesting to remove any wax. 

Butter: unsalted or salted. If using salted, reduce the amount of salt added to the batter. 

Salt: fine sea salt. 

Vanilla: pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste. 

Eggs: two whole large eggs. They must be at room temperature. 

Cake Flour: made from a finer wheat and mixed with cornstarch, cake flour yields a softer cake crumb. If you must use all purpose flour, swap out 1.5 tablespoons of it for 1.5 tablespoons of cornstarch or tapioca starch. 

Baking powder: while this isn’t traditional for pound cakes, I find it helps stabilize the cakes rise. 

Sour cream: full fat sour cream. 

How to make Lemon Pound Cake

Preheat the oven to 350 F and flour & grease a standard size loaf pan, 8.5-9×4-5 inches. 

Start by adding the sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer and zesting the lemons over it. Rub the zest into the sugar with your fingers, this releases the oils from the lemon zest: 

Add the salt, butter and vanilla and affix the paddle attachment 

Set the mixer to low medium speed and beat until creamed; about 5-7 minutes 

Scrape down the bowl every minute or two to ensure that the mixture is beating evenly. 

Add the room temperature eggs and beat until the mix is airy, 3-5 minutes 

Sift in the flour and add the baking powder and sour cream, then beat 

Scrape the mix down and up the bottom to ensure even mixing 

When the batter is smooth, transfer it to the prepared loaf pan 

Smooth down the top and bake until a cake tester comes out clean, about an hour 

When the cake is almost done baking make the syrup

Whisk the sugar, pinch of salt and the fresh lemon juice in a small pot and set it over low to medium heat

Cook it just until the sugar melts (you will feel it if you use a rubber spatula and press down on the pan; if there is scratching, that is from the unmelted sugar) 

Out of the oven, use a cake tester to poke holes into and all over the cake 

Then drizzle the syrup over the cake, slowly, allowing it to absorb a little as you pour it 

As the cake sits it will absorb all of the syrup. 

Remove from the pan and serve warm, or at room temperature. 

Can I make this a glazed lemon cake? 

One of my favorite lemon cakes as a teen was Ina’s; she does both a drizzle like I do here, and a glaze. I also think if you were aiming for a starbucks lemon cake slice, you’d like a glaze too. To make a glaze: 

Whisk together 130g or 1 cup powdered sugar with 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice. Add a pinch of salt and a dash of vanilla too. If the glaze is very thin, add more powdered sugar. If it is too thick, add another tablespoon of fresh lemon juice. 

Wait until the cake is completely cool then spread or pour the glaze over the cake. 

FAQ

How can I make it even more lemony? 

Use lemon extract. A teaspoon should do. 

Can I double the recipe? 

Yes, you’ll want to take longer with the beating times as you are working with more batter over all. Bake the cake in a 10 cup bundt pan and check it at the 45 minute mark. Keep baking until a cake tester comes out clean. 

How far ahead can this be made? 

A day I would say. While it does stay moist for 2-3 days, you want to reap that fresh flavor as soon as possible. 

How to store the lemon pound cake? 

Airtight container at room temperature, it’ll keep for 3-4 days. 

Lemon Pound Cake Recipe

Lemon Pound Cake

The softest and most tender lemon cake: a melt in your mouth cake crumb made pound cake style. Out of the oven the cake is drizzled with a fresh lemon syrup, giving the edges and ends a tart, sharply lemon flavor.

Prep Time: 20 minutes mins

Cook Time: 1 hour hr

Yields: 1 loaf cake

5 from 2 votes

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Ingredients

Lemon Pound Cake

• 200g or 1 cup fine granulated sugar
• Zest of 3-4 fresh lemons rinse then rub the skin before zesting
• 226g or 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
• 225g or 1 ¾ cups cake flour
• 1 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
• 2 large eggs at room temperature
• 120g or ½ cup sour cream full fat

Lemon Simple Syrup

• 160g or ⅔ cup fine granulated sugar
• 75g or ⅓ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice for a sharper lemon flavor use ½ cup each sugar and fresh lemon juice
• Pinch fine sea salt

Method

• Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease and flour a standard size loaf pan (4.5 or 5 inches by 8.5 or 9 inches). If your eggs aren't at room temperature, place them in a bowl of hot water to warm.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, pour in the sugar and zest the lemons over the sugar. Rub the zest into the sugar with your fingers to release the oils.
• Add the salt, vanilla and butter to the bowl and affix the paddle attachment. Turn the mixer on low then work up to medium speed. Beat until creamed: the mix should appear light and fluffy, this can take up to or more than 5 minutes. Scrape down the bowl as needed to ensure even mixing.
• With the mixer on low, add the eggs one at a time. Beat until the eggs are well incorporated, about 3-5 minutes. Scrape down the bowl as needed to ensure even mixing.
• Sift in the cake flour and add the baking powder and sour cream. Beat on low until the batter is smooth and even.
• Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth into an even layer. I tend to drag a rubber spatula down the middle of the batter so it will rise more evenly.
• Bake until you can press it and it springs back and/or a cake tester comes out clean, for about 50-60 minutes (timing will depend on the size of your loaf pan).
• When the cake is nearly done baking, make the syrup: stir together the lemon juice, sugar and pinch of salt in a small pot. Set over medium heat and cook until the sugar has just melted (don’t let it boil).
• Out of the oven use a cake tester to prick holes all over the cake. Pour the syrup slowly over the cake, allowing the cake to absorb some of the drizzle before pouring all of it - try to make it an even pour so that all parts of the cake will get equal amounts of syrup. As the cake cools, it will absorb the syrup it’s soaked in.
• Serve warm or at room temperature. Store leftovers in an airtight container.

Notes

Please note: in true pound cake form this isn't a high riser but it should rise some. Be sure to cream the butter and sugar together and beat in the eggs well.

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