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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
Cook Time 1 hour
Servings 1 loaf cake

Equipment

  • metal loaf pan (not ceramic or glass!) standard size (9x5 inches)

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

Instructions

  • 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.

Video

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.