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Hi Bold Bakers!
Pound cakes are wonderful desserts: they’re easy to make, everyone loves them, and they are so versatile! You can make the classic and super moist Sour Cream Pound Cake, please any coconut nuts with a Coconut Cream Cheese Pound Cake, or change a lemon-lovers life with this homemade lemon pound cake recipe!
If you love lemon desserts, this is a must-try. This recipe makes a perfectly dense, melt-in-your-mouth, sweet, and intensely lemony pound cake. The cake itself is made with lemon juice, and then a lemon syrup is brushed on top, then a lemon glaze is poured over the cake, and it is finished with a decoration of lemon zest. It’s HEAVEN!
There’s something so special about a lemony dessert. The slight sour from the lemons balancing the sweetness of the sugar is magical. This cake is definitely one you’ll be making again and again.
What Is Lemon Pound Cake?
Lemon pound cake is, simply, a delicious pound cake chock full of lemon flavors, including the juice and zest from fresh lemons. This recipe tops the pound cake with lemon syrup, making sure the already moist cake is extra moist, and then that moisture is trapped in with a delicious lemon glaze. The lemon zest garnish is a welcomed sign of warmer weather after a long winter!
What You Need To Make Lemon Pound Cake
- Measuring cups and spoons
- 12-cup bundt pan
- Electric mixer
- Mixing bowls
How To Make Lemon Pound Cake
This easy lemon pound cake is so delicious and looks so beautiful with the lemon zest garnish. I can’t wait to make it again! Here is how you make lemon pound cake (and don’t forget to get the full recipe with measurements, on the page down below):
- Preheat your oven to 325°F (165°C). Generously butter and flour a large, 12-cup bundt pan.
- Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar together for 5 minutes on medium-high speed until it is light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs, one at a time. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the milk, lemon zest, and juice. Mix on low until fully combined.
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt. Then, slowly add the flour mixture into the butter mixture and mix until it is just fully incorporated.
- Pour the batter into the prepped pan. Tap the bundt pan firmly on the counter to remove any air bubbles.
- Bake the cake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
- While the cake is baking, make the lemon syrup: In a small saucepan, combine the lemon juice and sugar and stir until the sugar dissolves.
- Once the cake is done and still hot from the oven, poke holes all over it with a wooden skewer. Brush the surface of the cake with 1/3 of the syrup (rewarm if needed.)
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes before inverting it onto a wire rack. Then, poke holes all over the top and sides of the warm cake and brush with the remaining syrup.
- Once the cake has completely cooled, make the glaze. In a measuring cup with a pour spout, combine the powdered sugar and lemon juice until it is smooth. Then, slowly drizzle it over the cake. Let the glaze set before serving.
Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips For Making Lemon Pound Cake
- As always, when baking cakes, be sure all of your ingredients are at room temperature to ensure even mixing and the best rise.
- Ensure the glaze and the cake are still warm when you brush it on the cake; it will absorb best.
- Macerated berries are delicious in this cake. Mix 2 cups (10oz/284g) of fresh berries with 1/2 cup (2oz/57g) granulated sugar. Let the fruit sit, occasionally stirring, for about 45 minutes. Serve the berries with slices of cake and fresh whipped cream!
- You can freeze this cake, but I suggest you slice it before you do, so you only need to defrost what you plan to eat.
- You can skip the glaze and just use a sprinkling of powdered sugar on top of the cake if you prefer.
- Go lemon crazy! Serve this with my homemade lemon meringue pie ice cream or lemon curd!
How Do I Store Lemon Pound Cake?
You can store leftover lemon pound cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. This pound cake also freezes wonderfully and can be kept in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Make More Pound Cake!
And don’t forget to buy my Bigger Bolder Baking Cookbook!
Full (and printable) recipe below!
Try These Recipes!
Lemon Pound Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Lemon Pound Cake Batter
- 1½ cups (12 oz/340 g) butter , at room temperature
- 3 cups (1lb 8 oz/675 g) granulated sugar
- 6 large eggs , at room temperature
- 1 cup (8 fl oz/240 ml) whole milk , at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 3 cups (15 oz/426 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
Lemon Syrup
- ⅓ cup (2 ½ oz/71 g) granulated sugar
- 4 tablespoons lemon juice
Lemon Glaze
- 1 cup (4 oz/115 g) powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
Instructions
To Make the Cake Batter
- Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C) and generously butter and flour a large (12-cup) bundt pan.
- Using an electric mixer, cream together butter and sugar for 5 minutes on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix until fully incorporated. Then add the milk, lemon zest, and lemon juice and mix on low until combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet and mix until just combined, about 30 seconds.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan, tap the pan firmly on the counter to remove any air bubbles.
- Bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
To Make the Lemon Syrup
- In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, add the sugar and lemon juice and stir until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat and set aside.
To Soak the Lemon Pound Cake
- When the cake comes out of the oven, leave it in the pan and poke holes all over the surface using a wooden skewer.
- Brush the surface of the cake with one third of the syrup.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes before inverting it onto a wire rack.
- Immediately after inverting it, poke holes all over the top and sides of the warm cake using the wooden skewer and brush it with the remaining syrup. Let cool completely.
To Make the Glaze
- In a measuring jug with a pour spout, add the powdered sugar and lemon juice and whisk until smooth.
To Assemble the Lemon Pound Cake
- Slowly drizzle the glaze over the cake and allow to set before serving.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or wrap and freeze for up to 2 months.
Thank you for a proper recipe rather than a packet of cake to start with. I shall certainly be using this one when the family come.
This is such a yummy cake and easy to make! My kids and my family love it! Taste better the day after, we kept it in the fridge and warm it in the toaster when we want to eat. My girl says taste yummier when warmed.
I don’t have a bundt tin so I used 2 different loaf tin. Turned out fine, I just did a check on them every 30 mins to ensure they dun burn at the top and use a skewer to check the doneness of the cake inside.
Thanks for all lovely recipes l’m your fans from Kuwait ???????? ????
This was sooo good. I made this for my sister’s 18th birthday and it turned out great.
Looking forward to making this cake!! Could you please advise me on what to replace the sugar with? As I want to use sweetener but not sure where and what to do, it would really help and thanks in advance 🙂
Hi chef I made this cake and the results were absolutely heavenly…so so yummy ☺️❤ but the top of the cake was really sticky even when the cake cooled off completely I guess because of the lemon syrup as I didn’t added the confectioners sugar glaze.
whenever I would eat it the top part of the cake crumbs would pull apart ….how can I fix that as I need to package it for gifting so that the cake stays dry on top with the syrup ?
Thank you Gemma for this amazing recipe. The only minor change I made was I added a couple more tablespoons of the lemon juice as I wanted it as lemony as possible!! I made this for a gathering and I am not lying, within a few minutes the cake was all gone! Both adults and kids loved it! Delicious recipe, easy to make and loved by everyone who tried it.
I made this recipe today for a friend’s BBQ. Everyone loved it! Despite greasing the Bundt pan, I had a difficult time getting it out. Any suggestions?
I’m going to make this with key limes (friend brought me some keys limes from her tree). Will let you know how it turns out. The limes should be the same as lemons. ????
Is that baking powder or BiCarb soda?