Description
Bake this classic, moist lemon pound cake from scratch. It features a tender crumb, bright citrus flavor, and is topped with a simple, tangy lemon icing for the best homemade lemon cake experience.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest (from about 2 lemons)
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup whole milk or sour cream
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar (for glaze)
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (for glaze)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325°F (160°C). Grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan or Bundt pan.
- In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. This step helps create a tender crumb.
- Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- Stir in the lemon zest, 1/4 cup lemon juice, and vanilla extract until just combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, alternating with the milk or sour cream, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Mix on low speed until just combined; do not overmix.
- Pour the batter evenly into your prepared pan.
- Bake for 60 to 75 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes.
- Invert the cake onto the wire rack and allow it to cool completely.
- While the cake cools, prepare the glaze: Whisk together the powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice until smooth. Add more powdered sugar or lemon juice as needed to reach a thick, pourable consistency.
- Drizzle the tangy lemon icing generously over the cooled cake. Allow the glaze to set before slicing and serving this zesty lemon dessert.
Notes
- For an extra moist lemon pound cake, ensure your butter and eggs are truly at room temperature before starting.
- If you prefer a loaf cake, use a standard 9×5 inch loaf pan and adjust the baking time, checking for doneness around 50-60 minutes.
- For a bakery style lemon cake finish, you can poke holes in the warm cake and brush on a simple syrup made of equal parts sugar and lemon juice before glazing.
- Prep Time: 20 min
- Cook Time: 70 min
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 45g
- Sodium: 250mg
- Fat: 25g
- Saturated Fat: 15g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0.5g
- Carbohydrates: 58g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 100mg