Name: Lemon Pound Cake
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: 12
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 ½ cups cake flour; 1 teaspoon baking powder; ½ teaspoon salt; 1 ¼ cups sugar; 4 large eggs (room temperature); 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract; 2 tablespoons lemon zest; 1 tablespoon lemon juice; 16 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted and hot)

Lemon Pound Cakethat is incredibly soft, moist, and bursting with lemon flavor. This cakes is a perfect dessert to add some sunshine to your day.

top view of lemon pound cake sliced up on a tray with lemons next to it

This recipe for lemon pound cake tastes so light and fresh.Even if lemon isn’t your favorite flavor, I think you will be surprised at how much you will like this pound cake. The lemony glaze on top really makes the cake in my opinion.

Lemon pound cake is easy to make from scratch. Aside from maybe the lemons, you most likely have all of the necessary ingredients in your kitchen right now. This is my tried and true recipe that turns out delicious every time. Eat it as is, with some freshly whipped cream, orblueberry topping(or both).

Lemon pound cake slices on a plate with ice cream and a lemon pound cake loaf in the background

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Versatile: Lemon pound cake can be enjoyed on its own, with a cup of tea or coffee, or dressed up with fresh berries, whipped cream, or glazed.
Lovely Presentation: The finished cake looks beautiful so its a great choice for serving for when you need something that looks fancy (but is actually easy.)
Bright and Refreshing Flavor: The lemon adds a bright, zesty flavor to the cake. It’s perfect for any time of year when you want a little bit of sunshine on your plate.

Ingredients

Cake Flour
Baking Powder
Salt
Sugar
Eggs
Vanilla Extract
Lemon Zest
Lemon Juice
Unsalted Butter

See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities

How to Make Lemon Pound Cake

Step #1.Preheat the oven. Grease and flour a loaf or Bundt pan.

Step #3.Sift the flour in, 1/3 at a time, whisking after each addition. After the last addition, gently whisk until there are no lumps.

Step #2.Combine the eggs, vanilla, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a food processor. While running, add the melted butter. Pour the mixture into a large bowl.

Step #4.Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Tap the pan on the counter to settle. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes, then remove from pan.

Recipe FAQs

Which kind of pan is best for Lemon Pound Cake?

You can bake lemon pound cake in a typical loaf pan or you can use a Bundt pan. Using a Bundt pan makes the presentation of the cake a little more beautiful. If you go that route be sure to adequately grease the pan to ensure it doesn’t tear when removing it.

When do you serve Lemon Pound Cake?

I love to serve lemon pound cake for any type of shower, a Sunday dinner dessert, or a fun breakfast treat. This cake will elevate any occasion for the better because it is bright, cheery, and tastes incredible.

Do I need to use fresh lemons for this recipe?

My recommendation is to use fresh lemons versus the bottles you can buy at the store. Using freshly squeezed lemons will really kick up the flavor!

How long is lemon pound cake good for?

Lemon pound cake stays best when stored at room temperature and wrapped tightly. It will be good for about 3-4 days like this. Pound cake freezes well too.

top view of Lemon pound cake slices on a plate with ice cream and a lemon pound cake loaf

Expert Tips

I know it doesn’t seem like it would make that much of difference if you used cold ingredients straight from the fridge, but it does.When the ingredients (especially butter) are at room temperature they are able to be creamed together easier and the texture of the cake will be better.This could be the difference between a failed pound cake and a successful one!
Zest your lemons before juicing them.It makes zesting SO much easier.
If you choose to glaze your cake, it’s best to do it while the cake is still warm.
If you’re still learning how to test for doneness with a toothpick, check it with an instant read thermometer too.There’s nothing worse than finding out that the middle of your cake it underdone when you cut into it!
If you love this recipe, you’ll probably also love myLemon Bundt Cakerecipe!