5 from 100 votes
Lemon Pound Cake
This lemon pound cake combines butter, cream cheese, sugar, and lemon zest for a rich, moist crumb with a bright lemon flavor. The batter is enriched with eggs and vanilla, balanced by flour, baking powder, salt, and buttermilk for tenderness. A lemon glaze adds a sweet, tangy finish. It can be baked in a bundt pan or loaf pans, delivering a dense yet soft cake suitable for dessert or tea time.
Prep Time
25 mins
Cook Time
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr 25 mins
Servings:
12
slices with glaze
Calories:
603 kcal
Course:
Dessert, Cake
Cuisine:
American
Ingredients
For Lemon Pound Cake
- 1 cup butter softened, unsalted
- 8 oz cream cheese softened (use full-fat cream cheese that is sold in bricks, not the spreadable kind sold in tubs)
- 2 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 2.5 .5 Tablespoons lemon this is usually 2-3 lemons for me. Be sure not to zest much into the papery white layer or “pith” of the lemon or the flavor may be bitter, zest
- 5 large egg room temperature preferred
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract optional, see note
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup buttermilk
For Glaze
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 Tablespoons butter salted or unsalted will work, melted
- 1-3 Tablespoons lemon juice plus additional as needed
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Arrange oven rack to center of your oven and preheat the oven to 350F (175C). Thoroughly grease (I use vegetable shortening) and flour a 12-cup bundt pan or 10" tube pan (see notes to bake in loaf pans). Be sure to tap/shake out excess flour or, rather than greasing/flouring you may spray with baking spray.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (or using an electric mixer), beat together butter, cream cheese, sugar and lemon zest on medium-speed until creamy, well-combined and batter is lightened in color.
- Add eggs, one at a time, stirring well after each addition. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and stir in vanilla extract and lemon extract (if using). The mixture should be very smooth, light, and creamy when finished.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
- With mixer on low-speed, alternate adding the flour mixture and buttermilk to the butter batter, starting and ending with the flour mixture (I add the flour in 3 parts and the buttermilk in 2).
- Pour lemon pound cake batter into your prepared bundt pan and bake on 350F (175C) for 50-60 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted in the thickest part of the cake comes out clean or (preferably) with a few moist crumbs. If you have a lighter-colored bundt pan, it may take longer in the oven.
- Allow to cool for 15-25 minutes and then carefully (it will still be hot! invert onto cooling rack to cool completely before decorating with glaze.
Cup of Yum
Lemon Glaze
- Prepare glaze by whisking together powdered sugar, melted butter, and vanilla extract. Mixture will be very thick until you add the lemon juice.
- Add lemon juice, one tablespoon at a time, until the consistency is thin enough that it falls in ribbons off of your whisk, but thick enough that it holds its shape for several seconds before dissolving back into the bowl.
- Drizzle lemon glaze over cooled pound cake. Allow glaze to set for 30-60 minutes (this may be faster or longer, depending on the precise thickness of your glaze) and then dig in!
Notes
- The lemon extract is optional; omitting it results in a less intense lemon flavor.
- For loaf pan baking, divide batter into two greased and floured pans; bake about 50 minutes until a skewer comes out clean or with moist crumbs.
- Store leftovers at room temperature in an airtight container or wrapped for up to five days.
- Avoid refrigeration to prevent drying, but the cake freezes well when wrapped tightly for several months.
Nutrition Information
Serving
1slice with glaze
Calories
603kcal
(30%)
Carbohydrates
87g
(29%)
Protein
7g
(14%)
Fat
26g
(40%)
Saturated Fat
15g
(75%)
Trans Fat
1g
(50%)
Cholesterol
135mg
(45%)
Sodium
260mg
(11%)
Potassium
138mg
(3%)
Fiber
1g
(4%)
Sugar
62g
(124%)
Vitamin A
896IU
(18%)
Vitamin C
2mg
(2%)
Calcium
63mg
(6%)
Iron
2mg
(11%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 12 slices with glaze
Amount Per Serving
Calories 603
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1slice with glaze | |
| Calories | 603kcal | 30% |
| Carbohydrates | 87g | 29% |
| Protein | 7g | 14% |
| Fat | 26g | 40% |
| Saturated Fat | 15g | 75% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 135mg | 45% |
| Sodium | 260mg | 11% |
| Potassium | 138mg | 3% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 62g | 124% |
| Vitamin A | 896IU | 18% |
| Vitamin C | 2mg | 2% |
| Calcium | 63mg | 6% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.