I love the refreshing lemon flavor from this moist lemon pound cake. It’s so zesty and sweet that it’ll
brighten up anyone’s day. As you add lemon zest and lemon juice into the batter and the glaze, every
bite is bursting with bright lemon flavor.
This lemon loaf is as rich and satisfying as it is moist with a smooth, velvety crumb. Like a traditional
pound cake, this lemon version is dense, but it doesn’t taste heavy! You will be fall in love with this
recipe as it’s simple to make and perfect for any occasion. If you want to make another citrusy dessert
that everyone will love, try my orange cake recipe, lemon tart recipe, or lemon blueberry cake recipe.
Lemon Pound Cake is made with fresh, squeeze lemon juice and zest for a cake that’s like a taste of
summer with every bite. If you love classic pound cake, then you’ll be head over heels for this citrus
loaded version!
The History of Pound Cake:
Anne Byrn writes in her book American Cake that the first mention of the cake, which came to the U.S.
from England, is in a recipe dated 1754 from Wicomico Church, Virginia. Though she must have
missed the Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy by Hannah Glasse (1747,) which includes a recipe for
pound cake.
The 1796 cookbook, American Cookery contained two recipes for pound cake.
Traditionally, the pound cake got its name from the ingredients that were used: one pound each of
butter, flour, sugar and eggs. In the days when many people couldn’t read or write, a pound cake was
an easy recipe to remember.
The pound cake has always been traditionally popular in the Southern states. Slaves baked pound cakes
for the families they worked for. In 1881, African American slave Abby Fisher published the first
known African American cookbook: What Mrs. Fisher Knows About Old Southern Cooking. Fisher
couldn’t read or write, so others wrote down her recipes and helped her publish the book. She had two
recipes for pound cake in her book.
In the 1900’s, baking powder and baking soda were incorporated into pound cake recipes to create a
lighter cake. And the invention of the electric mixer in the 1920’s also helped create a lighter pound
cake since it was much easier to beat the batter to become light and fluffy.
Modern day pound cakes don’t typically use a pound of each of the four main ingredients. Instead, the
ingredient amounts have been altered and there are so many recipes for all different types of pound
cakes.
Tips For Making This Cake
Take your time and measure all the ingredients carefully.
Zest the lemon before you juice it. If you’ve ever tried to zest a lemon or lime after you’ve squeezed it,
you know why this step is so important.
Butter and flour your pan well. The last thing you want is for your cake to stick in the pan.
Let the cake cool completely before drizzling on the glaze
THE PERFECT LEMON POUND CAKE RECIPE
A pound cake’s versatility is incredible; you can add almost anything and it’s guaranteed to be great.
Now, don’t go all crazy. I’m not promising that your favorite bottle of wine or those dried mangoes in
your pantry will work. On the other hand, there are other options like grapefruit, blueberries or coconut
that will liven up your cake and surprise the people you serve it to. Never be afraid to be daring in the
kitchen. Take a risk and watch it pay off. My Big Mama enjoyed the classic flavors of old recipes but
she always encouraged my imagination. As I got older, she welcomed my newest creations and shared
my excitement when what seemed like a crazy idea worked out wonderfully.
As I share this recipe I’m sharing the product of not only years of trial and error and plenty of family
tradition but also the product of my Big Mama’s undying faith in me.
How to Measure Flour
I typically go by weight when it comes to flour. All flours are a little different, so going by weight is the
best way to ensure your version will turn out like my version.
If you don’t have a kitchen scale and prefer to measure flour by volume, that’s cool. I just recommend
spooning the flour into the measuring cup and leveling it off. If you practice the scoop and sweep
method, there’s a good chance you’ll pack a little too much flour into that cup, and it could impact the
results.
Old habits die hard; I get it!
Regardless of how you measure flour, a good rule of thumb is to fill your loaf pan 2/3 full. That will
keep it from overflowing due to discrepancies in loaf pan sizes or flour measuring techniques.
How to Store and Freeze
Lemon pound cake will keep on the counter for five days. Keep it covered with cellophane.
If you want to make it ahead of time and freeze it to serve at a later date , prepare the cake through the
point where you soak it in the lemon syrup. Once it has cooled completely, wrap it tightly in
cellophane, then in a double layer of aluminum foil.
It will keep in your freezer for up to three months. Thaw on the counter, and frost just before serving.
Ingredients needed:
- all purpose flour : I recommend and use all-purpose, but you can substitute cake flour instead for a
finer, softer crumb. If measuring with cups, use this substitution guide, and if measuring by weight you
would use the same amount listed.
- salt
- baking soda
- butter : make sure you bring the butter to room temperature so it will cream easily. Room temperature
means it’s soft enough, so when you press into it, your finger leaves a dent, but not too soft that it’s
greasy or oily. Also, make sure to use unsalted butter to ensure the cake doesn’t turn out too salty.
- sugar : Granulated sugar only (for the cake), as I found brown sugar bullied the lemon flavor that we
want to let shine. For the icing/glaze you’ll use powdered or confectioner’s sugar.
- eggs : eggs assist the baking powder in helping the cake rise. As the eggs mix into the batter, they
create air bubbles that expand in the oven, so the cake rises.
- whole milk
- lemon juice : I use the zest for the primary lemon flavor of the cake, then the juice is used to make a
sweet but tart lemon glaze
- powdered sugar
Ingredients
FOR THE CAKE:
Cooking spray
3 sticks salted butter, softened
3 c. granulated sugar
5 large eggs
1/4 tsp. salt
3 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. lemon-lime soda
3 tbsp. grated lemon zest (from 2 to 3 lemons)
FOR THE GLAZE:
2 tbsp. grated lemon zest (from about 2 lemons)
2 c. powdered sugar, sifted
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice, plus more if needed
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. water
Directions
For the cake: Preheat the oven to 325˚. Thoroughly coat a 10-cup Bundt pan with cooking spray. In the
bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter with the granulated sugar
on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after
each addition. With the mixer on medium-low speed, add the salt, then mix in the flour 1 cup at a time,
mixing after each addition. With the mixer on low speed, mix in the soda and then the lemon zest.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again.
Add large spoonfuls of batter to the Bundt pan until the pan is filled, then smooth the top. Bake until a
toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean, 70 to 75 minutes. Let cool on a rack for 15 minutes,
then carefully turn out the cake onto the rack and let cool completely.
For the glaze: Spread out the lemon zest on a plate and air-dry for about 30 minutes. Combine the
powdered sugar, dried lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and water in a medium bowl. Gently whisk until
thick but pourable, thinning with a little more lemon juice if needed. Put the cake on a cake stand or
platter and use a large spoon to drizzle the glaze all over the cake. Let it set, about 30 minutes.