Lemon Pound Cake is an incredibly moist cake, super rich and buttery, extra smooth with a beautiful crumb. A typical lemon pound cake is very dense but does not taste heavy. The thick lemon glaze and lemon zest on top perfectly finish the cake. Its flavor is so delightful and fresh, perfect for a beautiful summer’s day.
But you need to be patient, because this cake takes its time in the oven. More precisely, the baking time lies between 75-95 minutes. Depending on the oven, it might even take a little longer and then the cake has to cool down…but it’s really worth the time and effort.
Tools & Equipment
- 10 cup bundt pan
- Fine-mesh strainer
- Large bowl
- Pastry brush
- Small bowl
- Stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment
- Wire rack
- Whisk
Recipe Tips
Make Ahead: you can make the pound cake ahead of time. Bake the cake and let it cool completely. Then wrap it in aluminium foil and freeze it.
Sour Cream: you can use plain yoghurt, milk or non-dairy milk instead, in case you do not have sour cream. If you use milk, your pound cake will have a lighter texture and you won’t have the tight crumb which is typical for this cake.
Baking Time: pound cakes are dense and need a while to bake, for about 75-95 minutes, depends on your oven. Loosely cover the cake with aluminium foil halfway through baking to make sure that the surface does not brown too much. Key to the perfect pound cake is a low temperature and a slow baking time. It is a heavy cake, so don’t worry if it takes longer in the oven. Bake longer if needed.
Directions – How to Make Lemon Pound Cake
Make the Cake
Grease a 10 cup bundt pan generously with butter, dust with flour and set aside. Preheat the oven to 163°C / 325°F and lower the oven rack to the lower third position. Weigh your ingredients.
Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on high speed until smooth and creamy, for about 1 minute.
Add sugar and beat on high speed until creamy, for about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and the bottom of the bowl. Then add the eggs with the mixer running on low speed. Stop the mixer, when the last egg is completely incorporated.
Add sour cream, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla, beat on medium speed until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. At this point the mixture may look curdled. Don’t worry, this is normal and changes when you add the dry ingredients.
Slowly add the dry ingredients with the mixer running on low speed, just until combined. Do not overmix.
Spread the batter into the bundt pan and bake for 75-95 minutes. Cover the pan with aluminium foil halfway through baking to prevent the top from browning too much. Keep an eye on your cake as the baking time varies. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean.
Remove the cake from the oven and place it on a wire rack. Let it cool in the pan for about 1 hour, then remove the slightly warm cake carefully from the pan and continue to cool on the wire rack.
Make the Glaze
In a small bowl add powdered sugar, lemon juice and heavy cream, whisk until smooth. Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer to avoid lumps. Spread the glaze over the cake and garnish with lemon zest.
Storage: you can store the cake leftovers covered for up to 3 days at room temperature or up to 1 week in the fridge. You can freeze the not glazed pound cake for up to 3 months. When ready, let the cake thaw overnight in the fridge, bring it to room temperature and spread the glaze over the cake.
My Summary for Lemon Pound Cake
Difficulty: simple.
Taste: this lemon pound cake tastes buttery, super lemony, pleasantly fresh and not heavy at all.
Texture: the crumb of the cake is velvety soft, the inside is dense but smooth.
PROS: the cake is easy to make, tastes unbelievably delicious and looks pretty beautiful too. Perfect if you want to bring a cake to a party.
CONS: you need patience. Unfortunately, this cake takes time, but if you are aware of that, you can easily plan ahead.
