5 Star Reader Comment
We’ve made this several times and shared the recipe as well. This is definitely the best lemon pound cake!! Freezes great!
Lynn
Why My Family Loves This Cake
This lemon pound cake is the one my boys have been asking for since they were little. Every Mother’s Day, every spring gathering, this is the cake that goes on the table. It starts with fresh lemon juice and zest — real brightness, not that flat-bottled kind. Sour cream keeps the crumb buttery and tender. Y’all it is so delicious!
I have been making this cake for years, and it never fails. If you want a from-scratch pound cake that looks beautiful and tastes even better than it looks, you are in the right place. Let me show you exactly how to make it.
Donya’s Best Tips for Lemon Pound Cake
Room temperature really does matter here: Cold butter will not cream properly, and cold eggs can cause the batter to curdle. Pull everything out of the fridge at least an hour before you start.
Cream the butter and sugar the full five minutes: I know it feels like a long time, but that is what gives this cake its tender, fluffy crumb. Set a timer and let the mixer do the work.
Fresh lemon only — no shortcuts: Bottled juice is flat and one-dimensional. Fresh lemon juice and zest together give this cake that bright, true citrus flavor that makes people ask for a second slice.
Stop mixing the moment the flour disappears: Once you add the flour, overmixing develops gluten and makes the cake dense and tough. Fold just until you see no more dry streaks, then put the spoon down.
Wait until the cake is fully cooled before adding the glaze: If the cake is still warm, the glaze soaks straight in and you lose that beautiful, crackly lemon finish on top. Give it the full cool-down time — it is worth the wait.
Got a sweet tooth? Satisfy it with a slice of classic Southern Pound Cake, Million Dollar Pound Cake, or rich Chocolate Pound Cake!
Lemon Pound Cake Recipe Ingredients
- Flour – All-purpose flour is the best to use for pound cake recipes.
- Baking Soda – Helps the cake rise to fluffy perfection.
- Salt – Always used in baking recipes to enhance flavor and texture.
- Butter – Using butter in cake recipes gives it richness, tenderness, and great structure.
- Granulated Sugar – Add the perfect amount of sweetness without being overbearing.
- Large Eggs – Use room temperature eggs to help hold everything together.
- Lemon Juice – The highlight of this pound cake is the lemon.
- Lemon Zest – Adding the zest helps enhance the lemon flavor.
- Sour Cream – Sour cream instead of milk results in a more moist and rich cake.
How To Make The Best Lemon Pound Cake
- Using an electric mixer at low speed, beat butter in a large bowl at medium speed until fluffy. Gradually add sugar and beat for 5 minutes.
- Add eggs 1 at a time, beating until combined after each egg is added. Beat in lemon juice and peel.
- Sift flour, baking soda, and salt into a bowl, then mix the four mixture in with the wet ingredients.
- Fold in sour cream.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan – the batter will be thick.
- Bake cake until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
Lemon Cake With Glaze
I elevate Lemon Pound Cake to new heights of yumminess with a lusciously smooth lemon glaze.
Whisk together 1 cup of powdered sugar with 2-3 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice until silky and pourable. Drizzle this tangy-sweet glaze generously over the cake, allowing it to drip down the sides.
Storing And Freezing Tips
Store the cake in an airtight container on the countertop. It will be good for up to about 4 days.
Lemon Pound Cake freezes beautifully. Make sure the cake has cooled completely, then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, followed by a layer of aluminum foil. It can be frozen for up to 3 months. To serve, thaw it overnight in the refrigerator, then move it to the counter and let it come to room temperature.
More Lemon Dessert Ideas
Ingredients
- 3 cups flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter at room temp (2 sticks)
- 3 cups sugar
- 6 eggs at room temp
- ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 ¼ tablespoons grated lemon zest
- 1 cup sour cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- Grease tube or bundt pan. Dust pan with flour, then tap out excess.
- Sift flour, baking soda and salt into medium bowl, set aside.
- Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl at lot to medium speed until fluffy. Gradually add sugar and beat for 5 minutes.
- Add eggs 1 at a time, beating just until combined after each egg is added. Beat in lemon juice and zest.
- Using a rubber spatula, mix in dry ingredients. Mix in sour cream.
- Pour batter to prepared pan. ** The batter will be thick.
- Bake cake until tester inserted near center comes out clean, about 1 hour 20 minutes.
- Let cake cool in pan on rack 15 minutes then turn out cake onto a plate or cake stand.
- Carefully turn cake right side up on rack and cool completely.
- For an extra touch – drizzle glaze made of 1 cup confectioners sugar and 2-3 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice over cake.
Video
Notes
- If you want to use a loaf pan, you will need 2, 9″x5″ loaf pans. If using a bundt pan, I recommend a 10- to 12-cup pan.
- For the best flavor, I recommend using fresh lemon juice. Bottled lemon juice can have a more acidic and less vibrant taste, plus you’ll be missing the fresh zest, which adds a wonderful aroma and depth of flavor that bottled juice can’t match.
- Store the cake in an airtight container on the countertop. It will be good for up to 4 days.
- Lemon Pound Cake freezes beautifully. Make sure the cake has cooled completely, then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap followed by a layer of aluminum foil. It can be frozen for up to 3 months. To serve, thaw it overnight in the refrigerator, then remove it to the counter and let it come to room temperature.
Nutrition
Questions And Answers
Yes, you can. If you want to use a loaf pan, you will need 2, 9″x5″ loaf pans. If using a bundt pan, I recommend a 10 to 12-cup pan.
For the best flavor, I recommend using fresh lemon juice. Bottled lemon juice can have a more acidic and less vibrant taste, plus you’ll be missing the fresh zest, which adds a wonderful aroma and depth of flavor that bottled juice can’t match.
If you’re out of sour cream, you can use plain Greek yogurt as a substitute.
The best way to check if your pound cake is done is to insert a toothpick or a cake tester into the center of the cake. Your cake is ready if it comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached.
If you tried this Lemon Pound Cake Recipe or any other recipe, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks!
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I just made this and t is in the oven. I was reading the recipe over for instructions and realized i did not put the sour cream in ?. Did I just mess this cake up?
Well…there’s gonna be a problem with moisture. The cake will be dry most likely. Let me know what happens!!
Good luck.
XO,
~Donya
This recipe is so good! I will never make my old cream cheese style pound cake again! The sour cream makes it so light and fluffy and not dry like my old recipe. I decided to try this because I wanted to make a pound cake and forgot to buy cream cheese. I looked in my fridge and saw the sour cream, did a search, found this and well the rest is history! I’m making another one right now 🙂
Thank you so much for your kind words! Wow. I am glowing right now, Kate. I am so happy you stopped by.
Have a great weekend, friend.
xo,
~Donya
Just made this. So good!!! I used half the butter and used apple sauce for the other half, and used 1/2 cup less sugar to compensate. I also poured sugar over sliced strawberries and let them sit overnight to use as a topping. Its an amazing recipe! ☺
WOW! Thank you so much for sharing. You’ve made my day!
~Donya
Thanks for sharing your awesome Lemon Pound Cake recipe at Weekend Potluck, Donya! Such a great share. We hope to see you at the party tomorrow. Cheers!
You are so welcome. What a great event every week with lots of great food and ideas. Thanks so much!XO,~Donya
Girl, you had me at lemon! Lemon pound cakes are my favorite! Thanks so much for sharing at Weekend Potluck. We always love when you share your delicious dishes. Make sure you come back on Friday!
Thanks for hosting such a great roundup! I'll be back, no worries…XO,~Donya
Lovely lovely recipe. Mouth-watering! Thanks so much for sharing with us at Weekend Potluck.
And thanks for the link back too.
WOW! Thanks Marsha for the kind words. I love all the recipes on Weekend Potluck and am honored to be a part of the group.XO,~Donya
I absolutely love lemon cake. We do a lemon meringue at our bakery. Have you ever tried using lemon oil instead of just juice? It can help remove the bitter taste that you sometimes get with juice. Thank you for the lovely recipe!
Made it today, has wonderful texture and moisture, Just glazed it and sampled a peice…. I did two 4x 8 loaf pans that the bread exploded out of, so its 5×9 pans next time… I think Ive found a pound cake recipe FINALLY that I love, I just need to get more lemon flavor in there (I couldnt taste it at all) , so I will be adding some lemon extract next time as well….
I keep looking for my granny's version and this sounds like it. Can't wait to try it.
Thanks ~ hope you'll come back and let me know how we can stay connected. Visit me on Google+ and Facebook!
Just made the cake… It has risen quite high. About a half inch about the bundt pan, Lol! I followed the directions exactly except that I added a tiny bit of Lemon Extract in the mix just to give it more of a lemony (don't know if thats a word) kick. I'm just hoping that I can get it out of the pan easily. I'll be back to tell you how it tastes!
Wish me luck!