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
When it comes to pound cake, my family is clear: their favorite is lemon. My recipe for lemon cake from scratch combines the deliciousness of Southern pound cake with a citrus kick, which my boys absolutely adore.
Why Everyone Loves This Cake
- It has a bright and refreshing flavor from fresh lemon juice and zest.
- With a moist and rich texture from butter and sour cream, it has a tender crumb that’s precisely what you look for in a pound cake.
- It’s simple to make and doesn’t require any fancy baking techniques.
- This pretty cake is nostalgic and brings back fond memories of family gatherings and holiday celebrations.
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
- STEP 1 – 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.
- STEP 2 – Add eggs 1 at a time, beating until combined after each egg is added. Beat in lemon juice and peel.
- STEP 3 – Sift flour, baking soda, and salt into a bowl. Place the four mixture in with the wet ingredients.
- STEP 4 – Fold in sour cream.
- STEP 5 – Pour the batter into the prepared pan – the batter will be thick.
- STEP 6 – Bake cake until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean, about 1 hour 20 minutes.
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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Very good but when I make it again I will use salted butter or add a bit more salt to make the flavor pop.
Absolutely the Best lemon pound cake that has ever hit my mouth! Followed your recipe without changing a thing.. came out beautiful and so delicious. Used Myer Lemons that were gifted to me from one of my clients. Thank you for sharing this recipe with us.. Definitely a keeper and will be made for special occasions.. Today was my Husband’s Birthday and he loved it as much as I did!
You’ve made my day! Thank you so much for sharing and for the terrific rating. Happy birthday to your husband!
~Donya
If I only have salted butter do I omit the salt?
Add just a pinch.
~Donya
Perfection – it turned out amazing and smells fab – I cant wait to do the glaze and then eat it – going to take with me on New Years Eve for Dessert
Made enough to fill a bundt pan and a small 6″ pan – if I could post a pic it turned out so pretty – thanks for the recipe
This cake was AWESOME!
I made it twice now with Meyer lemons grown in our yard. It is a hit and will be a staple.
Hey there Mary!
Wow! I am so happy to hear that you’ve been enjoying this classic pound cake, using home-grown lemons is a terrific idea! Thank you so much for your wonderful rating and for your kind words of support, if you ever have any questions about a recipe please don’t hesitate to reach out and ask!
~Donya
I make almond pound cake regularly. Obviously, you are aware that it calls for an extra cup of butter and another cup of flour. I can see where the butter is subbed by the sour cream, but how is this cake without the added cup of flour? i enjoy the dense pound cake when we eat pound cake, so I am curious.
I do want to add that I am grateful for the recipe to try this weekend instead of a lemon loaf cake being passed off as a pound cake. Though loaf cakes are nice, there is a reason pound cakes are called pound cakes… and as a true southern lady, when I make a pound cake- that is what I want to make. I had to search hard to find an actual lemon pound cake recipe. I was thinking about simply substituting lemon extract for the almond in the million dollar cake variety but wasnt sure that would be enough. This one sounds much better. Thank you in advance for any insight.
Hey there Lissell!
Thank you so much for your interest in this recipe, if you’re looking for a true southern Lemon Pound Cake, then you’ve definitely come to the right place! You’re totally correct, in this recipe I add a cup of sour cream instead of using an additional 2 sticks of butter, this not only adds the necessary fat but also keeps the cake moist and dense with a fantastic flavor. With a little experimenting, I found that an extra cup of flour was unnecessary since there is no milk or buttermilk in the recipe, the combination of sour cream and lemon juice gives the cake enough liquid to balance 3 cups of flour, I found that an additional cup of flour made the cake dry rather than moist and dense. I hope that this is helpful, please let me know how everything turns out, I’d love to hear what you think!
~Donya
Superb lemon cake, probably best I’ve ever tasted. In addition to my love of it, three other good cooks had the highest praise for it and want the recipe.
Hey there Elaine!
Wow! I am thrilled to hear that you enjoyed this recipe, reading this comment has made my day! If you liked this pound cake, you should check out my Million Dollar Pound Cake Recipe, it’s just as easy to make and its super delicious! Thank you so much for your kind words and for your fabulous rating, I really appreciate your support. Let me know if you ever have any questions about a recipe, I’m always more than happy to help!
~Donya
Easy to make. Through it together just before dinner and enjoyed it for dessert.
Hey there!
Thank you so much for your kind words and your fantastic rating, I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed this recipe! If you liked this recipe, you should check out my Million Dollar Pound Cake, it’s just as easy to make with phenomenal flavors. Let me know if you ever have any questions about a recipe, I’d be more than happy to help!
~Donya
This is the tastiest cake I have ever baked! It is moist and the lemon juice and zest add a nice tangy flavor to the cake.
Hey there Lori!
Thank you so much, I am so pleased to hear you enjoyed this recipe! I really appreciate your support, have a happy holidays!
~Donya