Lemon Pound Cake

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This lemon pound cake is the ultimate dessert for lemon lovers.

Partially sliced lemon pound cake on a plate.

Calling all lemon lovers! This lemon pound cake is a dessert made just for you. The recipe incorporates both lemon zest and lemon juice into the cake batter, infusing the cake with a lovely lemon flavor. But the real magic happens after baking — the cake is generously doused with lemon syrup and then drizzled with a tart lemon glaze, delivering an intense burst of lemon flavor with every bite. The recipe yields two ultra-moist loaves that stay fresh for days on the countertop or can be frozen for later. If you’d like to switch things up, try my popular lemon poppyseed cake and lemon blueberry pound cake variations. A big thank you and shoutout to Karen Tannenbaum, one of my longtime readers, for inspiring this wonderful recipe!

What You’ll Need To Make Lemon Pound Cake

ingredients for lemon pound cake

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

Start by zesting and juicing your lemons. And be sure you zest the lemons first, otherwise, it will be impossible once they are juiced. The best tool for zesting is a rasp grater but any fine grater will do.
Lemon zest next to halved lemons.Combine the flour, salt, and baking soda in a mixing bowl. I always add dry ingredients in little piles so I don’t forget what I’ve already added.

dry ingredients in mixing bowlWhisk and set aside.

whisking dry ingredients

In another bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Set aside.

buttermilk, lemon juice, and lemon zest in bowl

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or beaters), cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes.

creaming butter and sugar

Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then beat in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl again.

beating in the eggs

With the mixer on low speed, beat in one-quarter of the flour mixture, then one-third of the buttermilk mixture. Beat in another quarter of the flour, then another third of the buttermilk mixture. Repeat with another quarter of the flour and the remaining buttermilk mixture. Finally, beat in the remaining flour mixture.

Pound cake batter in a stand mixer.

Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and give a quick mix to make sure all of the ingredients are well-incorporated.

mixed lemon pound cake batter in mixer

Transfer the cake batter to the prepared pans and smooth with a rubber spatula.

Loaf pan full of lemon pound cake batter.

Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, or until the top is golden and a tester comes out clean.

Set the cakes on a cooling rack, and cool in the pans for 10 minutes.

Two loaf pans of lemon pound cake.

Carefully run a knife along the unlined sides of the pans to loosen the cake from the pan. Using the parchment slings, lift the cakes out of the pans and place onto the rack, leaving the parchment paper in place under the cakes. Let cool for about 1 hour.

When the cakes are almost cool, make the syrup. Combine the water and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice.

making lemon glaze

To make the glaze: in a medium bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar and lemon juice. Add more confectioners’ sugar or lemon juice as necessary to make a thick but pourable glaze (it should be a little thicker than you’d think, about the consistency of molasses or honey).

how to make lemon glaze

When the cakes are cool, carefully transfer them to serving platters. Gradually brush the warm syrup all over the cakes, including the sides, letting it soak in as you go.

Finally, spoon the glaze over the top of the cake, letting it drip down the sides.

glazed lemon pound cake

Let the cakes sit for about one hour to allow the glaze to set before serving.

How To Freeze Lemon Pound Cake

The cakes can be frozen without the glaze for up to 3 months. After they are completely cooled, double-wrap them securely with aluminum foil or plastic freezer wrap, or place them in a heavy-duty freezer bag. Thaw overnight on the countertop before serving. (Add the syrup before the cake is frozen and add the glaze after the cake is thawed.)

Note: This recipe was updated in 2022; to see the original version, click here.

Partially-sliced loaf of lemon pound cake.

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Lemon Pound Cake

This lemon pound cake is the ultimate dessert for lemon lovers.

Servings: Two 8½ x 4½-inch loaves, about 16 servings
Prep Time: 25 Minutes
Cook Time: 1 Hour
Total Time: 1 Hour 25 Minutes, plus about 1 hour cooling time

Ingredients

For the Cake

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off with a knife
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup buttermilk (low-fat is fine) (see note)
  • 2 tablespoons (packed) grated lemon zest (see note)
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
  • 2¼ cups granulated sugar
  • 3 large eggs

For the Syrup

  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

For the Glaze

  • 1 cup confectioners' sugar
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Spray two 8½ x 4½-inch loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray. Line the long sides of the pans with parchment paper “slings” and spray lightly with nonstick cooking spray again.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
  3. In another bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, lemon zest and lemon juice. Set aside.
  4. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or beaters), cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then beat in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl again.
  5. With the mixer on low speed, beat in one-quarter of the flour mixture, then one-third of the buttermilk mixture. Beat in another quarter of the flour, then another third of the buttermilk mixture. Repeat with another quarter of the flour and the remaining buttermilk mixture. Finally, beat in the remaining flour mixture. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and give a quick mix to make sure all of the ingredients are well-incorporated.
  6. Divide the thick batter into the prepared pans and smooth with a rubber spatula. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, or until the top is golden and a tester comes out clean.
  7. Set the cakes on a cooling rack, and cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife along the unlined sides of the pans to loosen the cake from the pan. Using the parchment slings, lift the cakes out of the pans and place onto the rack, leaving the parchment paper in place under the cakes. Let cool for about 1 hour.
  8. When the cakes are almost cool, make the syrup. Combine the water and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice.
  9. When the cakes are cool, carefully transfer them to serving platters.
  10. Gradually brush the warm syrup all over the cakes, including the sides, letting it soak in as you go.
  11. To make the glaze: in a medium bowl, whisk together the confectioners' sugar and lemon juice. Add more confectioners' sugar or lemon juice as necessary to make a thick but pourable glaze (it should be a little thicker than you'd think, about the consistency of molasses or honey). Spoon the glaze over the top of the cake, letting it drip down the sides. Let the cakes sit for about one hour to allow the glaze to set before serving.
  12. Note: If you’d like to make your own buttermilk, check out the easy method here.
  13. Note: You'll need 4 to 5 large lemons for the entire recipe.
  14. Make-Ahead/Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The cakes can be made up to 1 day ahead of time and stored in a cake dome or airtight container at room temperature. They can also be frozen (without the final glaze) for up to 3 months. After they are completely cooled, double-wrap securely with aluminum foil or plastic freezer wrap, or place them in a heavy-duty freezer bag. Thaw overnight on the countertop before serving. (Add the syrup before the cake is frozen and add the glaze after the cake is thawed.)

Nutrition Information

Powered by Edamam

  • Per serving (16 servings)
  • Serving size: 1 slice
  • Calories: 313
  • Fat: 7g
  • Saturated fat: 4g
  • Carbohydrates: 59g
  • Sugar: 40g
  • Fiber: 1g
  • Protein: 4g
  • Sodium: 143mg
  • Cholesterol: 51mg

This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.

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Comments

  • Jennifer, this cake looks wonderful!
    I’d like to make this for my daughter’s wedding and I have a question about how many times to make your recipe to get enough batter for the cake pans I’ll use. She wants lemon cake for two different layers; one 12″x2″ pan (removable bottom) and one 6″x3″ pan (springform). Thank you so much! Minda

    • Hi Minda, I’m guessing maybe you’d need to double the batter, but not completely certain. You may want to do a “practice run!”

  • This is one of the best cakes I have ever made! I followed the simple instructions and couldn’t be happier with the outcome.

    • — Kerrie McConaha
    • Reply
  • I loved the sound of this and was so excited when I put it in oven – convinced it would be one of best things I ever made.
    BUT….it went ALL over the sides of the pan and made a huge mess. Wondering if I did something wrong?

    I could not get it to cook through but the parts on the edge of pan that did cook through were FANTASTIC.

    • Hi Nancy, sorry to hear about the mess! That definitely shouldn’t have happened. Is it possible you measured something incorrectly or used a smaller pan than called for? (It sounds like there was too much batter.)

  • I made this lemon poundcake and the taste is superb but my cake did not really rise much. I used a new box of baking soda and followed the recipe. I can not figure out why it did not rise much. The taste and texture of the cake is amazing. Please help!!!

    • Hi D, sorry to hear the cake didn’t rise much! If your baking soda is new, that’s obviously not the problem; I’m wondering if perhaps you measured something incorrectly. Did you use the spoon and level method for measuring the flour?

  • Hi! I’d like to make this for a picnic this weekend. My blueberry bushes are full of lovely berries, would it be ok to add some to the cake batter? Any changes I would need to make? Thank you!

    • Hi Rebekah, I think you could add some blueberries to the batter without making any changes. LMK how it turns out!

  • The cake is in the oven! I have a question about the glazing, it should be on a rack, but how do I get it off the rack and onto a plate, I don’t want to break it…is it okay to turn it over on a cardboard cake plate, put it on the rack and then glaze it? My friend made this and it was good enough to ask for the recipe.

    • Hi Teri, I use two wide metal spatulas to lift the cake off the rack – you can transfer it to a serving platter before adding the final glaze.

      • Thanks, the cake was outstanding!! I turned it over on the cardboard, glazed it, then scooted it on the serving plate, then iced it. It worked!

  • Can’t wait to make this recipe. Looks perfect for my lemon-loving friends. I have so many different Bundt pans these days, I just want to be SURE this was developed for a 12-cup pan. I was a little thrown off when you sited 10-inches because I also have a 10-cup Bundt pan.

    • Hi Kevyn, the recipe calls for 10-inch (12 cup capacity) bundt pan. Hope that clarifies– enjoy the cake!

  • I made this cake for my family this past 4th of July!!!! OMG they loved it!!! So moist and just the right amount of tartness!!!! I’m so in love with this cake that, I don’t even mind having to zest all of those lemons. I tried making it WITHOUT the lemon zest a week later…DONT DO THIS!!!! Especially if u love a real lemon tasting dessert! #ANewFave!!!

  • One of the best lemon pound cakes i have ever made
    Its a big hit with my family
    Perfect amount of lemon
    Wouldnt change this recipe ever…

    • — Lisa fitzpatrick
    • Reply
  • I have never ever ever EVER made a cake from scratch. Had a sudden huge craving while at grocery store and couldn’t find a box mix. Found your recipe while standing in the aisle and bought the ingredients. I can cook well when I put my mind to it, but I was worried because it was my first attempt and we live at 6k ft. But I totally went for it.

    I, literally, cried when it was done. It was so fun to make and it was so perfect! Not too sweet. Flavor wasn’t too strong. Beautiful crust. I could tell my husband was so happy eating it. Thank you!

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