Lemon Pound Cake is wonderfully moist and flavorful, drizzled with lemon icing. Made with lemon zest, freshly squeezed lemon juice, and topped with a tart lemon icing- this is the perfect pound cake for anyone who loves lemon!
This pound cake recipe is super moist, full of lemon flavor, and will keep for days. Drizzled with a simple lemon icing, you’ll find this lemon cake recipe simple to make.
As a little girl, this is the cake I asked my mom to make for my birthday. Filled with delicious lemon flavor and icing. This cake is very similar to Starbucks lemon pound cake!
Why this recipe works
- Made with simple ingredients readily available at most grocery stores.
- Added flavor with pure lemon oil. This is different than lemon flavoring as it is pure and heavily concentrated lemon flavor.
- Whipped egg whites folded into the batter make this cake fluffy and moist.
Ingredients Needed
- Butter – I always use unsalted butter with all cakes and desserts in order to control the salt in recipes.
- Eggs – Separate the eggs, carefully. Do not get any egg yolk into the egg whites or they will not whip.
- Cream of tarter – helps stabilize whipped egg whites, prevents sugar from crystallizing and acts as a leavening agent for baked goods.
- Flour – I prefer to use a mixture of all-purpose and cake flour, sifted.
- Buttermilk or sour cream – adds a tartness and moisture to this cake recipe.
- Pure lemon oil – Lemon extract has fillers such as water and alcohol as an ingredient, where as pure lemon oil is nothing more than the extract from lemons. It’s super concentrated, so you only need a very small amount.
This old-fashioned lemon pound cake has separated egg whites, which are whipped and folded into the cake batter. Making it super fluffy and moist. Very similar to an old-fashioned pound cake recipe. This lemon cake will keep for days and also freezes well.
How to make Lemon Pound Cake
Step 1: Brush vegetable shortening with a pastry brush into a 12-cup Bundt or fluted cake pan. Flour the pan and tap out excess flour.
Step 2: Separate the eggs, carefully. Beat egg whites with an electric hand mixer until you have a fairly stiff peak.
Step 3: In a large mixing bowl, using either a stand mixer or an electric hand mixer, cream the butter until light and fluffy. Add the sugar gradually, beating thoroughly.
Step 4: Add the eggs, one at a time. Scrape the bowl again. Add the lemon juice, lemon zest, buttermilk and lemon oil. Combine.
Step 5: Sift the flour, salt, and baking soda into a bowl. Gently add the dry mixture to the cake batter. Scrape the bowl again, mixing everything thoroughly. You want the cake batter to be smooth.
Step 6: Gently fold the whipped egg whites into the cake batter.
How to easily Remove a Cake From a Cake Pan
Remove the cake from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes in the pan. Remove the cake from the pan and let it cool completely on a baking rack.
Recipe FAQs
Chances are you did not cream the butter and sugar long enough. Or you did not cook it long enough and it fell some after cooling.
Adding buttermilk, sour cream, or cream cheese gives more moisture and flavor to the cake. Sour cream and cream cheese add a richness. Cakes made with them are often super moist.
More Cake Recipes
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Lemon Pound Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
Lemon Pound Cake
- 1 ½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 ¼ cups granulated sugar
- 7 large eggs separated, room temperature
- ¾ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- ½ cup buttermilk (or sour cream)
- 2 teaspoons pure lemon oil
- Zest of one large lemon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour or cake flour
Lemon Icing
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1-2 tablespoons whole milk
Instructions
Lemon Pound Cake
- Brush vegetable shortening with a pastry brush into a 12-cup Bundt cake pan. Flour the pan and tap out excess flour. Set aside.
- Separate the eggs, carefully. Do not get any egg yolk into the egg whites or they will not whip. Whip the egg whites with the cream of tartar in a clean, grease free bowl. Whip until you have a fairly stiff peak. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, using either a stand mixer or an electric hand mixer, cream the butter until light and fluffy. Add the sugar gradually, beating thoroughly. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula occasionally.
- Add the egg yolks, one at a time. Scrape the bowl again. Add the lemon juice, lemon zest, buttermilk and lemon oil. Combine.
- Sift the flour, salt, and baking soda into a bowl. Gently add the dry mixture to the cake batter. Scrape the bowl again, mixing everything thoroughly. You want the cake batter to be smooth.
- Gently fold the whipped egg whites into the cake batter.
- Bake in a preheated 325 degree oven for about 1 hour 10 minutes. Or until a toothpick when inserted comes out clean.
- Remove the cake from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes in the pan. Remove the cake from the pan and let it cool completely on a baking rack. Once cooled, then drizzle with lemon icing.
Lemon Icing
- Whisk together the powdered sugar, lemon juice and milk. Add more milk if you want a thinner icing)
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
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Seanna Borrows says
This is so delicious! A new favorite!
Angelica says
Sounds delicious
Jessica Robinson says
Thanks so much!
Pamela says
I made this Lemon Pound Cake for My Husband’s Birthday!
It’s Was A Hit 👍🏾! Everyone Enjoyed it!!
Jessica Robinson says
So happy to hear that!
Jolene says
If I wanna make them into mini loaves how long should I bake?
Jessica Robinson says
Jolene,
They would be great in mini loaves. I am not sure how long to bake, as I have never made this recipe in a small loaf. I would recommend you watch them at 25-30 minutes and do a toothpick test.