An incredibly soft and moist lemon pound cake recipe for all lemon lovers! The lemon cake is soaked in a scrumptious lemon syrup and finished with a veil of simple lemon glaze. The all-natural fresh lemon flavor from fresh lemon juice and lemon zest spread in your mouth on every bite!
📌 Why you'll love this recipe
I love lemon desserts, such as lemon madeleines, lemon meringue tart, and lemon bars. This recipe is for all citrusy dessert fans like me! The natural flavors of fresh lemons are nothing to be compared with artificial lemon oil or lemon extract. The refreshing and bright lemon flavor spread in a month, instantly lifting our mood.🍋 This might not be an everyday food, but rather for a special moment with a slice of lemon cake and a cup of tea. Grab your lemon and get ready to treat yourself!
- It's packed with fresh lemon flavors.
- It's so tender and moist.
- You can make it with easy-to-follow steps and simple ingredients.
- The cake is easy to transport as a gift or for potluck parties.
- Mini loaves, bundt cake, or sheet cake... It is easily customizable into different shapes and sizes as you desire!
Pound cake is the first cake I learned in a cooking school, as far as I remember. (It was an Earl Grey pound cake. My other favorite!) I remember being amazed at its deliciousness and hooked on making it a lot through the year.
I realized that I hadn't shared a pound cake recipe over the past 4 years (since I started my YouTube channel). How!? It is so simple yet a great cake to learn about lots of baking science. I tried to pack as many tips as possible. I hope it'll be helpful for you!
Let's get started.💪🏻
📌 Tips for the Ingredients
Lemon Pound Cake
- Granulated sugar: It helps to keep the cake moist. It also works as a natural preservative.
- Salt: Salt enhances the lemon flavor and makes it more vibrant.
- Lemon zest: It adds an amazing aroma to the cake.
- Unsalted butter: It's important to leave the butter at room temperature ahead to soften it to get the best results.
- Eggs: Eggs help to create a soft texture. Do not use cold eggs to prevent them from separating a lot with butter. It shouldn't feel anything or slightly warm when you touch it with your finger.
- All-purpose flour: You can also use cake flour if you don't have all-purpose flour. I like to use all-purpose flour specifically for this recipe.
- Baking powder: It helps to push up the cake batter in the oven and make a softer cake.
- Sour cream: It contributes a lot to creating a moist texture.
- Honey: Honey helps to keep the cake moist. It also helps to caramelize the surface.
- Vanilla extract: The touch of vanilla flavor matches so well with this cake. You can also use vanilla beans or vanilla bean paste.
- Lemon juice: zest the lemon before squeezing the juice out.
Lemon Syrup
- Water
- Lemon juice
- Granulated sugar
Lemon Icing
- Powdered sugar
- Lemon juice
📌 Step-by-Step Instructions to Make Lemon Pound Cake
Now, let me share detailed steps and tips, which are crucial for making the moist lemon pound cake successful.
Preparations
- Preheat the oven to 325ºF (163ºC)
- Coat a thin layer of butter inside the loaf pan, dust all-purpose flour, and toss the pan to remove the excess. Chill it in the fridge until right before use.
- Leave butter at room temperature to soften it beforehand.
- (Sift all-purpose flour and baking powder.)
Tips💡
- I used an 8”(top length) by 4”(top width) by 3.5"(height) loaf pan. Use a 9" by 4" pan if the height is not as tall to prevent the batter from overflowing in the oven. You can also use 2 smaller loaf pans, mini loaf pans, a bundt pan, etc. Just adjust the baking time and temperature accordingly!
- By chilling the prepared pan until right before you use it, the coating does not get scratched or slide down as you pour the cake batter inside - You can create more beautiful, even caramelization on the surface of the cake.
Mix sugar, salt, and lemon zest.
- Zest lemons.
- Mix it with granulated sugar and salt.
Tips💡
- Zest only the yellow part of the lemon skin because the white part inside is pretty bitter.
- I often like to finish this step at the very beginning and set it aside while weighing other ingredients and working on preparations so that the amazing aroma spreads more in the sugar.
Add soft butter and whip.
- Add soft butter to the sugar mixture and whip.
- Scrape off the bottom and sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula to pick up any butter stuck to them. Continue whipping until it gets very fluffy and pale.
Why whipping the butter is so important
The mixture holds more air inside by whipping butter. And that air is the most crucial point to creating a soft pound cake:
- The air helps the cake to rise more in the oven, leading to a softer cake.
- It also works as their middleman for butter and oil so that they can blend more easily. We're adding eggs to butter in the next step - But Oil (butter) and liquids (eggs) do not get along and separate easily. When the butter contains lots of air, the liquids (eggs) go into the air and are held by it - The emulsified cake batter leads to a softer, silkier texture!
Add eggs and whip.
- Warm eggs until it doesn't feel anything or are slightly warm when you touch them. (This time, it was 90ºF | 32ºC.)
- Add eggs little by little (I divided it into eight times this time.) and whip it well before you add the next one.
- Scrape off the bottom and sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula on the way to ensure it's blended evenly and continue whipping until you add all the eggs.
The temperature of the eggs
Eggs blend with butter more easily when they are not cold. You can use a water bath or microwave to do so. Check every 5 - 10 seconds when you use the microwave to ensure you're not cooking the eggs. Also, be careful not to warm it too much to prevent the butter from melting with the heat.
Add the sifted flour and mix.
Add the sifted all-purpose flour and baking powder and mix well with a rubber spatula until you don't see any flour. Clean the bottom and sides of the bowl on the way to check if the flour is not hiding.
Add the rest of the wet ingredients and mix.
Add sour cream, honey, vanilla extract, and lemon juice and mix with a spatula until evenly incorporated. Clean up the bowl and spatula one last time!
Bake the cake.
- Scoop the cake batter into the prepared pan.
- As an option, insert melted butter in the middle of the surface using a dough scraper or something similar. By doing that, the cake batter inside cracks open from the line in the oven, creating an elegant look! I inserted 2 times on both the left and right and 1 more time on the middle.
- Bake at 325ºF (163ºC) for about 60 - 75 minutes. To check if it's done, insert a toothpick in the center and see if it comes out clean. Adjust the time and temperature accordingly depending on the oven, the size of a pan, etc.
- Wait for 5 - 10 minutes before taking the cake out from the pan.
Tip💡
The cake is very soft right after it's made. Don't remove it from the pan immediately and wait for about five to ten minutes. And meanwhile, let's work on the lemon syrup!
Apply lemon syrup on the surface.
- Heat water, lemon juice, and sugar in a small saucepan until it starts boiling.
- Take the hot cake out from a pan carefully and apply the syrup all over the cake with a pastry brush.
- Let the cake cool before coating the lemon glaze.
Tips💡
- A hot cake absorbs the syrup a lot better than a cold cake. Brush it while it's still warm!
- The cake is still soft at this point. Be careful not to hurt the cake when you move it by hand. Treat it like a baby 🐣.
- You may feel hesitant to apply all the syrup since it's a lot, but please do! The cake tastes more citrusy and moist with the liquids.
- Let it cool completely before applying the lemon icing. - The final step!
Coat lemon glaze on the surface.
- Mix powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth.
- Pour it on top of the cake and coat it all around the cake. Attach pistachios or any decoration you like while the icing is still wet.
- Bake it at 325ºF (163ºC) for 1 minute to let the icing dry and give it a nice crispiness.
Can I omit the lemon icing?
Yes, but...! This lemony glaze plays a huge role in adding the refreshing lemon flavor and a nice texture. I recommend not doing so if possible. It also prevents the cake from getting dried quickly.
⚠️ I added a little bit more lemon juice than the recipe, like a teaspoon more (I said 1 tablespoon in the video tutorial by mistake!), so the icing was a bit thinner than usual. The images above show how the icing usually looks. You can see that it's a little bit thicker. I just wanted to mention that!
... and that's it! Bon-appetit ☕️🍋
📌 How To Store Lemon Pound Cake
Wrap it tightly with plastic wrap (Ideally twice) to prevent it from getting dried.
You can store it for up to four to five days at room temperature. (I recommend storing it in the fridge if you are not consuming it within a few days.) Enjoy it within that day or at least a few days for the best taste!
Chilling it in the fridge:
You can also store it for about a week in the fridge. Pound cake gets much firmer when it's cold because of the butter in the cake. Wrap the slice and warm it in the microwave until it returns to room temperature to enjoy the softer texture.
📌 Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use different types of pans to bake the lemon pound cake?
Yes! Today, I baked it in an 8” by 4” by 3.5" (height) loaf pan, but you can also bake it with different pans - adjust the baking time and temperature depending on how small or big they are.
Can I make a smaller batch?
Yes! You can make a half batch for a smaller pan. Just bake for a shorter time.
Can I use a hand mixer to make this cake instead of a stand mixer?
Yes. With a hand mixer, it takes a lot more time to whip the butter. Whip it well until it looks very fluffy like a cloud before adding eggs.
📌 VIDEO: Watch How To Make It!
To learn how to make lemon loaf cake visually and have a deeper understanding of all, watch this video!
Don't forget to subscribe if you liked it 😉
📌 More Lemon Recipes
If you love this lemon loaf recipe, also try these lemony dessert recipes!
📌 Printable Recipe
💬 If you loved this homemade lemon pound cake recipe, please share your feedback on this post! I always love hearing how you enjoyed it with your friends and family.
Moist Lemon Pound Cake
Equipment
- Loaf pan 8”(top height) by 4”(top width) by 3.5"(height) * Or use a 9" by 4" pan if the height is not tall enough to prevent the batter from overflowing in the oven.
- Sieve
- Stand mixer with a whisk attachment or a bowl with a hand blender
- Spatula
- Dough scraper optional
- Toothpick
- Brush
- Small cake spatula
Ingredients
Pound Cake
- 240 g (1 ⅕ cups) Granulated sugar
- ¾ teaspoon Salt
- 2 lemons Lemon zest
- 226 g (2 US sticks) Unsalted butter (soft)
- 200 g (4 medium eggs) Eggs
- 240 g (2 cups) All-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons Baking powder
- 170 g (¾ cup) Sour cream
- 30 g (1.5 Tablespoons) Honey
- ½ teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 30 g (2 Tablespoons) Lemon juice
Lemon Syrup
- 85 g (⅓ cup) Water
- 30 g (2 Tablespoons) Lemon juice
- 56 g (¼ cup) Granulated sugar
Lemon Icing
- 142 g (1 ⅙ cups) Powdered sugar
- 25 g (1 ⅔ Tablespoons) Lemon juice
Additional (Optional)
- Some (Some) Butter - to coat on a pan and insert on top of the batter.
- Some (Some) All-purpose flour - to coat on a pan
- Some (Some) Pistachios
NOTE: For best results, measure ingredients with a scale. All recipes are designed with weighed ingredients using grams/ounces. Cup measurements (US customary units) are provided for your convenience.
Instructions
- Preparation1. Preheat the oven to 325ºF (163ºC).2. Coat a thin layer of butter inside the loaf pan, dust all-purpose flour, and toss the pan to remove the excess. Chill it in the fridge until right before use.3. Leave butter at room temperature to soften it beforehand.4. (Sift all-purpose flour and baking powder.)Tips💡1. I used an 8” by 4” by 3.5"(height) loaf pan. Use a 9" by 4" pan if the height is not as tall to prevent the batter from overflowing in the oven. You can also use 2 smaller loaf pans, mini loaf pans, a bundt pan, etc. Just adjust the baking time and temperature accordingly!2. By chilling the prepared pan until right before you use it, the coating does not get scratched or slide down as you pour the cake batter inside - You can create more beautiful, even caramelization on the surface of the cake.Some All-purpose flour, Some Butter
- Mix sugar, salt, and lemon zest.1. Zest lemons. 2. Mix it with granulated sugar and salt.Tips💡1. Zest only the yellow part of the lemon skin because the white part inside is pretty bitter.2. I often like to finish this step at the very beginning and set it aside while weighing other ingredients and working on preparations so that the amazing aroma spreads more in the sugar.240 g Granulated sugar, ¾ teaspoon Salt, 2 lemons Lemon zest
- Add soft butter and whip.1. Add soft butter to the sugar mixture and whip.2. Scrape off the bottom and sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula to pick up any butter stuck to them. Continue whipping until it gets very fluffy and pale.226 g Unsalted butter (soft)
- Add eggs and whip.1. Warm eggs until it doesn't feel anything or are slightly warm when you touch them. (This time, it was 90ºF | 32ºC.)2. Add eggs little by little (I divided into eight times this time.) and whip it well before you add the next one. 3. Scrape off the bottom and sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula on the way to ensure it's blended evenly and continue whipping until you add all the eggs.200 g Eggs
- Add the sifted flour and mix.Add the sifted all-purpose flour and baking powder and mix well with a rubber spatula until you don't see any flour. Clean the bottom and sides of the bowl on the way to check if the flour is not hiding.240 g All-purpose flour, 1 ½ teaspoons Baking powder
- Add the rest of the wet ingredients and mix.Add sour cream, honey, vanilla extract, and lemon juice and mix with a spatula until evenly incorporated. Clean up the bowl and spatula one last time!170 g Sour cream, 30 g Honey, ½ teaspoon Vanilla extract, 30 g Lemon juice
- Bake the cake.1. Scoop the cake batter into the prepared pan.2. As an option, insert melted butter in the middle of the surface using a dough scraper or something similar. By doing that, the cake batter inside cracks open from the line in the oven, creating an elegant look! I inserted 2 times on both the left and right and 1 more time on the middle.3. Bake at 325ºF (163ºC) for about 60 - 75 minutes. To check if it's done, insert a toothpick in the center and see if it comes out clean. Adjust the time and temperature accordingly depending on the oven, the size of a pan, etc.4. Wait for 5 - 10 minutes before taking the cake out of the pan.Tip💡The cake is very soft right after it's made. Don't remove it from the pan immediately and wait for about five to ten minutes. And meanwhile, let's work on the lemon syrup!
- Apply lemon syrup on the surface. 1. Heat water, lemon juice, and sugar in a small saucepan until it starts boiling.2. Take the hot cake out from a pan carefully and apply the syrup all over the cake with a pastry brush.3. Let the cake cool before coating the lemon glaze.Tips💡1. A hot cake absorbs the syrup a lot better than a cold cake. Brush it while it's still warm!2. The cake is still soft at this point. Be careful not to hurt the cake when you move it by hand. Treat it like a baby 🐣.3. You may feel hesitant to apply all the syrup since it's a lot, but please do! The cake tastes more citrusy and moist with the liquids.4. Let it cool completely before applying the lemon icing. - The final step!85 g Water, 30 g Lemon juice, 56 g Granulated sugar
- Coat lemon glaze on the surface.1. Mix powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth. 2. Pour it on top of the cake and coat it all around the cake. Attach pistachios or any decoration you like while the icing is still wet.3. Bake it at 325ºF (163ºC) for 1 minute to let the icing dry and give it a nice crispiness.142 g Powdered sugar, 25 g Lemon juice, Some Pistachios
Video
Notes
How to store it:
Wrap it tightly with plastic wrap (Ideally twice) to prevent it from getting dried. Enjoy it within that day or at least a few days for the best taste! You can store it for up to four to five days at room temperature (I recommend storing it in the fridge if you are not consuming it within a few days.) or for about a week in the fridge. Pound cake gets much firmer when it's cold because of the butter in the cake. Wrap the slice and warm it in the microwave until it returns to room temperature to enjoy the softer texture.Nutrition
📌 Pin It!
Pin it if you loved this lemon pound cake, and find many other recipes on my Pinterest page!
Cheryl Allen says
The cake good but need does to earth measurement how .many cup of flour ,sugar butter see were I'm going make the recipe easy to read and do .thank you
ayacaliva says
Hi! The printable recipe is at the end of the post. The steps and other details are included there!
Maria says
Hi! I made this and it was so so good! got so many compliments! I’m trying to make it in a 12 cup Original Bundt Pan by Nordic Ware, do you recommend using the original amount or the x2?
Thank you in advance!
ayacaliva says
I'm so glad!! Thank you for sharing! Yes, I would do 2 batches. And bake for much longer time. - I haven't baked it with a bundt cake before, so I can't share the exact time🙏🏻 but wait until the top rises high and doesn't look wet, and check with a toothpick!
Nicola Barnes says
1 and 1/2 times the recipe works for me.
360g sugar
339g butter
6 eggs
360g flour
2 1/4 tsp baking powder
255g sour cream
45g honey
45g lemon juice
EdithBoyce says
What if you don’t have a stand mixer. A lot of people like me can’t afford a stand mixer.will a regular mixer do
ayacaliva says
Hi! You can use a hand mixer. It's also possible to whip by hand with a whisk, it's just a lot of muscle work needed! please whip the butter really well like I shared in the post, it's important to make soft pound cake. And switch to a spatula after you add flour. I hope that helps!
RG says
You can use a hand mixer. Though I can’t understand why a person wouldn’t have a stand mixer in the kitchen. Unless you don’t do any baking. I don’t care for hand mixers I like the freedom of using the stand mixer for all my baking even kneading bread. So much easier.
Susan says
I know many ladies who have survived without a stand mixer. Have you priced them? They can be very pricey.
Grace Lewis says
I don't understand your measurements. Can you please use cups/ teaspoons/ tablespoons and not ounces? What is 1 ounce of honey? I really want to make this. I tried to just print out the recipe but it didn't change anything.
ayacaliva says
Thank you so much for your feedback. I just updated the recipe, please check it and see if it looks fine to you. I should had added cup measurements for very basic recipes like this. I didn't think of it since I personally don't use it. Thank you for pointing that out.
I appreciate if you could update the rating if you tried it and really enjoyed it.
Let me know if you have a further question!
Aya
Allison says
Get a scale.
James says
I love lemon pound cake. This looks so good!!! Do you sell to customers? If so at what price per size.
ayacaliva says
Thank you! I currently do not sell it unfortunately.
Judy says
Could you put the Flour and Sugar in CUPS instead of ounces or put both? Thank you
ayacaliva says
Thank you for your feedback! I just updated it, please let me know if that looks fine to you!
Angie says
Listen, you should not need to update this recipe ( although I understand if you did ). If you want to learn how to bake properly then you should be able to use weight measurements.....sorry I'm annoyed that someone would put in a poor rating for that reason alone. Make the cake first people....anyways it's an awesome recipe and it will absolutely go in my files for a keeper. Best lemon pound cake I have ever made. Thank you for being so detailed!
ayacaliva says
I'm so glad you loved it!!! Thank you so much for taking the time to share the result😌
Cheryl says
A scale is so inexpensive. I personally preserves to weigh out the ingredients and use cups. I’m hoping that that I can weigh my large eggs to avoid buying medium eggs. Most recipes call for large eggs.
Allison says
Agreed, there are some special commenters out there.
A.B. says
Looks delicious!!
ayacaliva says
Thank you😊
Jeanie says
I love pound cake but not lemon. What can I use in place of all of the lemon ingredients?
ayacaliva says
Hello! I haven't tried with this one but orange might work! Or you might want to try replacing it with other liquids such as milk.
Derrickscott says
I can't wait to try it
ayacaliva says
I hope you'll like it!
Derrickscott says
I can't wait to try many more others recipes and if you have a book full of different kinds of recipes for vegetables meets starch vegetarian and dessert let let me know where to buy a copy my email address is des2k456@gmail.com and my phone number is 484 447 6767 my mailing address is 2150 south opal street Philadelphia PA 19145 please keep in touch as I try this lemon 🍋 pound cake which is my favorite dessert I love anything that is lemon thanks a lot and keep in touch and God bless you and your company
ayacaliva says
Hi, I don't have a book but it's one of my dreams! I'll definitely share about it here if I ever get there some time😊
I love lemon desserts too, and anything with sweet and tart!
Tatana says
Very moist and citrusy!
Lots of steps, but it was worth it!
ayacaliva says
Thank you so much for trying it and sharing the result! I'm so happy to hear that😌
Sophie says
This cake was scrumptious. I made it in a crown bundt pan. My family members couldn't stop eating it. That's a recipe I will keep in my collection.
ayacaliva says
Wow I'm so glad!!🥰 Thank you for letting me know!
Frank P. says
Can’t wait to make it!
ayacaliva says
I hope you'll like it!
S Rae says
Hi, my name is Rae from Missouri!
To (ping pong) back on grace lewis, she needs to really read because you DID list your measurements! Its very thorough! Can't be any clearer!
Also, Im like derrickscott, I love lemon cake( I try to stay away from cake but LEMON♡
And Im like him,
I love anything with lemon!!!
ayacaliva says
Hi Rae! I love lemon cakes too, it's so refreshing😊
I actually hadn't added cup measurements at the very beginning which I understand some viewers prefer using.
I hope you'll like this one!!
Maria says
As an old home baker; I've been baking for years. However, every Pastry Living video I watch I learn new tricks and tips e.g. in this case: tipping the cake to brush and soak all sides with syrup, and pre-refrigerating the buttered and floured cake tin. Excellent recipe; I substituted Passionfruit pulp after sieving out the seeds to use up some frozen pulp and added a touch of lemon juice for extra tang. Just waiting for the cake to cool before icing; and I've never seen a recipe that put the iced cake in the oven to dry it out. Fantastic channel.
ayacaliva says
Wow, thank you so much!! I'm glad they were helpful!
Thank you so much for checking both platforms and taking time to share your feedback🙏🏻
BR says
Was very moist and soft and had good lemony flavour. I zested a 3rd lemon for good measure though. Didn’t make the icing but made the glaze and highly enjoyed it.
ayacaliva says
I'm happy to hear that😊 Thank you for sharing the experience!
Pearline Wells says
Just made this cake! Delicious came out perfect I like the lemon taste, just enough to set it off! Thanks
ayacaliva says
I'm so glad! Thank you for sharing it!🙏🏻
Pearline Wells says
Made this lemon cake! Delicious! Only took two days and it was all gone! Now that a damn good cake! Will make it again. I only add 1 cup of sugar cause I don’t like a real sweet cake, perfect!
ayacaliva says
I'm so glad!! Thank you for sharing the result!
Lydia says
Super delicious and moist!
ayacaliva says
I'm glad you liked it!!
Charles Boney says
This cake was absolutely delicious, I wish I could send you a picture, delicious, light, moist , fluffy and flavorful, I made some adjustments I added lemon pudding mix in my flour and in the glaze, I used vanilla yogurt because I didn't have sour cream, and I substituted one of the cups of butter with vegetable oil.
ayacaliva says
Thank you for sharing your experience! I'm so glad!
kltf says
Aya, I made this yesterday using your weighed measurements and it came out PERFECT! I prefer to weigh out ingredients as it is more precise, especially for dry ingredients. Your instructions were detailed and it came out beautifully. I used a 10x3.5 pan and there was enough for two extra mini loaves as well. It was a hit among my family and friends. I will definitely be making this again soon, and I can't wait to try your other recipes. Absolutely delicious! Thank you so much for sharing!
ayacaliva says
I'm so happy to hear that!! Thank you for sharing it😊🙏🏻
Rix says
I definitely love this recipe as I am excited to make this. Where can I find this exact baking pan that you used to make this cake? Where did you get it from and is it still for sale?
ayacaliva says
Thank you so much! I got it about 15 years ago in Japan. Unfortunately, they don't sell worldwide but you can use anything similar in size!
Marjorie Alvarez says
I made it today and totally love it! My husband was delighted. The lemon flavor is strong but not so much - just the perfect balance to make this cake really delicious. Nothing to correct in the recipe as it is perfect just the way it is. Thank you
ayacaliva says
Thank you so much!! I'm so glad to hear you guys enjoyed it. Thank you for sharing it.
Anne says
I used a loaf pan labeled 8 1/2”x 4 1/2”. I followed the recipe to the letter. Dough filled the pan to the top and when I started baking it, it’s overflowing the pan. A 9x5” pan would have worked better.
ayacaliva says
I'm sorry that happened to you. I used 8" by 4" pan but I am guessing the height was shorter than the one I used; It was 3.5". I'll list that in the recipe as well. Thank you for sharing the experience.
Kim says
Thank you for the delicious lemon pound cake recipe. It was super easy to make and it came out perfect. I didn't make the lemon icing cause the lemon syrup was sweet enough for me. Very moist, dense and soft....yum!!!
I would suggest using parchment paper cause it is so much easier to remove the cake from the pan. Also, you don't need to go through the trouble of having to spread the butter on the pan and dusting the pan with flour. This will save you one step of work and clean up 😉
ayacaliva says
I'm so glad to hear that! Thank you for sharing it😊🙏🏻
Anita says
Hi Aya,
Can I use maple syrup to replace honey?
ayacaliva says
I haven't tried it before, but I assume we can!
Barbra says
This cake is so good! I would love to add some cream cheese to it. What adjustments would I need to make?
ayacaliva says
Thank you so much!! I haven't tried it with cream cheese, so I have to try it to give you the exact measurement but you might want to reduce the amount of sour cream and replace it with cream cheese (soften in room temperature). And add it to the whipped butter and sugar at the earlier stage. I hope that helps!
JR says
OMG this cake is delicious! I’ve made it several times and each time its comes out perfect. It’s moist and has major lemon flavor. The first time I made it, I used a 8X4 pan…it bubbled over. Thankfully I had it on a sheet pan so wasn’t a big mess. Since then I use a 9X5 pan and it works perfectly.
Thank you so much for sharing the recipe. I LOVE IT!
ayacaliva says
I'm so glad to hear it! Thank you for sharing. And thank you for letting me know about the pan, it might happen to some pans depending on how tall that is. I will update the size info!
Maria says
Finally got the lemon loaf I wanted with this recipe! Thank you! Love that you used weights as well. I tend to gravitate more toward recipes that go by weight rather than cups. I feel like I always get a better, more accurate result. It’s a keeper!
ayacaliva says
Thank you!! I'm so glad to hear that☺️
Rasha says
Can I substitute the syrup with Sprite Soda Cans??
ayacaliva says
Hi! I've never tried it but I'm curious! I'd like to know if it worked😁
Anita says
Hi Aya,
Can I use buttermilk to replace with sour cream?
ayacaliva says
Hello! I haven't tried it, so I can't give you the exact answer🙏🏻 But some of my viewers shared they tried it with plain yogurt and worked fine!
Emma says
What can I use instead of honey? Thank you. Can’t wait to hear from you to try this recipe.
ayacaliva says
Hi! I think maple syrup or other types of syrup would work although the flavor might change a bit. I hope you'll like it!
James says
The cake came out delicious! My only criticism is calling a cake that doesn’t use a pound of sugar, butter, and eggs a pound cake!
ayacaliva says
Thank you so much! I'm glad you liked it. Thank you for the feedback too.
DS says
Your converted measurements are way off. Please take those down.
ayacaliva says
Would you mind sharing which part of the ingredients you experienced it? With cup measurements, the weight can be off widely depending on what cups we use, how we scoop, etc., especially with dried ingredients. But I'll be gradly take a look at that again adjust them if needed.
Steffi says
Thank you for sharing such an amazing recipe! This turned out to be so much better than the ones I purchased from a bakery. Every single person in my family loved it!
If I were to change anything, it would be the zesty icing - I loved it so much, I wanted more!. I baked the cake in a 9x5 inch pan and felt that I needed a thicker coat of icing for my personal preference.
Needless to say that I have saved this recipe to make it again.
ayacaliva says
Thank you so much for giving it a try and sharing the experience! I'm glad you and your family loved it!!
Joan says
I started to make this recipe, which looks fantastic! However, when I thought about it, I realized 8 1/2 oz. of sugar is half a pound! Way too much sugar for me.
ayacaliva says
I totally understand! Not a everyday food for sure 🙂
Les says
I thought i had found my perfect lemon loaf cake, but this recipe is waaaaayyyy better. Really perfect! Velvety, smooth and moist. Reminds me of the french lemon pound cakes. 10/10!
ayacaliva says
Thank you so much!! I'm glad to hear it😊
John Bilek says
This recipe couldn't have been more clear. Very easy to follow and delicious! There is one problem, though. I brought some into work and now they're demanding it!
ayacaliva says
Thank you so much!! I'm glad they liked it too😁
Anita says
Hi Aya,
Can I use maple syrup to replace honey?
Aneta Kowal says
I have to admit, I wasn't sure how that will go on through the process. Even though I was doing everything I could, butter and sugar end up like water so I had huge doubt and I believe because of that my cake wasn't growing like yours plus I've made from 2 portions. I baked the separately. One of the cakes was decorative bundt-style tin. When I put syrup it looks almost like falling apart so even when it was hot- and I shouldn't do that - I put to the fridge.
My icing, I made following recipe, very liquidy. You can't see it, apart from shine.
Anyway, TASTE. THE BEST LEMON CAKE I'VE TRIED IN MY LIFE ! 😀
Question. How long I should do the butter and sugar? That made all the issues.
Thank you for this cake because I'm making for my church and I want THE BEST🥰
ayacaliva says
Hi! I'm glad you liked it! Thank you for sharing! About your question,
Do you mean how long should you whip the butter and sugar? Whip/beat until it gets very fluffy just like in the image or video tutorial. Almost doubled in volume. You mentioned it was liquidity, but was the butter soft before whipping it? I think the cause is either the butter started melting by over-whipping (It happens more often when the room was warm) or butter was cold and did not emulsify with the ingredients. It's my guess! Also use pure butter and not margarine.
I hope that helps a bit!!
Afeefa says
Hi Aya,
What a fabulous recipe and you have so painstakingly explained in great depth. I am from India and tried your recipe. Omg! the texture, it is so light and airy, just melts in your mouth. The flavour is so fresh. I followed your recipe to the T and got a perfect cake.
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe and all the tips too.
Much love 🥰
ayacaliva says
Hi! I'm glad to hear that😊 Thank you so much for sharing it!!
Leslie says
Perfect loaf 🙂 do u think it is possible to make a rum marble cake? Leave out the lemon juice and use same quantity of rum?
Thanks in advance 🙂
ayacaliva says
Thank you so much! I haven't tried this recipe for other types of butter cakes, so I'm not sure exactly🙏🏻 It might! I'm sorry I couldn't be much help!
Anita says
Hi Aya,
I have 2 loaf pans of approx. 2" height. Is that ok if I use 1.5x of your receipe?
Leslie Scoren says
Hey Aya, this is a truly wonderful, amazing recipe for Lemon Pound Cake! My teenaged son who doesn't really like cake, loves it and I'm on my third time making it in 5 weeks time. I make it double so I get two cakes, one for us and one to give away. I gave one to my brother to take home to Iowa, asked me to send him one every month! (In your dreams!) The cake is lemony and soft. I tried adding lemon extract once in addition to all the fresh lemon, and honestly I like it better without it, your recipe is perfect! I tried using different flour - regular AP and another time White Lily which is a soft wheat flour (lower protein content) popular for cakes and biscuits here in the South. Both were great! The lemon glaze is so pretty if you use a fancy bundt cake pan, looks like milk glass. Thank you so much, I can't wait to try your other recipes! You rock!
ayacaliva says
Hi! I'm so glad you and your family loved it! It always warms my heart to know how you all enjoyed it in every life. I loved the story!! Such a sweet family. Thank you so much for taking the time to share it with me.
Rebecca Thomas says
Hi Aya!
I love your recipes - they are my go-to always. Could you share a classic butter cake recipe? I can make breads, cookies, your lovely chocolate cake but my butter cakes are always a chemical disaster! flat, pale and greasy.
Please do consider posting it! thank you so much
ayacaliva says
Thank you for trying my recipes! I recently shared vanilla cake recipe. You can also find it in this blog as vanilla cake. I would consider it as a vanilla butter cake although I added some oil to make it softer at room temperature. I hope you'll like it!!
Dionakaye says
Hi there! Firstly, I would like to know WHERE I can purchase a loaf pan IDENTICAL to the height, width, and length of pan just like yours to make this recipe? My pans are a trite larger, and the loaf did not dome nice and high like yours did. They baked good, but flat. They were baked in a convection oven, so maybe that had some influence on how the batter rose and baked. I work out of a commercial kitchen, and convection ovens are what we use here.
Secondly, I tried making this recipe utilizing gluten-free flour, and the loaves fell. Two times I tried making this recipe with gluten-free flour, and the end result tasted awesome, but fell both times. Can you recommend a gluten-free flour that works for this recipe whereby I can still get the dome effect? Thank you so much!
ayacaliva says
Hi, I got that load pan decades ago in Japan. I just did some searches on google, this is the one that seems most similar to mine: https://amzn.to/4bEBUTb If the measurements listed there are precise! (Mine is 8"x4" on top and 7.25"x3.5" on the bottom. The height is 3.5") I've never got it in my hand, so I hope you take it as just a reference. It also might be because of the oven like you said. Some ovens act really differently. You might want to try it with higher temperature with a little bit more butter applied on the line if using different pans didn't work.
I've never tried making it with gluten-free flour, so I can't give you the right advice, but one of my viewers shared that she made it with gluten-free flour and worked perfectly. I am not sure if she mentioned the brand's name but hopefully you can check out the comment section to see the detail!
Q says
This is perfect. I love trying new things I even dressed it up. I'm always making cakes and just added this to the list. My daughter sells them for me, she loves it.
Q'
ayacaliva says
Hi, I'm glad you guys liked it! Thank you for sharing!!