Today, I’m sharing how to make an incredibly soft and moist lemon pound cake from scratch.
It's irresistibly delicious and perfectly citrusy with lemon syrup and tangy icing.
Try this recipe if you are looking for a simple yet amazing pound cake that will surely be a hit for your family and friends.
🍋 I love this moist lemon pound cake because:
- It's packed with fresh lemon flavors.
- It's so tender and moist.
- The steps are simple.
- The cake is easy to transport as a gift.
- It is easily customizable into different shapes and sizes as you desire!
💬 I love enjoying it with a cup of lemon tea. It is such a simple yet perfect dessert to relax with on your break🫖
In this post, you'll learn essential baking tips such as:
- Essential tips to make the soft texture
- The purpose of whipping the butter
- Tips for baking it to get the best result
- How to make the lemon syrup and lemon icing
- How to store it properly
Jump to:
📌 What's In Lemon Pound Cake?
Pound Cake
For an 8” by 4” by 3.5"(height) pan. * Or use a 9" by 4" pan if the height is not tall enough to prevent the batter from overflowing in the oven.
- 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 use soft butter to make pound cake successful!
- Eggs
- Eggs help to create a soft texture. Do not use cold eggs, so it emulsifies better 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 cake 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.
- 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.
- Lemon juice
- Use the zested lemon.
Lemon Syrup
- Water
- Lemon juice
- Granulated sugar
Lemon Icing
- Powdered sugar
- Lemon juice
📌 How To Make Lemon Pound Cake
The 9 Steps:
The Cake
- Mix granulated sugar, salt, and lemon zest in a bowl.
- Add soft butter and whip until it gets fluffy and pale.
- Clean a bowl and whisk on the way to whip evenly.
- Add eggs little by little and whip well each time.
- Warm eggs until it doesn't feel anything or are slightly warm when you touch them.
- Clean a bowl and whisk at least a few times on the way.
- Add sifted all-purpose flour and baking powder and mix until you don't see them.
- Flip the bottom and check carefully to see if the flours are not hiding.
- Add the rest of the wet ingredients: sour cream, honey, vanilla extract, and lemon juice. And mix until it's evenly incorporated.
- Bake (Preheated) at 325 F | 163 C for about 60 - 75 minutes.
- As an option, insert melted butter in the middle of the surface before baking it so the cake rises from the line.
- Adjust the time and temperature accordingly.
- Insert a toothpick and check if it comes out clean to ensure it's baked enough.
- Wait for 5 - 10 minutes before taking it out from a pan.
Lemon Syrup
- Heat water, lemon juice, and sugar in a pot until it starts boiling. Take the hot cake out from a pan carefully and apply the syrup all over the cake with a brush.
- Let the cake cool before coating it with lemon icing.
Lemon Icing
- Mix powdered sugar and lemon juice to make the lemon icing. Pour it onto a cake and coat it all around the cake.
- Bake it at 325 F | 163 C for 1 minute to let the icing dry and gives it a nice crispiness.
📝 More Tips With Images
Now, let me share detailed tips on each step, which are crucial for making the moist lemon pound cake successful.
Preparations
- Preheat the oven: to 325 F | 163 C
- Coat a thin layer of butter in a pan, dust all-purpose flour, and toss the pan to remove the excess. Chill it in the fridge until right before use.
- (Sift all-purpose flour and baking powder)
💡 By chilling the pan until right before you use it, the coating does not get scratched or slide down as you pour the cake batter - You can create more beautiful, even caramelization on the surface!
Step 1: Mix granulated sugar, salt, and lemon zest in a bowl.
👩🏻🍳 Zest only the yellow part on the surface because the white part inside is pretty bitter.
And mix:
💬 I often like to do this 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.
Step 2: Add soft butter and whip until it gets fluffy and pale.
It's important to use soft butter, like in the image below:
It's not firm nor melted - Leave it at room temperature beforehand to make it soft!
Why whipping the butter is so important
By whipping butter, it contains more air inside. And that air is the key to creating a soft pound cake:
- It helps the cake to rise more in the oven, leading to a softer cake.
- And it also works as their middleman for butter and oil to connect:
We're adding eggs to butter in the next step - But Oil (butter) and liquids (eggs) do not get along and separate easily if you force them to blend. When the butter contains lots of air, eggs go into the air and are held by it - And the emulsified batter leads to a softer, silkier texture!
Whipping the butter a lot until it looks very fluffy and pale is essential for making any pound cake.
Clean the bowl and whisk on the way to whip evenly.
Step 3: Add eggs little by little and whip well each time.
The temperature of the egg
Egg blends with butter easier when it's not cold. I usually like to warm it until it feels almost nothing or slightly warm when I check with my finger. (This time, it was 90 F | 32 C.)
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.
Add eggs little by little (I divided it into eight times this time.) and whip until it's incorporated well before you add the next one.
💬 It's important to clean the bowl and whisk between the process to blend evenly. I like to clean at least a few times.
Step 4: Add sifted all-purpose flour and baking powder and mix.
Mix well until you don't see any flour.
💬 Flip the batter and check if the flour is not hiding.
Step 5: Add the rest of the wet ingredients; sour cream, honey, vanilla extract, and lemon juice. And mix.
Mix well until it's evenly blended.
💬 Clean up the bowl and spatula one last time!
And move it into the pan.
Step 6: Bake at 325 F | 163 C for about 60 - 75 minutes.
As an option, melt a bit of butter and insert it 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, creating an elegant look! I inserted 2 times on both the left and right and 1 more time on the middle.
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.
💬 The cake is very soft right after it's made. Don't remove it from the pan immediately; leave it there for about five to ten minutes.
And meanwhile, let's work on the lemon syrup!
Step 7: Heat water, lemon juice, and sugar in a pot until it starts boiling. Take the hot cake out from a pan carefully and apply the syrup all over the cake with a brush.
Apply it to a cake while it's hot.
👩🏻🍳 A hot cake soaks up the hot syrup a lot better than a cold cake. Brush it while it's still hot!
Be careful not to hurt the cake when you move it because it's still soft. Treat it like a baby 🐣.
💬 You may wonder if you should apply all the syrup since it's a lot, but please do! The cake tastes much better with this liquid. It tastes more citrusy and moist.
Let it cool completely before we apply the lemon icing. - The final step!
Step 8: Mix powdered sugar and lemon juice to make the lemon icing. Pour it onto a cake and coat the side.
Mix well until it looks smooth.
Drizzle all over the cake. And coat the side evenly.
💬 The cake tastes even better with this icing! The lemon flavor gets more vibrant. It also prevents the cake from getting dried quickly.
Attach pistachios or any decoration you like while the icing is sticky.
⚠️ 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 below show how the icing usually looks:
You can see that it's a little bit thicker. I just wanted to mention that!
Step 9: Bake the icing at 325 F | 163 C for 1 minute.
Bake it for a very short time to dry it.
It gives a delightful crispiness that matches so well with the soft cake.
... and that's it!
Bon-appetit ☕️🍋
💬 Pound cake is the first cake I learned about 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).
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 was helpful!
📌 How To Store Lemon Pound Cake
To store this cake, wrap it tightly so it won't get dried.
Enjoy it within that day or at least a few days for the best taste!
You can store it at room temperature for up to four to five days. (I recommend storing it in the fridge if you are not consuming it within a few days.)
Chilling it in the fridge:
You can also store it in the fridge for a week or possibly longer.
Pound cake gets much firmer when it's cold because the butter in the cake gets firm.
To enjoy the softer texture, wrap the cake and warm it in the microwave until it returns to room temperature.
📌 Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Today, I baked it in an 8” by 4” by 3.5" (height) rectangle pan.
You can also bake it with different pans - adjust the temperature depending on how small or big they are.
Yes! You can make a half batch for a smaller pan. Just bake for a shorter time.
To store this cake, wrap it tightly so it won't get dried.
You can store it at room temperature for up to four to five days.
If you are not consuming it within a few days, I recommend storing it in the fridge. In the fridge, you can store it for a week or possibly longer.
Enjoy it within that day or at least a few days for the best taste!
📌 VIDEO: Watch How To Make It!
To learn how to make lemon pound cake visually and have a deeper understanding of all, watch this video!
Don't forget to subscribe if you liked it 😉
📌 Another Lemony Dessert
Also, try this delicious lemon madeleine if you love this pound cake! It's also so soft and citrusy - my favorite Madeleines!
📌 Printable Recipe
💬 If you loved this recipe, please share your feedback on this post! I always love hearing how you enjoyed it with your friends and family.
Lemon Pound Cake
Equipment
- Loaf pan For an 8” by 4” by 3.5"(height) pan. * 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
- 8.5 oz Granulated sugar 1 ⅕ US cups
- ¾ teaspoon Salt
- 2 lemons Lemon zest
- 8 oz Unsalted butter (soft) 2 US sticks
- 7 oz Eggs 4 medium eggs
- 8.5 oz All-purpose flour 2 US cups
- 1 ½ teaspoon Baking powder
- 6 oz Sour cream ¾ US cup
- 1 oz Honey 1.5 Tbsp
- ½ teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 1 oz Lemon juice 2 Tbsp
Lemon Syrup
- 3 oz Water ⅓ US cup
- 1 oz Lemon juice 2 Tbsp
- 2 oz Granulated sugar ¼ US cup
Lemon Icing
- 5 oz Powdered sugar 1 ⅙ US cups
- 1 tablespoon + 2 tsp Lemon juice
Additional (Optional)
- Some Butter to coat on a pan and insert on top of the batter.
- Some All-purpose flour to coat on a pan
- Some Pistachios
Instructions
Preparation
- * Preheat the oven: to 325 F | 163 C* Coat a thin layer of butter in a pan, dust all-purpose flour, and toss the pan to remove the excess. Chill it in the fridge until right before use. * (Sift all-purpose flour and baking powder. You can also do it right before using it.)Some All-purpose flour, Some Butter
Cake
- Mix granulated sugar, salt, and lemon zest in a bowl.8.5 oz Granulated sugar, ¾ teaspoon Salt, 2 lemons Lemon zest
- Add soft butter and whip until it gets fluffy and pale. Clean a bowl and whisk on the way.8 oz Unsalted butter (soft)
- Add eggs little by little and whip well each time. Warm eggs until it doesn't feel anything or are slightly warm when you touch them. (Today, it was 90 F | 32 C)Clean a bowl and whisk at least a couple of times on the way.7 oz Eggs
- Add sifted all-purpose flour and baking powder and mix until you don't see them.Flip the bottom and check carefully to see if the flours are not hiding.8.5 oz All-purpose flour, 1 ½ teaspoon Baking powder
- Add the rest of the wet ingredients; sour cream, honey, vanilla extract, and lemon juice, and mix until it's blended evenly.Scoop it into a pan.6 oz Sour cream, 1 oz Honey, ½ teaspoon Vanilla extract, 1 oz Lemon juice
- (As an option, melt a little bit of butter and insert it in the middle of the surface using a dough scraper or something similar.) Bake at 325 F | 163 C for about 60 - 75 minutes.Insert a toothpick and see if it comes off clean to check if it's baked enough.Wait for 5 - 10 minutes before taking it out from a pan.
Lemon Syrup
- Heat water, lemon juice, and sugar in a pot until it starts boiling. Take the hot cake out from a pan carefully and apply the syrup all over the cake with a brush.Let it cool before coating it with lemon icing.3 oz Water, 1 oz Lemon juice, 2 oz Granulated sugar
Lemon Icing
- Mix powdered sugar and lemon juice to make the lemon icing. Pour it onto a cake and coat it all around the cake.As an option, sprinkle diced pistachios or any decoration you like.5 oz Powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoon Lemon juice, Some Pistachios
- Bake it at 325 F | 163 C for 1 minute to let the icing dry and gives it a nice crispiness. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
How to store it:
Wrap it tightly so it won't get dried.You can store it at room temperature for up to four to five days. If you are not consuming it within a few days, I recommend storing it in the fridge.
You can store it for a week or possibly longer in the fridge.
I prefer eating it within that day or at least a few days for the best taste! ** For best results, measure ingredients with a scale. All recipes are designed with weighed ingredients using grams/ounces. Cup measurements are provided for your convenience. **
Nutrition
📌 Pin It!
Pin it if you love this recipe, and find so many other recipes on my Pinterest page!
You may also like:
Go back to the top of this post.
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!
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.
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 [email protected] 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😊🙏🏻
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!