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overhead shot of sliced lemon pound cake

Lemon Pound Cake

It’s a simple Lemon Pound cake recipe. Sugar, eggs, all-purpose flour, and of course, a bit of lemon zest. And because we like to do things with a little bit of extra love and care: sugar, butter, eggs, and fresh lemon juice.⁣

Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword lemon pound cake
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings 12
Calories 185 kcal
Author Kelly Bejelly

Ingredients

Cake

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup 2 sticks butter, softened at room temperature
  • 1 cup sugar
  • ½ cup greek yogurt
  • 4 eggs room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • ½ greek yogurt or sour cream
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • Zest of 1 Lemon

Glaze

  • cup powder sugar
  • cup lemon juice

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Butter a 6-cup loaf pan and line it with parchment or waxed paper. 
  3. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.
  4.  In a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or using a hand mixer), cream the butter. Add 1 cup of the sugar and mix. 
  5. With the mixer running at low speed, add the room temperature eggs one at a time. Add the vanilla, greek yogurt or sour cream, and lemon zest. Working in alternating batches, and mixing after each addition, add the dry ingredients and 1/4 cup of the lemon juice to the butter mixture. 
  6. Mix until just smooth. 
  7. Pour into the prepared pan and bake until raised in the center and a tester inserted into the center comes out dry and almost clean (a few crumbs are OK), 55 to 60 minutes.
  8.  Meanwhile, make the glaze: In a small bowl, stir the remaining 1/3 cup powdered sugar and the remaining 1/3 cup lemon juice until the sugar is dissolved. 
  9. When the cake is done, let cool in the pan for 15 minutes (it will still be warm). Run a knife around the sides of the pan. 
  10. Set a wire rack on a sheet pan with sides (to catch the glaze) and turn the cake onto the rack. Peel off the waxed paper.
  11.  Using a turkey baster or pastry brush, spread the glaze all over the top and sides of the cake and let soak in. Repeat until the entire glaze is used up, including any glaze that has dripped through onto the sheet pan. Let cool at room temperature or wrap in plastic wrap in the refrigerator (Well wrapped, the cake will last up to a week).
  12. Serve at room temperature in thin slices.
Nutrition Facts
Lemon Pound Cake
Amount Per Serving (1 g)
Calories 185 Calories from Fat 18
% Daily Value*
Fat 2g3%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Cholesterol 63mg21%
Sodium 162mg7%
Carbohydrates 36g12%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 23g26%
Protein 6g12%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.