Dense, buttery pound cake gets a lemon lift in this bright and cheery citrus version. Iced lemon pound cake is super moist and bursting with the flavors of fresh lemon, creamy butter, and sweet vanilla. A creamy lemon icing that sets on top is the only decorating this small-yet-stunning cake requires.
One reader, Laurie, says: “I’ve never made pound cake before but this turned out very well. It was moist and delicious. It took 50 minutes to bake and I’m glad you mentioned that a couple of moist crumbs on a toothpick is ok, otherwise I may have left it in the oven longer and it may have been a bit dry. I used the zest of 1 1/2 lemons as suggested as I love lemon. I’m making another one today! ★★★★★“
Here’s exactly what you need to make when it’s citrus season: grapefruit Greek yogurt cake.
But if grapefruit isn’t your ideal choice, iced lemon pound cake is another home run. I originally published this dessert recipe on my website in 2017 and I make it at least once every winter season. Imagine a coffee shop lemon loaf, but with a tighter crumb and with supremely fresh flavor you only get from homemade. (Nothing compares!)
Do you enjoy pound cake? My favorite is this cream cheese pound cake, which has an upgraded flavor, tight and dense crumb, and remains wonderfully buttery and soft. Brown butter pound cake has a similar texture and comes with the addition of brown butter flavor. Nutella swirl pound cake has the classic pound cake crumb with defined Nutella swirls throughout. Point being—I love adding flair and flavor to pound cake, and lemon is always a lovely choice.
By the way, if you’ve tried the lemon loaf recipe in my cookbook Sally’s Baking Addiction, you’ll appreciate today’s recipe, too. The cookbook variation is a lighter-crumbed quick bread—soft and airy like birthday cake, but with big and bright lemon flavor that hits as soon as you take the first bite.
The Exact Texture of This Lemon Pound Cake
Today’s recipe has the same wake-up-your-tastebuds flavor as my cookbook variation, but the texture is a little different. It is:
- Unapologetically moist
- Caramelized around the edges
- Dense and satisfying without tasting heavy
- Super rich and buttery
- Extra smooth with a velvety crumb
Best Ingredients to Use & Why I Don’t Recommend Substitutions
You need just 9 ingredients in the lemon pound cake batter. With so few ingredients, it’s best to stick to the recipe because each has an important job. I’ve tried my hand at many variations, and keep coming back to this recipe because of its careful ratio of ingredients. I don’t recommend straying.
Dry Ingredients: You need all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. The amount of flour isn’t a misprint. You really only need 1.5 cups, or 188g. Somehow, it just works!
Wet Ingredients: Grab your room-temperature butter and sugar, then you’ll need eggs, sour cream for moisture (it also keeps the crumb a bit light), vanilla extract, and lemon zest + juice.
Helpful Tip: You need lemon zest and juice and it’s easiest to zest the lemon before juicing it. Here’s the citrus zester and the citrus juicer I use if you need recommendations.
Expect a Thick Lemon Pound Cake Batter
This is a thick batter. Unlike vanilla cake or chocolate cake, there’s no milk to thin things out. The only real liquid is from the lemon juice, and there isn’t too much of it. Pound cakes do not typically include liquid besides eggs. (If you consider those liquid!)
You can bake this in a 9×5-inch loaf pan, but lately I have been using my 1-lb. 8×4-inch loaf pan. It yields a taller loaf, and needs a little extra bake time. I include instructions for both pans in the recipe below. If all you have is a 9×5-inch loaf pan, which is what you use for banana bread and pumpkin bread, you can use it, but expect the bread to be a little shorter than pictured.
Spread the batter into the greased loaf pan. There isn’t much pouring involved… more of a spoon-and-spread situation here!
Lemon Icing That Sets
I believe the saying goes… when life hands you lemons, make lemonade glaze. The icing on top of the pound cake adds a whole other level of lemon flavor. It’s thick and sets after a couple hours, producing a sweet and zingy layer you’ll want to save for last. You need heavy cream (or half-and-half or milk), lemon juice, and confectioners’ sugar.
Feel free to add candied lemons on the top for presentation, like I do with lemon poppy seed bread.
This recipe is too small for a Bundt pan. In you want a larger lemon pound cake in a Bundt pan, here are 2 options: (1) Double the recipe, but use 3/4 cup (180g) of sour cream to ensure there is enough moisture. The rest of the ingredients are simply doubled. Follow the same baking time and temperature from my cream cheese pound cake. And (2) Use my lemon poppy seed Bundt cake recipe, and feel free to skip the poppy seeds.
Absolutely. You can fold 1 cup (about 140g) of fresh blueberries into the batter. I try to avoid frozen blueberries because they turn the batter and cake grayish blue, but feel free to use them if that’s all you have. No need to coat them with flour before folding in, but feel free to do so if you’d like. This batter is quite thick, so they don’t really sink.
Iced Lemon Pound Cake
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours, 15 minutes
- Yield: serves 8-10
- Category: Cake
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Dense, buttery pound cake gets a lemon lift in this bright and cheery citrus version. Iced lemon pound cake is super moist and bursting with the flavors of fresh lemon, creamy butter, and sweet vanilla. A creamy lemon icing that sets on top is the only decorating this small-yet-stunning cake requires.
Ingredients
- 1 and 1/2 cups (188g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (16 Tbsp; 226g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup (60g) sour cream, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 3 Tablespoons (45ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Lemon Icing
- 1 cup (120g) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
- 1 and 1/2 Tablespoons (22ml) lemon juice
- 1 Tablespoon (15ml) heavy cream or milk (heavy cream produces a thick icing as pictured)
Instructions
- Lower the oven rack to the lower-third position and preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease an 8×4-inch loaf pan (like this one or this one) with nonstick spray. Or you can use a 9×5-inch loaf pan for a shorter loaf.
- Make the cake: Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.
- With a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the butter on high speed in a large bowl until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the granulated sugar and beat on high speed for 2 minutes until creamed. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed. (Here’s a helpful tutorial if you need guidance on how to cream butter and sugar.) With the mixer running on low speed, add the eggs one at a time. Once the last egg is completely mixed in, stop the mixer. Add the sour cream, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract, then beat on medium speed until combined. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed. The mixture may look curdled as a result of the varying textures combining. This is normal and the batter will come together when you add the dry ingredients in the next step.
- With the mixer running on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients just until combined. If needed, run a whisk through the batter a few times to rid any large lumps. Avoid over-mixing. Batter is very thick.
- Spoon/spread the batter into prepared loaf pan and bake for 55-65 minutes if you used an 8×4-inch pan and 45-60 minutes if you used a 9×5-inch loaf pan. Tent the cake with aluminum foil halfway through baking to prevent the top from over-browning. Pound cakes are dense and take awhile to bake in the oven. Baking times vary, so keep an eye on yours and don’t be alarmed if yours is taking longer. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out *mostly* clean. A couple moist crumbs are OK.
- Remove the cake from the oven and place on a wire rack. Allow cake to cool in the pan on the wire rack for 1 hour, then carefully remove the slightly warm cake from the pan. Let it continue cooling on a wire rack or on a serving plate/platter. You can add the icing while the cake is still warm or wait for it to cool.
- Make the icing: Whisk all of the icing ingredients together and pour over cake. Serve immediately or wait until the cake cools completely, which promises neater slices.
- Cover and store leftover cake for up to 3 days at room temperature or up to 1 week in the refrigerator.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: You can make the pound cake ahead of time by freezing it. (I suggest icing it right before serving, so freeze it without the icing.) Bake it, cool it, then wrap it in a layer of plastic wrap and then a layer of aluminum foil. Freeze the loaf for up to 3 months. Allow the cake to thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature before topping with icing and serving.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 8×4-inch Loaf Pan (like this one or this one) or 9×5-inch Loaf Pan | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Cooling Rack | Citrus Juicer | Citrus Zester
- Sour Cream: If you don’t have sour cream, you can use plain yogurt or dairy/nondairy milk instead. If using milk, your pound cake won’t have a super tight crumb that is signature to pound cakes. Instead, the cake will have a lighter and cakier texture. For best results, I recommend full-fat sour cream.
- Bundt Pan: Here are 2 options for making a lemon Bundt pound cake in a Bundt pan. (1) Double this recipe, but use 3/4 cup (180g) of sour cream. If you were doubling the recipe, you would use 1/2 cup but make sure you increase to 3/4 cup for added moisture. The rest of the ingredients are simply doubled. Spoon/spread into a generously greased 10–12-cup Bundt pan. Follow the baking time and temperature from my cream cheese pound cake. (2) Use my lemon poppy seed Bundt cake recipe. Feel free to leave out the poppy seeds. That cake has a lighter texture and isn’t quite as heavy as pound cake.
- Can I Add Blueberries? Yes, absolutely. You can fold 1 cup (about 140g) of fresh blueberries into the batter after it comes together. I strongly recommend fresh blueberries, as frozen blueberries can turn the batter and finished cake a grayish blue. Keeping that in mind, you can use them if you’d like. I have better luck with fresh.
Reader Comments and Reviews
I followed the recipe exactly. My cake tester came out clean after an hour, but as it cooled, the whole middle of the cake sank. It also didn’t come out very clean from the pan, even though I greased it with shortening, like I always do. I wonder if I should have floured the pan, which I was tempted to do like other loaf pan recipes. It doesn’t look pretty, which means I couldn’t use it for the party I made it for. But the flavor is good. Just very disappointed about how it came out. I may try it again, but I’m not sure.
Hi Sally! I’ve made this several times and everyone loves it! I want to try it out in a tube pan. Is that possible? Will I need to make adjustments?
Hi Dani, we can’t see why not! See the post for instructions on making in a Bundt pan — follow those for making in your tube pan. Let us know how it goes!
Hi! This recipe has always been a huge hit! Is it ok to use Meyer Lemons??
Hi Amy! We find Meyer lemons have a slightly sweeter flavor and lower acidity. There will be less of a *bite* in desserts if you use Meyer instead of regular, but it should work just fine without any adjustments to the recipe.
This pound cake was delicious and moist and overall very fun to bake and eat, although, the bottom seemed to get chewy after a couple days. This recipe is great and I definitely recommend it!
great recipe as always, very moist and flavorful!
Hi Sally! How should I adjust the recipe to make a vanilla pound cake (still planning on make the lemon glaze)? Thank you!
Hi Erin! You can use this recipe for mini vanilla pound cakes instead – you can bake in a loaf pan (see recipe notes for details).
Can I add poppy seeds to this? if so how much would you recommend?
Hi Destiny, definitely! We’d add 1-2 Tablespoons of poppy seeds.
Sorry if this question has been asked already! I’ve been scrolling trying to find it.. but can I use buttermilk instead of sour cream? If so how much.
Please help!
Hi Debbie, Buttermilk is a fine substitution if you’re in a pinch. Same amount.
Hi, how long should I bake the cake if I use mini loaf pans? Thanks!
Hi Tiffany, You can bake this as mini loaves but mini pans vary greatly in size, so how many you will get from one recipe and the exact bake time will depend on your exact pans. Keep close eye on them and use a toothpick to check for doneness. Enjoy!
Amazing recipe as always! It has already been requested again! I added lemon curd filling and covered in Italian meringue to make it a “lemon meringue” pound cake and it was delicious
Wow this was amazing. The loaf was heavy in weight but so light and soft inside. I’m glad you put that note about it looking curdled after the one step. I thought I messed it all up 🙂 Super easy to make and had so much lemon taste even though there was not a ton of lemon in it. I did use a little more… like 5-6 tablespoons between the loaf and the icing but it wasn’t overwhelming or too sour. Already had two family members request their own loaf. Thanks!!
I have always been the notorious “water burner” in my family. Everyone always made fun of my cooking. When I found Sally’s website it finally looked like I could make fancy things – the explanations and pictures made me feel like I could do it. And, I did! I really did it! My son even smacked his lips when he ate a piece of this Iced Lemon Pound Cake. Needless to say, I’ve baked and cooked my way through some of the other recipes from this website – all winners! I can’t thank you enough for helping me with my cooking confidence!
This is too tough and dense for me, even for a pound cake. The flavor was good, but next time I will need to add some more liquid to the batter, perhaps.
Have you ever made this with orange or lime? Wondering if I can substitute with the same measurement for zest and juice. Thank you!
Hi Amanda, we haven’t tested it but the lime should be an even substitution. For orange we’d use 3 Tablespoons of fresh orange juice and 2 Tablespoons of zest.
This is a fantastic recipe! Everyone loves I. Better than Ina’s or America test kitchen.
This is one of my favorite lemon pound cake made to perfection thank you!
I’ve made this recipe several times. Once, I used pineapple juice (omitted zest). Another time I used a combination of apple juice, lemon juice and molasses lol (omitted zest). Every time I make this recipe I double it. Last night I placed both pans in the oven and few minutes later I realized I forgot to add the sour cream!!!!! So, I pulled them both out of the oven. They had started to get slightly firm around the edges but I just mixed in the sour cream in anyway. Both. Came. Out. Perfect!!!!! 🙂 I always come to this site first for recipes. I bake with my boys every weekend to make their treats for the week. No more store bought cookies or cakes for us! Thank you Sally!
The best thing I’ve ever baked. Seriously so good. Thank you so much for all your amazing recipes!
I have not baked in years. This was the best pound cake. I went for it and zested two lemons. So glad I did! Your tips were the best.
Hi! I bought all purpose whole wheat flour by accident. Will that still work for this recipe??
Hi Brian, whole wheat flour would produce a much heavier and denser loaf. You can certainly give it a try, but we’d recommend using all-purpose flour for best results.
I’ve made this recipe before EXACTLY as it is and it’s amazing! Not a single thing needs to be adjusted. It is literal perfection!
I want to make mini loaf pan pound cakes. Would this recipe be enough for two or three cakes? Think those 5″ x 3″ aluminum mini loaf pans. And by how much should I adjust the baking time and temp?
I’ve made this a few times but with double zest. I’ve used sour cream and I’ve used Greek Yogurt. I’ve also added blueberries. It’s absolutely delicious and I’ve even had requests to make from friends and even my 12 year olds friends. Love this recipe. Thinking I’m going to try it with orange and maybe add cranberries. Also planning on making it in muffins. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
This cake was the best pound cake I have ever made. My kids loved it and wanted the recipe. Now it will be a staple as family events. Thank you for sharing.
Can a single recipe work for a 7 inch Bundt cake pan?
Hi Liz, That should work! Enjoy!
I made this today for a friend that requested a lemon loaf. I doubled the recipe. My lemon loads turned out beautiful and OMG!!! I rarely choose anything with lemon, not really sure why. But again OMG !!! This lemon loaf is so out of this world good. It’s not as sweet and tart like I thought it would be. It has just the right hint of lemon. It is definitely going to be hard to choose between this Lemon loaf and my all time fav Pumpkin. You have to try this even if your not sure you like Lemon. It will change your mind. It is so so good!
Made this today and absolutely delicious!
Could this be used for a decorated layer cake? If I double the recipe would it fill 2 8-inch rounds and still have good texture? What would you do for baking time and temp on a thinner cake like that?
Hi April, The cake will be very dense and squat if baked in round pans. I recommend sticking to a loaf pan, however the batter would likely fit into one 9 inch round pan if you wish to try it. For a lemon layer cake I recommend using this recipe.
Made this tonight. Really delicious. I think I over baked just a bit since it is a tad on the dry side. Will just have to try again.
Hi Sally, can I replace the sour cream with cream cheese instead?
Hi Dorothy, Plain Greek yogurt is the best substitute for the sour cream.
This is AWESOME!!! I made the bundt cake. I used cake flour instead of all purpose and it came out light and wonderful.