Lemon Pound Cake

It’s easy to make a favorite coffee shop treat at home! This sweet and soft lemon pound cake with a fluffy and tart lemon frosting is a cake you can whip up easily. Three layers of lemon—zest, juice and extract—give the cake a well-rounded lemon flavor with balanced sweet and tart citrus essence.

Though traditional pound cake is entirely butter based, this lemon pound cake recipe includes some shortening in the mix, which helps slow the cake going stale. It’s a solid contender for an anytime treat, as well-suited to slicing for tea as it is to a community bake sale or a dinner party dessert.

Ingredients for Lemon Pound Cake

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• Butter and shortening: A combination of butter and shortening adds richness and moisture to the cake, while also contributing to its tender crumb. The butter gives the best flavor, but the shortening helps the cake not go stale as quickly as it would with butter alone.
• Sugar: Sugar sweetens the cake and aids in creating a tender, moist crumb by incorporating air when creamed with butter.
• Eggs: Eggs bind the batter ingredients together and provide structure, while also contributing moisture and richness.
• Lemon zest and lemon juice: Lemon zest adds a bright, fresh citrus flavor to both the batter and the frosting, enhancing the overall lemony taste of the cake. Lemon juice contrasts the sweetness of the confectioners’ sugar in the frosting with sharp lemon flavor.
• Lemon extract: The lemon extract intensifies the lemon flavor, providing a concentrated burst of citrus without adding excess liquid.
• All-purpose flour: The flour provides the structure for the cake base by forming gluten when combined with liquids. You can substitute a gluten-free flour blend for the all-purpose flour if you like.
• Baking powder: Pound cake isn’t what one would call “fluffy” in the world of cake, but baking powder is the leavening agent that gives the cake a subtle lift, helping it rise to create a more tender texture.
• Whole milk: The primary liquid in this recipe for lemon pound cake, milk adds moisture to the batter and helps hydrate and combine the dry ingredients.
• Butter and confectioners’ sugar: Whipped together with lemon zest and juice, these ingredients make a smooth, fluffy lemon frosting that crowns the cake.

Directions

Step 1: Start the batter

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In a large bowl, cream the softened butter, shortening and sugar until light and fluffy, about five minutes.

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Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition until the mixture is uniform. Stir in the lemon zest and lemon extract.

Step 2: Add the dry ingredients

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Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, salt and baking powder, then gradually add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture, alternating with the milk. Beat until just combined.

Step 3: Bake the cake

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Pour the batter into a thoroughly greased 10-inch fluted tube pan. Bake the cake for 70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing it to a wire rack to cool completely.

Editor’s Tip: For extra nonstick insurance, grease the pan with shortening, then give it a quick spritz of cooking spray. A flexible plastic knife works wonders to remove a cake from a fluted tube pan without damage. Slide the knife along the sides and center of the pan to loosen the cake before inverting it.

Step 4: Make the frosting, ice the cake

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In a small bowl, combine the softened butter, confectioners’ sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest, and beat until smooth.

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Spread the frosting over the top of the cake.

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Lemon Pound Cake Variations

• Swap the citrus: Replace the lemon zest, juice and extract with lime zest, lime juice and vanilla extract. Crumble some graham crackers on top of the frosted cake to make a lime Bundt cake with the flavors of Key lime pie.
• Fold in some fruit: Add a cup of blueberries or chopped strawberries to the finished batter just before pouring it into the pan.
• Add some white chocolate: Whisk some melted and cooled white chocolate into the frosting mixture. The sweet white chocolate complements the tart lemon flavor and adds a little something unexpected.
• Use a different pan: Divide the batter into greased loaf pans or mini loaf pans instead of a fluted tube pan. Follow the same doneness cues, but note that because the batter is in smaller containers, it will bake faster.

How to Store Lemon Pound Cake

You don’t need to refrigerate lemon pound cake if it will be eaten within a few days. You can leave it on the counter wrapped or covered. If the cake won’t be eaten right away, store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.

Can you freeze lemon pound cake recipes?

Freeze slices of the lemon pound cake recipe individually wrapped in waxed paper or storage wrap, then place them in a freezer bag for storage. You can also freeze an entire lemon pound cake, thoroughly wrapped, for up to three months.

Lemon Pound Cake Tips

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Can I substitute lemon extract with fresh lemon juice in the pound cake batter?

Yes, you can substitute lemon extract with fresh lemon juice, but keep in mind that lemon extract has a more concentrated flavor. You’ll need to use more lemon juice to achieve a comparable level of lemony flavor, which will also add extra liquid to the batter. For every teaspoon lemon extract, you’ll want to use about 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, but consider reducing the amount of milk by the extra volume to maintain the right liquid ratio.

How do I prevent my pound cake from sticking to the pan?

To prevent your Bundt cake from sticking to the Bundt or fluted tube pan, thoroughly grease the pan with butter or shortening. Use a pastry brush to get into the crevices. For extra insurance, you can spritz the pan with nonstick cooking spray after greasing. Another tip: Let the cake cool for about 10 minutes before attempting to remove it from the pan, but don’t wait too much longer than that. It’s easiest to remove the cake when the sugars are still soft in the residual warmth from the oven.

How can I tell if my lemon pound cake recipe is fully baked?

You can tell if a pound cake is fully baked by inserting a toothpick or cake tester into the center of the cake; if it comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs, the cake is done. Additionally, the edges of the cake should pull slightly away from the pan, and the top should be golden brown and spring back when gently pressed.