Lemon Pound Cake (Moist & Easy!)

Moist lemon pound cake with glaze is tender, sweet and made with fresh lemon flavor. This dessert cooks in a loaf pan and requires less than 10 minutes of prep!

Why is pound cake so freakin’ good? Obviously the answer is butter, sugar and flour, but I’m still surprised each time I make it. The most basic ingredients make the most delicious dessert. This moist lemon pound cake is packed with fresh lemon flavor and a subtly sweet glaze.

Haley here from If You Give a Blonde a Kitchen, and something about spring makes me want to bake lemon desserts. They’re fresh, sweet and simply make me happy. We love baking this lemon cake and also love these Lemon Bars. You could even add some fresh lemon zest and juice to our favorite Vanilla Mug Cake to make a delicious lemon dessert for one!

how to make moist lemon pound cake

• Step 1: To make the cake, whisk together flour, salt and baking powder. Set the mixture aside.
• Step 2: Cream together butter, shortening and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the lemon zest and juice and mix until combined.
• Step 3: With the mixer on low speed, add one third of the flour mixture followed by half of the milk. Repeat, mixing each mixture until combined. Finish by adding the last third of the flour mixture and mix until just incorporate. Do not overmix!
• Step 4: Pour the cake batter into a 5-inch by 9-inch loaf pan lined with parchment paper and nonstick cooking spray. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out with little to no crumbs on it.

You can use bottled lemon juice in a pinch. Keep in mind that the flavor might not be as strong since you won’t have fresh lemon zest. We highly recommend use fresh lemon juice whenever possible.

You can use traditional lemons or Meyer lemons for this recipe.

After baking, the result is a delicious lemon loaf. One way to make it even better is adding a sweet glaze! The sweet and tart lemon glaze adds an extra dose of lemon flavor without over doing it.

lemon glaze

To make the glaze, whisk together confectioners’ sugar and fresh lemon juice until no clumps remain. The consistency should be thin enough to drizzle. If necessary, add another teaspoon of lemon juice.

Spoon the icing glaze over the cooled pound cake and serve.

serving and storage tips

Store this lemon loaf pound cake covered at room temperature for up to 4 days.

You can also freeze the cake prior to making the glaze (do not freeze with the glaze.) To freeze, cool the cake, wrap with plastic wrap and store in a freezer safe plastic bag in the freezer for up to 6 months. Thaw and make the glaze. Drizzle with the glaze once the pound cake is thawed.

Aside from having amazing lemon flavor, the texture of this lemon loaf is on point. This lemon cake is tender and dense while delivering a sweet, buttery taste in every bite.

To put it simply, this moist lemon pound cake recipe is so good, you must add it to your list of desserts to try this spring!

Lemon Pound Cake

Yield: 10 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 1 hour hr

Total Time: 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Glazed pound cake is tender, sweet, moist and full of lemon flavor. It's a delicious dessert to try for spring!

4.98 from 42 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Ingredients 

For the cake:

• ▢ 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour, (185 g)
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• ▢ 1/2 cup unsalted butter , room temperature (113 g)
• ▢ 1/4 cup butter or shortening, room temperature (50 g)
• ▢ 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, (300 g)
• ▢ 3 large eggs
• ▢ 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, strained
• ▢ 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• ▢ 1/2 cup milk, (120 ml)

For the glaze:

• ▢ 1 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted (110 g)
• ▢ 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, strained
• ▢ Lemon zest for garnish, optional

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a 5-inch by 9-inch loaf pan with parchment paper and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt and baking powder. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl using a hand mixer), cream together butter, shortening and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add lemon zest and lemon juice, and mix until combined, about 30 seconds.*
• With the mixer on low, add one third of the flour mixture followed by half of the milk. Repeat letting each ingredient mix until mostly combined. Finish by adding the last third of flour mixture and mix just until incorporated. Avoid over mixing.
• Pour cake batter into prepared loaf pan and bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the pound cake comes out with little to no crumbs on it. Let cake cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then use the parchment paper to lift the pound cake out of the pan and cool completely on a wire rack.
• To make the glaze, whisk together confectioners' sugar and fresh lemon juice until no lumps remain and a drizzle consistency is reached. If necessary, add another teaspoon of lemon juice. Spoon glaze over the cooled pound cake and serve. Store covered at room temperature for  3 to 4 days.

Notes

• The batter may look slightly curdled after adding the lemon juice. That is okay! Quickly move on to the next step and the cake will turn out beautifully.
• The recipe calls for butter AND shortening. Yes, butter is a type of shortening and you can use all butter for this recipe, if desired. 
• You can use Meyer lemons or standard lemons for this recipe.
• While you can use bottle lemon juice in a pinch, we highly recommend using fresh lemon juice for the best texture and flavor. 

Nutrition

Calories: 386kcal, Carbohydrates: 57g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 16g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Cholesterol: 74mg, Sodium: 142mg, Potassium: 69mg, Fiber: 0g, Sugar: 42g, Vitamin A: 375IU, Vitamin C: 3.7mg, Calcium: 31mg, Iron: 1.1mg

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Author: Ashley C.

If you try this recipe, don’t forget to leave a review below or share a photo and tag @spoonfulofflavor on Instagram.

Helpful kitchen tools for this recipe

• Loaf pan for baking the cake. A nonstick pan helps create the perfect loaf.
• A microplane lemon zester is an essential tool in any kitchen. This tool helps add the perfect lemon flavor.
• Our favorite whisk helps make the delicious glaze.

Connect with Haley:
Blog | Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube