Homemade Lemon Pound Cake is made from scratch, buttery and delicious.
Enjoy plain or drizzled with my Lemon Glaze.
Each of the four key ingredients weigh one pound: all-purpose flour, unsalted butter, eggs, and sugar.
Their weight is the inspiration for the name Pound Cake.
CLICK HERE TO PIN ON PINTEREST (UPDATED RECIPE)
EDITOR’S NOTE (August 22, 2022): This is my new and improved recipe with a delicious Lemon Glaze. Included are helpful tips and new photos.
This new version replaces the original Lemon Pound Cake recipe I uploaded June 3, 2021.
DISCLAIMER (NOT SPONSORED)
I have not been paid to endorse pictured products.
Delighted to share the ingredients I purchased and used to make this delicious pound cake.
All comments are my own.
HOW TO CORRECTLY MEASURE ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR
Never scoop all-purpose flour from a container (or bag) with a measuring cup because it’s too much. The pound cake will be thick and dry with a bad taste.
Before measuring flour, make sure the whisk and measuring bowl are dry so the ingredients will not stick to them.
For example, if baking powder and/or salt stick to the whisk, the pound cake will not turn out right.
To correctly measure 2-3/4 cups of all-purpose flour for this recipe do the following:
1. Pour 3 cups into a sifter placed over a large bowl. After sifting, discard the hard particles.
2. Lightly scoop sifted flour with a spoon and pour into measuring cup.
Level off with smooth end of a knife.
3. Pour measured flour into a separate large bowl.
4. Repeat until you have 2-3/4 cups.
5. Return remaining flour to the original container.
PERFECT TIME TO PREHEAT OVEN TO 350 DEGREES F.
THE INGREDIENTS
2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons of baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
UNSALTED BUTTER
1 cup (4 sticks) of unsalted butter at room temperature.
ROOM TEMPERATURE EGGS
Place six eggs and the unsalted butter (pictured above) on the kitchen
counter at least 30 minutes before starting the recipe.
THE SWEETENER
1-3/4 cups of granulated sugar or your favorite sugar substitute (adjust amount as required).
THE FLAVORING
I love Pure Lemon Extract. Tastes better than imitation in my opinion.
Use whatever you prefer.
HOW TO PREPARE THE PAN
Thoroughly grease a 12-cup Bundt pan or tube pan.
I like to use No-Stick Baking Spray with Flour.
THE CAKE BATTER
After following the recipe’s instructions, the cake batter will be thick.
READY TO BAKE
Fill prepared pan with the cake batter and smooth top with spatula or back of a spoon.
Remember, oven temperatures do vary.
If the cake’s edges look light brown after baking 15 minutes, it’s cooking too fast. Decrease temp to 325.
HOW TO TEST FOR DONENESS
Although a toothpick is commonly used to test a pound cake for doneness, it’s too short to reach the bottom.
The best substitute is a knife or long wooden skewer.
Gently insert into baked pound cake and press to the bottom.
If the knife (or skewer) comes out clean, the cake is done.
HOW TO COOL CAKE
After removing from oven, allow cake to cool in the pan at least 20 minutes. When the cake is cool, lightly tap on the counter to loosen cake from edges so it will easily release.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Drizzle entire pound cake with my tangy Lemon Glaze (recipe below).
Slice and serve warm or cold.
Sprinkle individual servings with powdered sugar (aka confectioners sugar).
Serve plain slices to those who prefer it. Delicious either way!
ENJOY!
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No need to type each ingredient.
Homemade Lemon Pound Cake
Equipment
- 1 hand-held electric mixer or use a stand mixer
- 1 12-cup Bundt pan or tube pan
Ingredients
Lemon Pound Cake
- 2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour Sifted, spooned and leveled.
- 2 teaspoons baking powder Make sure it's active before using.
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter
- 1-3/4 cups granulated sugar
- 6 large eggs, room temperature
- 1-1/2 teaspoons pure lemon extract
- No-Stick Baking Spray with Flour Use to grease 12-cup tube pan or Bundt pan.
Lemon Glaze
- 2 cups confectioners sugar
- 2 tablespoons confectioners sugar
- 2 tablespoons evaporated milk or whole milk
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice seeds removed
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice (optional) for extra tang
Instructions
Lemon Pound Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Sift 3 cups (more than recipe calls for) of all-purpose flour into a bowl.
- Lightly spoon sifted flour into measuring cup. Level with smooth end of a knife. Pour into a separate medium bowl. Repeat for 2-3/4 cups. Pour remainder back into the flour container.
- In medium bowl, whisk together prepared all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- In large bowl, mix softened butter, sugar and eggs with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time. Beat well after each addition.
- Add pure lemon extract. Beat until well combined.
- Add flour mixture and beat on low for ONLY 1 minute. Scrape bottom and sides of bowl.
- Use a spatula or spoon to scoop batter from bowl into a greased 12-cup tube pan or Bundt pan.
- Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Adjust oven temperature if necessary. Cool in pan for 15 minutes before removing and inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- After removing from oven, place "cake in the pan" on a rack or a thick folded towel. Allow pan to stand at least 20 minutes. This will help the cake release from the pan without sticking to the sides or bottom.
- Lightly tap pan on counter until the entire cake moves around easily. If it doesn't move, gently run a rubber spatula along the sides of the pan and around the tube to loosen cake.
- Carefully invert on a plate or rack and allow to cool another 15 minutes.
Lemon Glaze
- In a medium saucepan, stir together powdered sugar, evaporated milk and 1/4 cup lemon juice.
- Warm over medium heat until bubbles form around edges. Stir constantly until sugar dissolves.
- Remove from heat. Taste a cooled sample. If more tang is desired, add the additional teaspoon of lemon juice.
- Pierce holes around top of pound cake. Slowly drizzle Lemon Glaze all of the top. Or drizzle over individual servings.
Thank you for this recipe! I love lemon! Long ago, I used to make a beautiful lemon bundt cake, but last time I looked for the recipe, I couldn’t find it. This one sounds excellent! I’m excited to try it. Well, to be honest, cake generally makes me
pretty happy.
Thanks Annamay