Lemon Pound Cake

This buttery lemon pound cake is drenched in lemon juice, lemon oil, and lemon glaze, so every bite is filled with delicious tartness. The cake is unapologetically simple, with no frills. Just comforting goodness that proudly announces the summer season. 

Lemons, for me, are inextricably linked to summer. I savor the way their essence cuts through flavor profiles and makes everything a little bit bright. To celebrate that feeling, I wanted to make a basic cake that kept it as the star.

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Lemon pound cake recipe

Lemon glaze recipe

Tips to moist cake

Ingredient alternatives

More lemon and pound cake recipes

How to make lemon pound cake?

Don’t be fooled by the over-the-top garnishing. That’s just me not being able to resist an extra something. The recipe itself is traditional, making a cake that you want your teeth to sink into with a cup of tea or coffee. 

Step 1: Sift all-purpose flour and whisk it with baking powder and salt. 

Step 2: In a separate bowl, mix regular vegetable oil with softened butter. Then beat with sugar till it's light and fluffy. 

Step 3: Add eggs, vanilla extract, lemon juice and beat thoroughly. If you’re like me and love every inch of pound cake to be suffused with lemon flavor, incorporate lemon oil too. 

Step 4: Fold the dry ingredients into the wet, along with some lemon zest. In case the batter feels too thick, mix lukewarm milk till you have a soft dropping consistency. 

Step 5: Pour the pound cake batter into a well-greased pan. I used an 8 by 4-inch one. Bake for 35 minutes.

Step 6: Allow the lemon pound cake to cook for 5 to 10 minutes before turning it over and cooling completely on a wire rack.

Bright tart lemon glaze for pound cake

For me, this cake is a lemon masterpiece. The batter is zested, juiced, and oiled, and the cake drips with a thick glaze. Without the glaze, the cake is mildly sweet. With it, you get the dream balance of sweetness and lemony edge. 

To make, mix lemon juice and icing sugar to a nice thick consistency. Pour it on the pound cake. If it drips down the side, let it. It adds to the charm. For a final brushstroke, I topped the cake with a few edible flowers.

By no means is the icing or flowers essential. But if you plan on using them, make sure the cake is completely cool before you drizzle the icing. Also, since the glaze takes barely a minute or two to set, garnish with flowers with speedy hands. 

Tasha's tips for a moist lemon pound cake

• Keep all your ingredients at room temperature. 
• Don’t use cold milk to loosen the cake batter. It has to be lukewarm, so you aren’t stuck with lumps. It’s also the secret to a moister crumb.
• Don’t have lemon oil? Don’t fret. It’s optional. 
• Prefer a citrus punch that knocks you over? Go a step further in the recipe. While the cake is still hot, poke holes and fill them with lemon-flavored sugar syrup so it seeps and soaks into the cake.

Ingredient alternatives for an easy lemon pound cake

Eggless: Replace eggs with flax eggs by mixing 2 tablespoons of flax powder with 6 tablespoons of water.

Sugar: I am a fan of raw sugar for my bakes. But for this recipe, cane or regular white sugar both work wonderfully. 

Oil: Most pound cakes use only butter. But experiments have taught me that when combined with oil, the two become unbeatable. Butter lends flavor and a rich creaminess. While oil makes the cake so much softer, even after it’s refrigerated. That said, feel free to use just butter or just oil too.

Don’t underestimate this lemon pound cake

Quintessential #TAFEverydayCake

Uses basic pantry ingredients

With a bright, tart flavor

And a wonderful crust and tight crumb

Superbly moist, just the way you imagine pound cake to be

More summery lemon recipes

Lemon Rice

Lemon Madeleines

Vegan Lemon Tart

Lemon Cheesecake

Lemon Poppyseed Cupcakes

Lemon Poppyseed Waffles

Lemon Crescent Cookies

Love pound cakes? Try these

Strawberry Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Cream Cheese Pound Cake

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