Lemon Pound Cake Recipe

Lemon Pound Cake is the perfect summertime teatime bake with the flavor and aroma of fresh lemons. It is super moist, lemony with delicious crumbs. This versatile pound cake batter can be baked in a loaf or bundt pan. Stir in some fresh raspberries, blueberries, or orange zest to enjoy the seasonal flavors.

About Pound Cake

Pound Cake originated in Europe. It is traditionally made from one pound of flour, butter, eggs, and sugar. Hence, the name pound cake came into existence.

These cakes are generally baked in a loaf pan or a bundt mold. Served either dusted with powdered sugar, lemon custard, sugar glaze, with a coat of whipped cream, or just with your favorite berry sauce. 

Lemon Pound Cake is one of the most popular versions of the pound cake recipe. This idea of a moist, soft, and delicate lemon cake on a summer evening with a cup of tea is always fascinating.

A Perfect Pound Cake

A perfect pound cake has certain qualities or characteristics:

My Tried & True Tips

Ingredients: Make sure all the ingredients are at room temperature and not cold or straight out of the fridge.

Equipment: You need a stand mixer or hand mixer with a whisk attachment to make a pound cake batter especially for whipping butter, eggs, and sugar. For baking use a loaf tin or a bundt pan.

Flour: Sift. Sift. Sift. Do not miss sifting the flour with baking powder. Why? Because for that delicate texture/crumb we need super fine flour. If possible, use cake flour to make pound cake.

Butter + Eggs + Sugar: These three ingredients are the foundation of a perfect pound cake. Whisk butter and sugar till they are creamy, light, airy, and double in volume. Secondly, add eggs one at a time, and whisk each time for a minute.

Lemon Juice: Use fresh lemon juice and zest for the best flavor. 1 tablespoon of zest is sufficient for this size cake.

Cake Batter: Add sifted flour in butter mixture in small batches. Gently, cut, and fold the batter until combined using a spatula. Do not overmix (mixing for too long) the batter. It is the biggest mistake when it comes to pound cake.

Toppings: Feel free to add toppings like lemon zest, poppy seeds, or blueberries on top of the lemon pound cake before baking.

Baking: Always bake the cake in the middle rack, and halfway through cover it with an aluminum foil to avoid hard and over-brown crust.

Glazing/Dusting: Allow the pound cake to cool completely at room temperature on a wire rack before glazing with sugar syrup or any other decorative topping.

Baker’s Notes For A Failprrof Pound Cake

Measuring the ingredients correctly is the key step. If required, use a weighing scale.

Use room temperature ingredients especially eggs, milk, and butter. The best way to bring your ingredients to room temperature is by simply keeping them out of the refrigerator 1 hour before you begin the recipe. 

Use a timer while whisking the eggs (one minute after adding each egg). This way you will not end up over beating the batter and get the right structure of the cake.

Keep the speed of the hand or stand mixer between low – medium while whisking the wet ingredients.

After adding flour, do not mix the batter for too long else flour will form gluten strands resulting in a hard or tough cake.

Bake the cake in the middle rack for even cooking and browning. Halfway through the baking time, if you feel the crust is browning too much, cover the cake tin with aluminum foil.

Do not rush in glazing or slicing the cake while it is hot or warm to the touch. Allow it to cool down completely at room temperature on a wire rack. I usually, let it cool for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

What is the difference between a sponge cake and a pound cake?

Sponge Cake as the names say has a soft and spongy texture. They are made using sieved flour, sugar, and eggs. The egg whites and the sugar are beaten together and then the flour is folded into the whipped mixture. The pound cake is traditionally made with one pound each of flour, butter, eggs, and sugar. It is much denser and moister compared to the sponge cake.

How to bring ingredients (egg, milk, curd, etc) to room temperature for baking?

It’s very important to use ingredients at room temperature. Cold ingredients don’t bond easily resulting in a chunky cake. The best way to bring your ingredients to room temperature is by simply keeping them out of the refrigerator 1 hour before you begin the recipe. 

Well, there are always shorts cuts too, you can cut the butter into cubes and microwave them for just 2 – 4 seconds. For Eggs, just place the eggs in a bowl of warm water for 10 – 20 seconds while you prep your other ingredients. You can place milk or yogurt next to the oven or gas stove to raise the temperature. 

Is the pound cake better the next day?

When cakes are allowed to sit for a day or two their internal moisture gets evenly distributed than when they’re just out of the oven. By letting the lemon pound cake rest for a day, the flavors get more time to mature and come out strongly. 

How to store pound cake? 

You can store your lemon pound cake in an airtight container for up to three days at room temperature. If you wish to store them longer, then you can wrap them in plastic wrap, cover them with foil and refrigerate for up to one week. You can also freeze the pound cake for up to 6 months.  

More Teatime Cake Recipes For You

Teatime Strawberry Cake

Teatime Orange Cake

Eggless Banana Bread

Eggless Peach Cake

Eggless Whole Wheat (Atta) Cake

Chai Spiced Pumpkin Cake

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