Lemon Pound Cake Delight (Printable)

Dense buttery cake with fresh lemon flavor and a tangy glaze, ideal for tea time or dessert moments.

# What You'll Need:

→ Cake

01 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
02 - 2 cups granulated sugar
03 - 4 large eggs, at room temperature
04 - 1/4 cup whole milk
05 - 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
06 - 2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest (about 2 lemons)
07 - 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
08 - 1 teaspoon baking powder
09 - 1/2 teaspoon salt

→ Lemon Glaze

10 - 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
11 - 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

# How To Make:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9x5-inch loaf pan or line it with parchment paper.
02 - Beat butter and sugar together in a large bowl until light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes.
03 - Add eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition.
04 - In a separate bowl, mix whole milk, fresh lemon juice, and lemon zest.
05 - Whisk together all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt in another bowl.
06 - Alternately add the flour mixture and lemon mixture to the butter mixture in three additions, beginning and ending with flour. Mix on low speed just until combined, avoiding overmixing.
07 - Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and level the surface.
08 - Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
09 - Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
10 - Whisk together powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth and pourable. Drizzle over cooled cake and allow glaze to set before slicing.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The batter comes together without any fussy techniques, so even on a tired Tuesday you can have a finished cake.
  • Fresh lemon flavor shines through every bite without tasting artificial or overly tart.
  • It's forgiving enough for beginners but refined enough to serve to people you actually want to impress.
02 -
  • Don't skip cooling the cake completely before glazing—warm cake will melt the glaze and it'll run right off.
  • Overmixing the batter after adding flour is the one real mistake you can make here; mix just until the streaks of flour disappear and then stop.
  • Fresh lemon juice makes an enormous difference compared to bottled; if you only buy one thing fresh for this recipe, let it be the lemons.
03 -
  • Use a fine microplane zester rather than a box grater to get the most fragrant, finely textured lemon zest without the bitter white pith underneath.
  • If your kitchen is cold, let your eggs, butter, and milk sit out for 30 minutes before baking so everything mixes smoothly and incorporates properly.
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