Y’all, I am claiming it… this is the best lemon pound cake recipe, no lies! You know ya girl, the Queen of pound cakes made sure you taste the lemon, while keeping the crumb moist and buttery. Don’t believe me? Just bake it once, boos. I keep it tart and sweet but super moist with a tight crumb and classic pound cake texture. Plus, I add a secret ingredient to this lemon pound cake that makes it like no other. Get into it!
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How to Make a Lemon Pound Cake
These step-by-step photos show how to make a lemon pound cake with lemon glaze, but be sure to check the recipe card below for the full ingredient list and detailed instructions. Skip to the → Best Lemon Pound Cake Recipe
1. Add the cream cheese, butter, and salt to a large mixing bowl
Cream on high speed until completely smooth.
2. Slowly add the sugar and instant pudding mix
Continue to cream until the mixture looks light, fluffy, and pale.
PRO TIP: My secret ingredient is instant lemon pudding. Based on my research and recipe testing, I discovered that it added more moisture and changed the texture of the finished cake to be softer, along with adding more lemon flavor.
3. Lower the mixer speed to medium and add the eggs one at a time
Mix just until each one is incorporated before adding the next.
4. Reduce the mixer to its lowest speed and add the flour one cup at a time
Mix just until combined. Do not overbeat here.
5. Add the lemon zest and finish the batter
Mix briefly until evenly distributed throughout the batter.
6. Pour the lemon cake batter into a Bundt pan
Smooth the top evenly.
7. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean
Let the cake cool briefly in the pan, then remove and cool completely on a wire rack.
8. Make the lemon glaze and pour it over your lemon Bundt cake
Whisk together the powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth and pourable. Drizzle over the cooled cake, sprinkle with lemon zest, then slice and serve.
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Full Lemon Pound Cake Recipe
Lemon Pound Cake Recipe
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Equipment
Ingredients
For the Pound Cake:
- 8 ounces cream cheese one brick, room temp
- 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 package lemon instant pudding (just the dry powdered mix as is, do not hydrate the pudding) 3.4 ounce
- 6 large eggs room temperature
- 3 cups sifted cake flour
- 3 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon zest
For the Lemon Glaze:
- 2 2/3 cups powdered sugar sifted
- 2-3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice start with 2 then see if you need more
- Optional: lemon zest for garnish
Instructions
For the Pound Cake:
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- Add room temperature cream cheese, butter and salt to large mixing bowl and begin creaming on high speed until smooth.
- Slowly add sugar and instant pudding to bowl and cream until light and fluffy which takes about 5-7 minutes.
- Lower speed of mixer to medium and add one egg at a time and mix until incorporated.
- Slow mixer to slowest speed and add flour one cup at a time into bowl until just incorporated.
- Do not overbeat at this point.
- Add lemon zest to bowl and mix.
- Once everything is incorporated, pour cake batter into greased and floured or baking sprayed 12 cup bundt or tube pan.
- Bake for 1 hour and 5-15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes then remove cake and place on cooling rack for an hour or until it is completely cooled.
For the Glaze:
- Whisk together powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth. If it is too runny, add a bit more sugar or if it is too thick, add a little bit more lemon juice. You want to consistency to coat the back of a spoon but slide off easily.
- Drizzle on top of cooled cake, sprinkle with lemon zest and serve.
Video
Notes
How to Store
- Room Temp: Keep the cake covered in an airtight container or wrapped well on the counter for up to 3 days. Skip the fridge, boos. It will dry the cake out.
- Freezer: Wrap the whole cake or slices tightly in plastic wrap, then foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before enjoying.
Nutrition
Recipe Tips
- Use room temperature ingredients, boos. Let your butter, cream cheese, and eggs sit out so the batter mixes up smooth and bakes evenly.
- Cream it real good. Beat the butter, cream cheese, and sugar for a full five to seven minutes to work in air. This cake doesn’t rely on other leaveners.
- Slow down when the flour goes in. Use the lowest mixer speed and stop as soon as it’s combined so the cake stays tender.
- Zest the smart way. Stick to the yellow part of the lemon only because the white pith will make your cake taste bitter.
Recipe Help
Cake flour, boos. I usually grab Swan’s Down and always sift it for a lighter, tighter crumb. If you don’t have any, you can make your own cake flour!
You can either add more lemon zest or even lemon extract to the batter.
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I am going to have to try this Lemon Recipe out! I love lemon in things!
This is definitely for you!
This is one gorgeous cake Jocelyn and the photos are stunning! I love lemon desserts any time of year, but especially in spring. I can only imagine how wonderful a slice of this cake tastes!
Oh gosh girl. I wish I could send you a slice!
Can I make this without the lemon instant pudding
Yes you definitely can but it won’t be as moist and lemony in flavor.
Ok this cake looks awesome! So much flavor packed into one cake…yum!
Thank you hon!
This lemon pound cake is calling my name, for real. Love the smell of lemon and lovely texture. Yum!
The texture is just amazing.
This is definitely a “must try”!! I’m with ya on that ‘lemon thing’!!!!!!
Yes you simply must!
Gorgeous cake Jocelyn! Love the lemon makeover…pudding and zest.Melt in your mouth, I can almost taste it! Uh huh.
YES girl you can!
I love all things lemon, and this is no exception! My family would love this! Just added to my to-do list! 🙂
They will definitely love this!
This looks amazing! Super moist and packed with lemon flavor- that cream cheese was definitely a smart idea 🙂 Pinning!
Hooray thanks so much hon!
This certainly does look like the best lemon pound cake! It’s gorgerous!
Thank you so much Jen!
Hi,
Quick question, can you use salted butter instead of unsalted? Will it make a difference?
Yes you can but omit any salt in the recipe. I hope you enjoy.
Tried tonigh came out perfectly with 1/2 less sugar in my regular pound cake. Wish I could post the picture. Thank You so much!?????
Hooray! I’m so so happy Mary it came out so well for you! Thank you for letting me know!
YES to all things lemon! The more the better, right? Your super lemony pound cake looks irresistible!
Thank you so much doll!
Does the recipe have to have cake flour or can I use all purpose flour?
Hi Alana, it is best if you use cake flour because it will be lighter. If you have some cornstarch you can make your own with AP flour and the cornstarch. For every cup of AP flour, remove 2 tablespoons of flour and replace with cornstarch then sift 3 times then use in the recipe. If not, you can use the AP flour but it will yield a much heavier cake. I hope this helps.
THIS IS THE VERY BEST LEMON POUND CAKE !!! I’VE ALREADY MADE IT TWICE, FOR TWO DIFFERENT FRIENDS BIRTHDAYS. EVERYONE RAVED ABOUT THEM !!! I ADD 2 1/2 CUPS POWDERED SUGAR, SOME SOFT MARGARINE, 2 1/2 TBSP. FRESH LEMON JUICE AND ABOUT 1 tsp. LEMON ZEST WITH SOME HEAVY WHIPPING CREAM FOR MY GLAZE. I SPOON IT ALL OVER MY CAKE,(rubbing it all over), THEN, DRIP THE GLAZE OVER THE CAKE OVER & OVER TILL I USE IT ALL UP. I ALWAYS DO MY GLAZED CAKES LIKE THIS. EVERYBODY LOVES THE WAY THEY LOOK AND TASTE. ( SO DO I).
Awww that makes me so happy! Thank you so much!
So tonight is my second time making this. While the flavor of the cake is phenomenal, I am struggling with the cooking temp. The first time I did 325 and it took FOREVER to cook. Tonight I started at 325 but bumped it to 350 because it wasn’t cooking quickly and it’s been in the oven over an hour and still is not cooked through. Has anyone else had this issue?
Hi Tika, have you checked your oven temperature?
One of your baking elements may be out. I had this happen to me before. Couldn’t figure out what was wrong for a while.
My cake is in the oven. Can’t wait, I just know it will be yummy
Hooray let me know how it turns out for you.
Omg the cake recipe was perfect i have to make it for 1 hour and twenty minutes the cake was perfect. Thank you so much
do you have to mix the pudding or use straight from box.
Use straight from the box.
I would like to thank you so much for this recipe I cooked it this weekend and it was so delicious. I appreciate you sharing your recipes it was the best lemon pound cake ever! IT’S 10 STARS!!!!
Awww fantastic!!!! I’m so so glad you enjoyed it.
Is there no baking powder or baking soda used in this recipe?
Right there isn’t any in this recipe. It isn’t necessary. The cake turns out perfectly without it.
Hello how are you? Okay let me first say that the cake is delicious, and the cake turned out alright; however, when I baked the cake for an hour and 15 to 20 minutes, the cake seem like it rosed up exceptionally hi, but then as I let the cake cool, it started to sink down all around near the center of the cake, and I used a tube pan or an angel food cake pan to make the cake in. The cake was browned beautifully, and it rose exceptionally high like I said before, also for extra insurance, I added a tsp. of baking powder and 1/2 tsp. of soda. The oven was preheated, setting the oven on 330 degrees Fahrenheit, I said that’s slightly above 325, but it shouldn’t have made that much of a difference so I’m trying to guess what did I do wrong and I followed the recipe pretty much down to a tee. U know with a little bit of extra leavening… in my case, which shouldn’t hurt it and if it if anything, it should have helped it.
Hi Leo, thanks so much for writing to me. I unfortunately can’t vouch for why it went wrong since you made some changes to the recipe. The recipe really is perfect as is. Was there a reason why you wanted to add the leavening? It gets an amazing lift from the creaming process right at the beginning so no need to add it.