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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Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful recipe. I did not make the glaze. My family loved it and someone asked me what I put in my cake to make it so moist. Thanks again.
Fantastic! So glad you enjoyed it!
I cannot wait to try this!!!
Question: 3 cups of sifted flour or three cups flour, sifted? I weigh my dry ingredients.
Three cups of sifted cake flour. I hope you enjoy!
Before I make this I’m confused if I should or should not fully make lemon pudding? Like am I adding the powdered mix into the bowl or am I making pudding separately and then add it to the bowl and mix lol
Yes you just need to add the powdered mix. Also there is a video in the recipe card if you want to watch how it is made.
I found if you don’t have cake flour remove. 1 Tbsp from each cup and sift. Works just like cake flour. Love this recipe.
Do you add cornstarch to this or just sift with the flour removed?
I made this pound cake a few times and my family & friends loved it…
I have a cream cheese pound cake recipe that my grandma makes and I love lemon cake!!! I was going to try a lemon pound cake for the first time next week and never thought to add lemon pudding! I bought lemon extract because I just new ai would need it. Taking it back to get a lemon instead. Thanks for the idea! Sidenote: when my grandma told me my cake was good, I knew it was real lol!
YES!!!! Love that sidenote!
I’ve made this cake 3 times over the past 2 years and it’s SO GOOD. A hit at Easter with my family and my coworkers loved the leftovers so much that I made it for a work party. The texture is great. Agree with posters who felt that the glaze was more lemony/tart than the cake, but the cake really does have a nice lemon flavor. Make sure you have the right-size Bundt pan (12 cups, not 12 inches as in the recipe–I couldn’t find a 12-inch Bundt pan online)–one of mine puffed over the rim with what I discovered was a 10-cup pan. I also got better results using a stand mixer than a hand mixer. Now I’m ready to try some of Jocelyn’s other pound cake recipes (and use up the cake flour).
Wow! This is an incredibly moist and delicious lemon pound cake. There really is no need for another recipe after you make this one . Thanks Jocelyn for your winning recipe .
Thank you so much!
Hi. Wondering if this is a dense pound cake? That’s what I consider a “pound cake”. If it’s too moist and fluffy, then I just consider it a cake.
Thanks for sharing your recipes!
Yes it has the pound cake density. Give it a try! It is one of the most popular pound cakes on my site!
Hi 🙂 Can you recommend a good Bundt pan?
Absolutely! I love anything by Nordic Ware. Their anniversary pan is classic and has a wonderful nonstick property. They also have some really beautiful ones too.
I had high hopes for an outrageously lemony cake, but it turned out to be subtle. I added some lemon juice and zest to the cake mix as well, but the glaze has by far the strongest lemon flavor. I will probably try making it again and add more lemon juice. I found that you need to be careful to not overbake — when a toothpick seems to be still a bit doughy, remove it from the oven.
Update 11-13-19 Please let me amend my review of 11-10. I found that after a day or two, the cake took on a more noticeably pleasing lemon flavor. It’s actually very good and I will definitely make this again. I’d made it using two loaf pans and froze one of them. It will be tempting to thaw it out very soon!