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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This was a hit. Very dense like a pound cake but super moist and tasty. I added 1 full squeezed lemon to the mix and folded in fresh blueberries (tossed in flour so they didn’t sink in the cake). All my guests raved and wanted the recipe.
I also made a cream cheese/lemon frosting and drizzled as a slight alternative.
I will absolutely make this again and again!
It seems like every recipe on the Internet says “best ever” or “ultimate” – well this lemon pound cake truly lives up to the hype! Lots of steps but not difficult and it is worth it! It has the consistency of a pound cake but light and lemony. I served with fresh berries and it was a huge hit!
Can you use salted butter?
You can just omit the salt.
How much can the sugar be reduced in the Lemon Pound Cake without compromising the finished cake?
I made this cake for Thanksgiving. My husband said it was next to perfect. Being perfect was his late grandmother’s recipe
It was a big hit with the other family members as well. The grands picked the lemons from my tree so they were equally pleased. Thanks for sharing this jewel.
Can regular unbleached flour be used instead of cake flour?
You can but if you have cornstarch you can make your own cake flour with this recipe: https://grandbaby-cakes.com/how-to-make-cake-flour/
Hello, I’m in the U.K. what is equivalent to lemon pudding , we don’t have any thing like it here. Can you advise please .
Blessings Susan
Hi Susan, it is powdered pudding but you can omit it in this recipe and it will still be great.
Thank you so much Grandbaby Cakes for sharing this recipe with us! I’ve made this cake quite a bit since coming across your page. 🙂 The instant pudding made a pleasant difference in the texture and overall tartness of the lemon flavor in my opinion. The cream cheese made it so soft. Using the cake flour too set this cake apart in fluffiness. Indeed, it IS the ultimate lemon cake. It has been a staple recipe in my repertoire.
I have been using this recipe for a few years now. I am SO grateful, because this recipe works extremely well with gluten-free baking flour — especially Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 baking flour.. Prep time does take me about 1 hour, probably because I’m cleaning as I go.
This was my first time making a pound cake and I was very nervous. This recipe was super easy to follow and it came out perfect! This cake is so moist, fluffy, and delicious.