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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What can I use if I don’t have pudding? Or can I bake the cake without pudding?
Yes you can leave it out.
I’ve made this twice. A hit every time. However, I think it’s really thick. 1st time, I used a regular 10 inch Tube, 2nd time bundt pan. The bundt pan may be 10 cup instead of 12. Would that make a difference?
Yes, that would definitely make a difference. This recipe is written for a 12-cup Bundt or tube pan, so if your Bundt pan is closer to 10 cups, the cake will bake up thicker and taller.
Since you’ve made it in both pans and liked the results, it sounds like nothing went wrong; it’s just the pan capacity changing how it bakes and looks. A smaller pan will give you a denser, more substantial slice, while the 12-cup pan spreads the batter out a bit more evenly.
Will be making this for my son’s birthday today. He loves lemon cake. He is 28 today
Let us know how it turned out.
I have used this recipe many times & it is always a hit! It’s my new fav!
That makes me so happy!
Happy Thanksgiving y’all, I ran out of cake flour. Omg, so I had to use 4 oz of flour. Let’s keep our fingers crossed. 2morrow will find out ‘cause it’s for Thanksgivings y’all.
Can I use 2 loaf pans opposed to one bundt pan?
Can put the batter into two loaf pans or do I have to use a Bundt pan?
Hi there! Yes, you can definitely bake this batter in two loaf pans instead of a Bundt pan. Just a heads up, I haven’t personally tested this exact recipe in loaf pans, but based on the batter volume, it should divide well into two standard 9×5 loaf pans (fill each pan about 2/3 full to prevent overflow). Baking time will be shorter. I would begin checking around 50–55 minutes, then continue baking until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let me know how it turns out if you try it. I’d love to hear!
I noticed there’s no extracts in this recipe.My son just made this cake for his friend, but we did add lemon extract to it. Thanks for sharing I love your recipes.
Yes no extract in this as we depend on other lemon elements to push the lemon flavor forward.
I want to try this recipe today. Do I need to add baking powder?
Nope! Since it is a pound cake, it doesn’t have leavening agents as it is a denser-style cake.
Thank you for this recipe! I made this AND I made a “twist” version subbing vanilla pudding & vanilla paste for where lemon is called for topped with a rum sauce & the other a guava sauce! I everyone drools no matter how this is made!!! ❤️❤️❤️
Yay! So happy to hear that everyone enjoyed it!