This Lemon Pound Cake is buttery, tender, and bursting with bright citrus flavor. A simple, glossy lemon glaze takes it over the top, making it perfect for dessert, brunch, or a sweet afternoon treat. If you love lemon desserts, you’ll also enjoy my Lemon Loaf for another easy, citrus-packed treat.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Granulated Sugar: Sweetens the cake and helps create a light, tender crumb. You can use coconut sugar or a 1:1 sugar substitute if needed.
- Unsalted Butter: Adds richness and helps create a soft, buttery texture. Softened to room temperature for easy mixing. If using salted butter, you may want to lessen the kosher salt.
- Eggs: Provide structure and help the cake rise. Use large eggs at room temperature for best results. Out of eggs? Check out my egg substitutes to try!
- All-Purpose Flour: Gives the cake structure. You can substitute with a gluten-free flour blend, but make sure it’s a 1:1 baking blend.
- Buttermilk: Keeps the cake moist and adds a subtle tang. If you don’t have any on hand, make homemade buttermilk.
- Lemon Extract: Adds concentrated citrus flavor. You can use vanilla extract, but it will change the flavor slightly.
- Lemon Zest: Brings bright, fresh lemon flavor. Only use the outer yellow peel, not the bitter white pith.
- Lemon Glaze: Made with confectioners’ sugar, lemon juice, and butter, this smooth glaze adds sweet-tart flavor and a glossy finish to the cake. You can swap butter for cream cheese for a tangier glaze, or use a little milk instead of lemon juice for a milder version.
If needed, check out my High Altitude Baking tips if baking at a higher altitude.
FAQs
Can I make this pound cake ahead of time?
Yes! Bake it a day in advance and add the glaze just before serving to keep it fresh and bright.
Can I use a different pan for pound cake?
Yes! Pound cakes work well in either a Bundt pan or a standard 9×5-inch loaf pan. For mini loaf pans, divide the batter evenly among 3 smaller pans. A simple glaze is all you need to finish.
Can I use milk instead of buttermilk?
Yes! Add 1 teaspoon lemon juice to 1 cup milk to mimic buttermilk’s tang and help the cake stay moist.
Can I add extra lemon zest or flavor?
Absolutely! Adding more zest or a little extra lemon juice boosts the citrus flavor. Just avoid adding too much liquid, or the batter may become too thin.
Can I freeze this lemon pound cake?
Yes! Wrap the cooled cake tightly in plastic wrap and foil. Freeze for up to 2 months. Add the glaze after thawing for best results.
Why do I reduce the oven temperature for pound cake?
The batter is poured into a pan after preheating to 350°F, then the oven is lowered to 325°F for baking. This helps the cake rise evenly while preventing the top from over-browning, resulting in a tender, moist crumb.
Serving Ideas
- Classic Dessert: Slice and serve with fresh berries or a few raspberries for a bright, citrusy finish.
- Brunch or Tea Time: Pair slices with a cup of tea or coffee for an easy, elegant addition to brunch or an afternoon treat.
- Extra Indulgence: Add a dollop of whipped cream or a spoonful of mascarpone for a richer, more decadent serving.
How to Store Lemon Pound Cake with Lemon Glaze
Room Temperature: Keep the cooled cake in an airtight container for up to 3 days to maintain its tender crumb.
Freezer: Wrap the cooled cake tightly in plastic wrap and then in foil, and freeze for up to 2 months. For best results, freeze the cake without the glaze, then drizzle the glaze over the thawed cake just before serving. This prevents the glaze from hardening or separating during freezing and keeps the finish smooth and glossy.
More Pound Cake Recipes
Lemon Pound Cake with Lemon Glaze
Ingredients
Lemon Pound Cake
- 2 ½ cups (500 g) granulated sugar
- 1 ½ cups (3 sticks / 340 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 3 ½ cups (437.5 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup (245 g) buttermilk
- 2 teaspoons lemon extract
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
Lemon Glaze
- 2 cups (250 g) confectioners' sugar
- ¼ cup lemon juice
Instructions
Lemon Pound Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 10-inch bundt pan.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat sugar and softened butter on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 10 minutes.
- Add eggs one at a time, mixing each egg fully into the butter mixture before adding the next.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking soda.
- Add ⅓ of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix on low until just combined.
- Pour in half of the buttermilk and mix on low until smooth.
- Repeat, alternating remaining flour mixture and buttermilk, ending with the flour mixture.
- Stir in lemon extract and lemon zest until evenly combined.
- Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth the top.
- Reduce oven temperature to 325°F and bake 60 to 75 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs, but no wet batter. Check at 60 minutes to prevent overbaking.
- Let cake cool in the pan 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack or cake platter to cool completely.
Lemon Glaze
- In a medium bowl, whisk together confectioners’ sugar and lemon juice until smooth and pourable.
- Pour about half of the glaze over the cooled cake. Let it set slightly.
- Pour remaining glaze over the cake for a glossy finish.
Video
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This recipe has been updated as of April 10th, 2026.
Question not comment: if I wanted to make a small version of this lemon pound cake, say, an 8×8 or so pan, could I do that if I halved the ingredients?
That is not an exact halving of the recipe (the slightly smaller pan) so I would recommend simply dividing the recipe into two pans and freezing the other.
Can you substitute lemon juice for lemon extract?
I made this cake tonight and while it’s delicious, I made my cake in the standard loaf pan (as the recipe indicated was acceptable) and I filled it pretty full and there was still so much batter leftover. Obviously the batter overflowed and it took longer to bake, so I’m wondering… what did I do wrong? Tasted great, but way too much batter 🤔
Sorry Dale! If using a loaf pan I would recommend 3 loaf pans.
It looks horrible because it fell in the middle, yes, in the bundt pan. I live at 8000 feet and even though I used 2 Tbs extra flour, it still fell. It smells really good and I have not glazed it yet and fortunately it is only for my husband and me, THIS TIME. But what should I have changed for high elevation?
Hi Linda- I tend to not advise on this because it can vary so greatly from home to home. However, there is some good info here should you want to try the recipe again. https://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/resources/high-altitude-baking
So funny story, my wife and I are pregnant and our child is 13 weeks. In line with growth milestones, our child is stayed to be the size of a lemon. To celebrate, because that’s what everyone does at week 13…lol, we decided to make a lemon Bundt cake. We used your recipe and hands down, it came out AWESOME!!!
My wife tasted it (She’s the official taste tester of the house) and said this recipe was “Bee-stamped Approved 🐝”
All in all, thank you for sharing your gift with the world and giving us a way to sweeten our 13 week milestone.
Take care Amanda and remain safe!!!
That is the best! <3 Love it!
Was so good. A dear friend of mine always makes lemon pound cake for church dinners said it was exquisite . Thanks so much.
Re inquiries about a substitute for eggs… I frequently use Egg Beaters, found in the refrigerator section with eggs, instead of fresh eggs. It works beautifully in baking..
Hi. You are the best the recipe you always give are the best.i love them since I am up coming beake, you help me a lot.thank you
Hello. Can I substitute lemon extract with fresh lemon juice??
Hi, Yan! I work with iambaker and am happy to help with questions. One tablespoon of fresh lemon juice is equivalent to 1/2 teaspoon of lemon extract, so if you are opting for fresh lemon juice in this recipe instead of extract, use 1/4 cup. I hope this helps, and have a great day!
This looks and sounds amazing. I would like to bake in my regular size bread pans. I like to give to neighbors and shut-ns. Would by baking time be the same as for bunt pan.
What about for the mini bread pans?
Hi, Betty! I work with iambaker and am happy to help with questions. We have not tried baking this cake in other sized pans, so I can’t say how the baking time would be affected. Have a great day!