Calling all lemon lovers. This sweet, moist, and very lemony pound cake has a perfectly dense crumb (sour cream in the batter), that bright lemon flavor we all love thanks to a triple dose of citrus, and a wonderful golden-brown top. I have been making it for decades, and it's always a hit for brunch and coffee breaks. It's versatile (variations are included in the post) and fantastic with a simple glaze!
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A remarkable lemon sour cream loaf
A simple title for a wonderful old-fashioned lemon pound cake you'll want to make often. Considering the years I've been baking and the number of lemon cakes I've baked, this unforgettable recipe is among the top three, so that's saying a lot.
It's different from this fluffier and more traditional lemon bundt cake.
The first time I took this lemon cake to the office, it not only disappeared in a nanosecond, but even I was impressed by the texture. It was maybe more of a hit than the lemon blueberry loaf, and that's saying a lot!
Pound cakes are vintage and wonderful, and in my 30+ years of baking, I've baked my share of them from scratch. However, I was not expecting to be surprised by a lemon sour cream pound cake recipe.
So go ahead and keep this recipe close. It's worth it.
Why add sour cream to this cake?
It substitutes some of the butter and/or milk, adding moisture while rendering a classic, tighter crumb with a velvety feel. The slight tanginess offsets the sugar and other rich ingredients, like butter. I personally love using sour cream for cakes; it makes a difference.
- Lady O ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This cake is most certainly a keeper for every occasion! Moist and delicious!
- Beulah ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Hello Paula, I baked this cake & as you stated, it was a winner for its moistness & lemony! My husband begged me to hide it cause he couldn't stop eating it!🙂
Thanks for sharing, especially the extra tips!!!
- Malia ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Fantastic recipe. This is the lightest, yet buttery dense, pound cake! It's hard to describe, except for YUM!!
Testing notes
Paula's baking tips that make a difference.
Creaming: It's important to cream the butter, sour cream and sugar well at the beginning so the cake rises better.
Sift the flour. It adds air to the batter and helps to create a good, dense crumb.
Pan size is important because dense cakes take a while to bake. If the pan is too small, the cake will color and dry too much on the outside before being fully baked on the inside.
Don't overbake it! The second the tester or toothpick comes out clean, remove the pan from the oven.
Bundt cake: you can easily double this recipe and bake it in a bundt pan or tube pan. I do it all the time.
FAQ
The first one has more butter than eggs, while the second should have equal amounts (by weight). Nowadays, pound cakes have gotten lighter and easier to make, and most don't maintain the exact proportions as the very old ones, which were a pound of each ingredient (flour, butter, sugar, and eggs).
Not creaming well and overmixing can lead to a heavy, stiff pound cake, especially after adding the flour. Make sure you beat at a low speed after you add the dry ingredients, or do it by hand with a whisk or silicone spatula. Pound cakes should have a tight crumb but not be pasty or heavy.
Ingredients
Quantities are listed on the recipe card towards the end of this post. The Ingredients page has more details and lists the brands I use.
- Sour cream: the regular type; full-fat sour cream cheese is used for richness and creaminess.
- Fresh lemon juice and zest: the bottled stuff just doesn't give you the same fresh flavor. Zest the lemon close to using it.
- All-purpose flour or cake flour: both are excellent and get great results.
- Baking soda: make sure it isn't expired.
- Powdered sugar: also called icing or confectioners' sugar.
Steps to make lemon pound cake
Baking is all in the details, like having room-temperature ingredients when specified in the recipe.
- Mixing the batter: I use a large bowl and an electric mixer, and you can use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Make sure you don't overbeat it after the flour mixture is added.
- Loaf pan: prepare it beforehand as specified in the recipe card below.
- Preheated oven: it's crucial if you want the cake to bake and rise as it should.
Creaming
Use a large bowl and an electric mixer, or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Take the time to fully integrate the butter, sour cream and sugar before adding the eggs. It should take several minutes.
Sifting the dry ingredients
You can do it in a separate bowl, or have the flour mixture measured and ready to sift directly over the cake batter (my choice).
Paula's Tip
After incorporating flour into a cake batter, you don't want to develop gluten, as it will toughen the baked cake. So mix *just* until it's all well incorporated, but don't overbeat. Also, I like to end mixing with a silicone spatula to ensure the ingredients are fully integrated.
Last mix with a spatula
I like (and recommend) using a spatula at the end to make sure the batter is fully integrated and no flour spots are left at the bottom of the bowl.
Prepared pan
Grease the pan and also line the bottom and two short sides of the pan with a piece of parchment paper. It will be easier to remove the cake and also reduce the chance of it sticking.
Delicious lemon glaze
The most common and best way to glaze this sour cream pound cake loaf is with a powdered sugar glaze. It's versatile, easy, and a crowd-pleaser!
Thicker glaze: use less liquid if you want it to be thick but not drip much down the sides (like this zucchini bundt cake).
Drizzle the glaze
You can spoon it over the loaf cake or pour it from a jar. Do so slowly, making sure it's distributed as evenly as possible. It will drip unevenly, and that is fine.
Cold cake: make sure it's completely cooled down. Otherwise, the glaze will melt and thin out when you drizzle it and hardly cover the cake.
Extra moist lemon cake
This is a pound cake, so it's dense by definition.
But you can add lemon syrup before the glaze, while the cake is still hot. Just like we do for the lemon poppy seed muffins.
Mix ¼ cup of fresh lemon juice with 2-3 tablespoons of sugar and brush over the cake just as it comes out of the oven. You can also poke it with a skewer or something similar so the syrup seeps into the cake faster.
Serving ideas
If you want a lemon dessert, serve a thick slice topped with sweetened whipped cream or the classic lemon curd, and fresh berries.
Make a trifle using the same ingredients and layering them in individual glasses (like the creamy peach trifle recipe) or as a stunning centerpiece in a large glass trifle bowl.
Variations
- Possible pan sizes: double the recipe and bake it in a 10- or 12-cup bundt or tube cake pan like the lemon bundt cake, or a sheet cake in a 9x13 rectangular pan. Bake mini bundt cakes like blood orange cakes or chocolate Kahlua cakes.
- Flavorings: add other citruses (I sometimes make this a lemon-lime loaf), add a tablespoon of liquor (replacing some of the lemon juice), use ground spices (cardamom, cinnamon), and add ½ cup of chopped nuts or chocolate chips.
- Chocolate glaze: the combination of lemon and chocolate is highly overrated. Cover this lemon loaf with chocolate ganache and taste for yourself.
- Vanilla pound cake: if you omit the lemon in this recipe and use more vanilla extract, you have a fantastic plain pound cake recipe.
Lemon Pound Cake (sour cream, lemon glaze)
Ingredients
Lemon cake:
- 9 tablespoons unsalted butter, ½ cup + 1 tablespoon, at room temperature
- ½ cup sour cream, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest, from about 1 lemon
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 3 eggs, at room temperature
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 ⅔ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Lemon sugar glaze:
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Instructions
Make the cake batter:
- Preheat oven to 325ºF (170°C). Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan with shortening and flour it. You can line it with a strip of parchment paper covering the bottom and the two narrow sides to make it easier to remove the cake. The two long sides are greased but unlined.
- Beat 9 tablespoons unsalted butter and ½ cup sour cream in a large bowl until smooth, about 1 minute.
- Add 1 teaspoon lemon zest and mix.
- Add 1 ½ cups sugar gradually and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes more.
- Add 3 eggs, one at a time, incorporating each one before adding the next.
- Add ½ teaspoon vanilla extract and 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice.
- Sift 1 ⅔ cups all-purpose flour with ¼ teaspoon baking soda and ¼ teaspoon salt and add it to the butter mixture in 2 additions, beating at low speed only until well mixed. Don't overbeat.
- Pour batter into the pan and smooth the top.
- Bake for about 45-50 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean. It might take longer depending on your oven and the type of pan you use. If the top is browning too quickly, tent with a piece of aluminum foil for the last part of the baking.
- Cool for 10-15 minutes on a wire rack, run a smooth-bladed knife around the edges to loosen and remove from the pan carefully.
- Let cool completely before glazing.
Make the powdered sugar glaze:
- Mix ¾ cup powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice until smooth.
- Put the cake on a wire rack and a piece of parchment paper below to catch the drippings. Slowly drizzle the glaze along the center of the cake, letting it drip down the sides.
- You can scoop the glaze that drips onto the paper and pour it over again. Do so quickly before the glaze sets.
Deborah says
This recipe worked great for me! I doubled it and adjusted only slightly for high altitude by reducing the baking soda, adding extra flour and reducing the temperature slightly (I am at 6,000 ft) and it was delicious! My kids devoured it after school. Thank you for such a nice treat!
Paula Montenegro says
So happy to read this Deborah! I don't know much about high altitude baking, but really glad it worked out so well. Have a great week!
Shirley. Huie says
This recipe sounds delicious. I particularly appreciate the high altitude adjustments from Deborah. I knew about the addition of flour but did not know about reducing the amount of baking soda. I love the combination of lemon and blue berries and wonder if I could add fresh blueberries here without affecting the consistency of the cake.
Paula Montenegro says
Hi Shirley! I never tried this one with blueberries, but it's a dense batter so there should be no issues. I would add 3/4 cup or so. The recipe that does work with blueberries is the Strawberry Pound Cake to which you can also add lemon zest instead of only vanilla.
Sally says
The absolute best pound cake I’ve ever made! I set the timer for 45 checked it with a long toothpick. Being a novice cook for 47 years, my better judgment told me to leave in the oven the extra 10-12 mins. When the toothpick comes out clean, it’s done!
Paula Montenegro says
SO happy to heat that Sally! All ovens are different so we should always follow recipes while trusting our instincts. Have a great week.
Candace says
I tried the recipe to the letter 3 times each time and it never came out. The edges were done, but the middle was never done. I let the 2nd and 3rd bake a bit longer than the time allotted and still no good result. Will try another recipe.
Paula Montenegro says
Hi Candance, sorry to hear that! Do you know if the oven temperature is working? It sounds like an oven issue. I made it lots of times and there are a lot of pictures posted on Pinterest with people that made it and it came out well.
Beau Barrett says
The problem is your oven is too hot! It's the reason why people are frustrated with the pies and cookies they make. Go to a gourmet store and by a quality oven thermomiter. Most ovens are too hot- even new ones can change unnoticed. Also remember cooking is art- baking is science.. Keep an eye on what you are baking. I wrecked many cookies and pies by following baking instructions. It comes out when IT'S ready. God Bless! Beau.
Brigitte Hanson says
I agree with turning down the heat and baking longer. I had 2 different loaf pans. One dark and one lighter, the darker pan took 55 min and the lighter pan 60 min at 350 degrees. In order to have the center done the edges were overdone even covered with foil. The rise wasn't great either. I think I'll stick to my old recipe where you introduce the sour cream alternating with the flour.
Paula Montenegro says
I will have to try this recipe with that technique and see how it goes. Have a good week Brigette!
Matt says
I have made a similar recipe many times, but I lost it, and this version is really close. One thing that I was taught at a catering company was to add the sour cream at the end, I think because of the fat content overwhelming the fat/sugar balance in the creaming process. I wonder if that matters? So you'd cream the sugar/butter, then add half of the sour cream, then half of the flour/dry mix, remaining half of the sour cream and then the last half of flour. I was told to always end with flour.
Is there a reason you cream the sour cream with the butter?
PS: the discussion on flour weight variance above- the problem with using a measuring cup measurement for flour is people scoop their cups differently and get different amounts of air- so if you say you used x grams by weight, that's always a more reliable number than cups, and I appreciate the weight option. So few Americans do it and it's such an unnecessary variable- we need to be more modern and use a scale and be precise. Weight is also a lot faster to measure than scoops.
Paula Montenegro says
Hi Matt! Thanks for your comment.
The first time I made this cake I mixed butter and sour cream together and it turned out so well that I continue to do it this way. But I agree about adding it alternating with the flour as a wet ingredients. I do that in many other recipes that ask for sour cream. I'm thinking the cake will turn out fine either way, but I've never really tried both with this particular recipe.
About the flour weight, I know that google shows 125g as the first option sometimes when you search for it, but it also shows a tablespoon being 8 or 9 grams. So that will make a cup be between 128g and 144g. I've weighted it hundreds of times, and usually go back and weight it again when I get that question, to make sure I'm not making a mistake. I use the scoop and swipe method. This is a futile conversation many times with readers. I use the metric system on a daily basis, I don't live in the US, and also post recipes in Spanish, so I always had to make the conversion in order to write them in that language.
Anyway, I put a lot of thought and effort when posting a recipe, and more times than not what bothers is the way people assume the mistake is always with the blogger. It's a part of what I do. Have a great week!
Bobby says
I made this cake. I followed the recipe to the T, it turned out perfectly.
I used 2 stone loaf pans. The cook time was about 1 hour. I bake until internal temp reached 210 degrees. I think because it’s a dense cake you will have to use a temp gauge. It rose very well and has a small crumb. The flavor is perfect.
Paula Montenegro says
So happy to hear that Bobby! Dense cakes vary in the baking time depending on the oven, it's sometimes hard to explain in a written recipe. A temp gauge is a good idea. Have a happy New year!
Chris jones says
I am sure the 240 grams of flour is not correct I made this cake yesterday using grams not cups the batter was very thick, as I was preparing the ingredients I was thinking that’s a lot of flour but didn’t bother to check the conversion.
Paula Montenegro says
Hi Chris! I'm wondering how the cake turned out?
The batter is thick. A cup of flour is 140g, can be 135g sometimes.
I measure and weigh ingredients personally, I don't google it. I don't live in the US and I use the metric system. So I'm pretty familiar with it. Hope this helps.
Ayako Goto says
I am pretty sure that 1C flour is 125g.
I measure and weight it.
Paula Montenegro says
Hi Ayako, I do measure and weight it myself also (I use the metric system where I live) and it's always between 135g and 140g.
Ayako Goto says
And 1tablespoon of flour is 8 gram.
Jo auBuchon says
I haven't tasted it yet but I wish that the juice measurement was a little more exact than "juice of half a lemon". What size lemon? I used a medium sized lemon and felt that it was the reason that my cake took 56 minutes to attain an internal temp of 210. At 45 minutes, it was still raw inside.
Paula Montenegro says
Hi Jo, I added 2 tablespoons so it's easier. Let me know how it tasted.
Jo says
Thanks so much! The first loaf I made tastes great just took longer to bake.
Paula Montenegro says
So glad about that! Oven and pans are different around the world even though it might seem not like a big issue sometimes, but they are, and 350° should be exact everywhere, sometimes there are differences in the way the ovens are calibrated or the type of material the pan is made of. So 5-10 minutes differences, in a cake for example, are more common than one might think. Have a great week Jo and thanks for writing back, it helps a lot to troubleshoot!
LeLo says
This Cake is Heaven. I reduce the amount of sugar (only 200g). This cake is the fave of my whole family. Thank you for sharing.
Deb says
The best! I made it with limes rather than lemons, because that was what I had. Nevertheless, it was delicious! Thank you for posting.
Paula Montenegro says
Great to hear that Deb!
Barbara Fallon says
I’m not a dessert baker but thought I’d give this recipe a try. The flavor was wonderful but mine also didn’t rise like the picture, took about 10 min longer to bake and was a little dense. Looking at your other pound cake recipes as well as other sources I wonder if the 1/4 tsp of baking soda is a typo. No other recipes use so little.
Paula Montenegro says
Hi Barbara, I checked the recipe again and it's fine, and I know many made it and it turned out well as they posted the finished cakes on Pinterest.
But common issues for dense cakes might be over beating, oven temperature not right, smaller pan size so the cake can't rise properly, takes too long to bake, and dries out a bit. Ingredients at room t° are also important so the batter mixes well. Does this help?
Andy says
So delicious! Was super easy to make!
Lesa says
Delicious! Mine did not rise in the middle as high as pictured. I used a 9x4 pan? Wondering if it didn’t need a 1/2 tsp if baking soda as opposed to 1/4?
Paula Montenegro says
Hi Lesa, thanks for the comment. I think the oven plays a big part in how cakes rise many times. The baking soda I agree it might need less.
Becca says
Ok this was definitely delicious! I would make a couple of tweaks when making again, though. Mine was definitely not set in the middle after 45 minutes and I had to cook it an additional 20+. The outside crusts were beautiful and set though and I think I over cooked them a bit by the time I as done! I might try cooking at 325 for one hour and see where that lands me next time. I also greased my pans and lined with parchment, and that worked beautifully! Definitely a solid recipe which I'll be making again! (I'm also curious whether the additional butter and flour is for the pan - your recipe wasn't clear but I noticed those amounts were not doubled in the doubled versions...so might might have had too much flour and butter. (Oh well!)
Paula Montenegro says
First, I'm so glad you liked it! It's definitely one of my favorite recipes. I sometimes make it lemon-lime and it's amazing too.
If by additional you mean the tablespoons of flour and butter they are part of the whole amount. I think it might not be clear enough, I'll check out how to change that. And as for the baking time, ovens and pan materials play such a big part that it's hard to give an exact time. Thanks for the comment Becca!
Natalie says
Oh wow.. this pound cake looks so moist and delicious. Flavorful and perfect. I will definitely make this to accompany my afternoon tea. Saved!
SHANIKA says
This Lemon Sour Cream Pound Cakes looks so good and this flavor combo sounds killer! I always like a little crunch on top and this looks like such a winner!
Claire | The Simple, Sweet Life says
This pound cake looks so delicious! And all of your great tips make it sound like a breeze to make. Can't wait to give it a try!
Kate says
Oh wow I can tell just from the pictures how soft and tender this cake is, not too dense and not too light! And the photos are really beautiful too!
Amy says
I love how you used sour cream in this loaf! It gives the cake a delicious, moist texture! The combo with the sweet lemon just sends the flavors over the moon. Thanks for the recipe!
Kushigalu says
I am drooling over this cake. So delicious. I have to try this soon.