Lemon Pound Cake (the BEST recipe)
This sweet, moist lemon pound cake with sour cream has a perfectly dense crumb, that bright lemon flavor we all love and a wonderful golden brown top. It is easy to make, versatile (variations are included in the post) and fantastic with a simple glaze!
Servings 8 servings
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 9 tablespoons unsalted butter 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
For the glaze:
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 1 or 2 tablespoons lemon juice
Instructions
For the cake:
- Preheat oven to 325ºF (170°C). Grease a 9x4-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. It's what I do as it makes it easier to remove the cake.
- 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.
For the glaze:
- Mix ¾ cup powdered sugar and 1 or 2 tablespoons 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.
Notes
Baking time: keep in mind that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look the same or very similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as it can be, but it might take you more or less time. You can use a thermometer that is placed inside the oven to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend you keep track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
Pan size: it's important because dense cakes such as this lemon pound cake take a while to bake. So, if the pan is too small, it will color and dry too much on the outside before being fully baked.
Storing it: well wrapped it keeps for 3 days at room temperature, a week in the fridge, and a month or more in the freezer. I love to freeze leftover pound cake in slices so I can toast them whenever I get a craving.
Make a bundt cake: you can easily double this recipe and bake it in a bundt pan or tube pan. I do it all the time.