This moist lemon pound cake is buttery, rich, dense, yet still perfectly moist and soft, with that signature crunchy crust. It has both lemon juice and zest for that beautiful lemon flavor. Besides adding a delightful tang, the acidity of the lemon juice contributes to a more tender crumb. I've been testing this recipe for over a year and I can truly say (backed up by many taste testers) that it is the absolute best! Served with a light and vibrant blackberry sour cream whipped cream - this easy pound cake is begging to be made all summer long.
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🍋 Why you'll LOVE this recipe
- Lemoney: Tangy and zesty. This pound cake has a beautiful lemon flavor!
- Easy: Pound cake is a staple cake for good reason - It's made with only a few ingredients and is so rich and delicious!
- Texture: Dense and buttery without being dry. It has that signature crisp buttery crust! It's the perfect pound cake texture.
- Blackberry sour cream whipped cream: A light and fluffy blackberry whipped cream makes the perfect complementary topping.
📝 Key ingredients
Read through for all the tips you will need for success!
Full steps and ingredients in recipe card below.
Traditionally, pound cake is made with equal parts by weight butter, sugar, eggs, and flour. Hence the name "pound cake" as each ingredient weighed one pound. I've adjusted the ratios to produce a more moist pound cake with loads of lemon flavor.
Butter: Unsalted or salted good quality butter both work well. If you use salted butter, I recommend omitting the salt so that the pound cake isn't too salty.
Eggs and yolks: Three whole eggs and two additional yolks add richness and stability to the cake batter. I originally tested the recipe with four whole eggs and I found that it resulted in a very eggy flavor. So I replaced one egg with two yolks and it resulted in the perfect richness, texture, and flavor.
Baking powder: may be added as "assurance" that the pound cake won't collapse out of the oven into a dense brick. I prefer to add baking powder because it does help create a more tender, aerated crumb.
Sugar: I used white granulated sugar. Cane sugar will also work well.
Lemons: Occasionally, a splash of milk or cream is used to lighten up the batter as it can result in quite a dense cake. I added lemon juice instead, as it is a lemon pound cake. It adds a delightful tang and lots of moisture. You will also need the zest from the lemons for maximum lemon flavor.
All purpose flour: Weigh the flour to get the most accurate results. If you don’t have a scale, measure properly by stirring the bag and spooning gently into a measuring cup. Scrape the excess off the top with the flat edge off a knife without packing it into the cup.
Vanilla extract: A touch of vanilla adds a bit more depth to the lemon flavor of the pound cake.
Greek Yogurt: Adds a touch of moisture. But not too much that it stops tasting like pound cake! It also adds to the lemoney tang. You can also use sour cream for similar results.
👩🍳 How to make lemon pound cake
Pound cake step by step
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). In a large bowl or stand mixer, combine sugar and grated lemon zest. Rub the mixture between your fingers until fragrant and moist.
Step 2: Add butter and beat together until light and creamy, scraping down the bowl in between so it combines evenly. Then, add the salt and vanilla extract.
Step 3: Add eggs and yolks, one by one, beating in between each egg. Scrape down the bowl frequently so that everything incorporates smoothly.
Step 4: Squeeze and measure ¼ cup of lemon juice from the zested lemons. Reserve the rest of the lemon juice for the glaze and blackberry whipped cream. Add the Greek yogurt. Beat again to combine. It might split at this point but that's ok.
Step 5: Then, sift the flour and baking powder into the same bowl. Incorporate the flour on low speed. Then increase the speed and beat for five seconds. The batter should be creamy, light, and thick.
Step 6: Spray your baking loaf pan with baking spray or line with parchment paper. Transfer the batter into the loaf pan and smooth the top. Run a knife down the center of the batter.
Step 7: Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 10 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 355°F (180°C) and bake for 40 minutes. The pound cake is ready when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean with a few crumbs attached.
Step 8: Then, remove from the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the cake out of the pan by flipping it or take it out by lifting the parchment paper.
Step 9: Let the moist lemon pound cake cool completely before mixing together powdered sugar and teaspoons of lemon juice, a little bit at a time, to form a thick glaze. Color the glaze with yellow and green food coloring (optional), and glaze the cake. Let the glaze set for 10 minutes.
Blackberry whipped cream step by step
Step 1: Place half of the blackberries onto a plate and sprinkle one tablespoon of sugar on top. Mash the blackberries roughly with the back of a fork and set them aside. Add the lemon juice on top.
Step 2: In a medium sized bowl, use an electric mixer to whip the chilled cream and remaining three tablespoons of sugar to medium peaks. Then, add the sour cream and whip to stiff peaks.
Step 3: Fold the macerated blackberries into the whipped cream. Taste and add a squeeze of lemon juice or more sugar if needed.
Step 4: Cut the lemon pound cake into thick slices and serve with generous scoops of blackberry whipped sour cream.
✔️ Expert pound cake tips
- Have all the ingredients at room temperature: This ensures they blend and cream together evenly.
- Don't over bake the cake: As soon as a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean with a few crumbs attached - it's ready!
- Serve pound cake at room temperature: Since this is a butter heavy cake, it's best stored and served at room temperature for the best texture.
🥄 Make ahead and storage
This moist lemon pound cake is best stored at room temperature as the texture changes when refrigerated and served chilled. Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days. If you prefer to refrigerate it, I recommend letting the lemon pound cake come to room temperature so that the butter in the cake softens. You can also warm it up gently. You can freeze the pound cake for up to 2 months in an airtight bag or container. Likewise, let it come to room temperature or warm it up gently before serving.
I recommend making the blackberry whipped cream within 24 hours of serving it for the best texture since it is made with fresh blackberries. You can store it in the fridge until you're ready to serve.
❔ Is this a true pound cake?
Traditionally, pound cake is made with equal parts by weight butter, sugar, eggs, and flour. Hence the name "pound cake" as each ingredient weighed one pound.
However, this is a lemon pound cake, with additional lemon juice for flavor and tang. So the ratio can't stay true to the original anyways. I added a touch of yogurt to add even more tang, and a few extra egg yolks for a more tender texture. These tweaks result in a melt in your mouth pound cake texture that still stays true to a pound cake - including a crisp, buttery crust!
If you're looking for a regular lemon loaf cake recipe, I recommend my pink glazed lemon raspberry loaf cake, or my lemon zucchini drizzle bread.
📖 Recipe FAQs
Beat the sugar and butter really well. You want the texture to be very
light and fluffy. Then, every time that you add an egg, make sure that you beat the batter well! A creamy batter = a perfect pound cake texture.
Yes you can! I'd omit the additional salt in the recipe so that it's not overly salty.
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📖 Recipe
Moist Lemon Pound Cake
Equipment
- nine inch by five inch loaf pan I used a specialty lemon Nordicware pan
Ingredients
Lemon Pound Cake
- 1 ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large lemons you will need the juice and zest
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 2 large egg yolks room temperature
- 2 tablespoons Greek yogurt or sour cream, room temperature
- 1 ½ cup all purpose flour 180g
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- Food coloring optional
Blackberry Whipped Cream
- 2 packs blackberries 12oz, 340g, divided
- 4 tablespoons granulated sugar divided, add more as needed
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream chilled
- ½ cup Greek yogurt or sour cream, chilled
Instructions
Lemon Pound Cake
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). In a large bowl or stand mixer, combine sugar and grated lemon zest. Rub the mixture between your fingers until fragrant and moist.1 ¼ cup granulated sugar, 2 large lemons
- Add butter and beat together until light and creamy, scraping down the bowl in between so it combines evenly. Then, add the salt and vanilla extract.1 cup unsalted butter, ½ teaspoon sea salt, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Add eggs and yolks, one by one, beating in between each egg. Scrape down the bowl frequently so that everything incorporates smoothly.3 large eggs, 2 large egg yolks
- Squeeze and measure ¼ cup of lemon juice from the zested lemons. Reserve the rest of the lemon juice for the glaze and blackberry whipped cream. Add the Greek yogurt. Beat again to combine. It might split at this point but that's ok.2 tablespoons Greek yogurt
- Then, sift the flour and baking powder into the same bowl. Incorporate the flour on low speed. Then increase the speed and beat for five seconds. The batter should be creamy, light, and thick.1 ½ cup all purpose flour, ½ teaspoon baking powder
- Spray your baking loaf pan with baking spray or line with parchment paper. Transfer the batter into the loaf pan and smooth the top. Run a knife down the center of the batter.
- Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 10 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 355°F (180°C) and bake for 40 minutes. The pound cake is ready when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean with a few crumbs attached.
- Then, remove from the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the cake out of the pan by flipping it or take it out by lifting the parchment paper.
- Let the pound cake cool completely before mixing together powdered sugar and teaspoons of lemon juice, a little bit at a time, to form a thick glaze. Set aside 1 teaspoon of lemon juice for the blackberry whipped cream. If you don't have enough lemon juice, you can thin out the glaze with a bit of water.1 cup powdered sugar
- Color the glaze with yellow and green food coloring (optional), and glaze the cake. Let the glaze set for 10 minutes, then cut into thick slices and serve with blackberry whipped sour cream (recipe follows).Food coloring
Blackberry Whipped Cream
- Place half of the blackberries onto a plate and sprinkle one tablespoon of sugar on top. Mash the blackberries roughly with the back of a fork and set them aside. Add the lemon juice on top.2 packs blackberries, 4 tablespoons granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- In a medium sized bowl, use an electric mixer to whip the chilled cream and remaining three tablespoons of sugar to medium peaks. Then, add the sour cream and whip to stiff peaks.1 cup heavy whipping cream, ½ cup Greek yogurt
- Fold the macerated blackberries into the whipped cream. Taste and add a squeeze of lemon juice or more sugar if needed.
Notes
- Have all the ingredients for the pound cake at room temperature
- Don't overbake the cake
- Serve the pound cake at room temperature
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