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Lemon Lovers Pound Cake

This Lemon Lovers Pound Cake is a beloved family recipe. Rich and buttery with a burst of lemon flavor it can be served drizzled with a sweet lemon glaze or with a light dusting of powdered sugar. It makes the ideal accompaniment to a cup of hot tea or java or as the sweet ending for your meal.

Lemon Lovers Pound Cake

Easy Lemon Lovers Pound Cake Recipe

This cake is a family tradition. It’s been handed down by our great Aunt who loved all of her nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews, as if we were all her own grandchildren. This is her famous lemon pound cake recipe and none of our family get togethers would be complete without this pound cake on the dessert table. It’s a tried and true slice of lemon lovers heaven and the cake I use in my famous Outrageous Lemon Lovers Trifle. How to make Lemon Lovers Pound Cake: (Scroll down for full printable recipe.)

  • Prepare Pan – Preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously butter and flour a 2-piece tube pan and set aside.
  • Dry Ingredients – Sift together the flour, pudding mix, baking powder and salt, set aside.
  • Creamed Ingredients – Beat together the sugar, melted butter, vegetable oil, lemon zest, lemon and vanilla extracts.
  • Eggs – Add the eggs one at a time beating well after each addition.
  • Combine – Begin to add the sifted dry ingredients alternately with the milk. Mix well.
  • After all of the ingredients have been added increase the speed of the mixer and beat on medium speed for 1-2 minutes stopping to scrape the bowl periodically. The batter will be thick and creamy.
  • Transfer to Pan – Pour into the prepared tube pan. Bounce the cake pan on the counter a few times to remove any air bubbles and settle the batter.
  • Oven – Move the oven rack to the lower third of the oven. Bake for approximately 1 hour and 15-20 minutes. Test the center with a toothpick and if it shows moist crumbs, remove from the oven.
  • Cool in the tube pan for 20 minutes then remove the outer ring from the pan and cool completely on a cooling rack.
  • Make the Glaze – Mix the heavy cream, lemon juice and lemon zest into the powdered sugar.
  • Mix until the powdered sugar is dissolved and there are no lumps. Add additional lemon juice, if needed to thin for drizzling.
  • Drizzle over the cake then slice and enjoy!
ingredients to make Lemon Pound Cake

How to Make the Best Lemon Lovers Pound Cake

This homemade pound cake freezes like a dream making it ideal for make-ahead preparation. Regardless if you choose to serve it topped with fresh berries and whipped cream or with a simple dusting of powdered sugar, either way it’s a win. I’ve included a lemon glaze recipe for you, too.

  • Ingredients you’ll need to make this recipe for Lemon Lovers Pound Cake: All purpose flour, 1 box instant lemon pudding mix, baking powder, salt, granulated sugar, butter, vegetable oil, lemon extract, freshly grated lemon zest, eggs and milk or buttermilk.
  • To make the cake batter, an electric mixer is a must to cream together the ingredients. You can use a stand mixer or a hand mixer, whatever you have on hand. You’ll also need a large mixing bowl, a medium size mixing bowl and a whisk to sift the dry ingredients together, plus a small bowl to melt the butter.  Also, measuring cups and spoons, a citrus zester and a tube pan with a removable bottom, sometimes called an angel food pan. If you have a tube pan without a removeable bottom you can use it, of course.
  • Butter and flour the cake pan or spray liberally with baking spray to prevent the cake from sticking.
  • An alternate pan you can use is a large 12 cup Bundt pan.
  • Lemon pudding mix adds a beautiful flavor, moist texture and tender crumb to the cake. I recommend that you use it. If for any reason you need to omit the pudding you can, but it will change the texture of the cake.
  • If you’d like to add fresh berries, checkout my recipe for Lemon Raspberry Sour Cream Pound Cake.
  • You can store this lemon lovers pound cake at room temperature or chilled in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Always store in an air tight container or wrap with plastic wrap and aluminum foil.
  • This scratch made lemon pound cake freezes extremely well. Bake and cool completely then wrap in freezer safe wrap. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Lemon Lovers Pound Cake on a cake stand

Best Lemon Desserts to Make

Lemon is always a popular choice and you may enjoy trying these recipes also found in the recipe index here on my site.

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Helpful Kitchen Items:

Lemon Lovers Pound Cake

Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 20 minutes
Cooling time4 hours
Total Time5 hours 35 minutes
Course: Cake, Dessert
Cuisine: American, Southern
Keyword: lemon-lovers-pound-cake, lemon-pound-cake-recipe, southern-pound-cake-recipe
Servings: 16 slices
Calories: 454kcal
Author: Melissa Sperka

Ingredients

  • 3 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 3.4 oz box instant lemon pudding mix
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 3 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 cup salted butter melted
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 Tbsp lemon zest
  • 2 tsp lemon extract
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla
  • 5 large eggs
  • 1 cup of milk
  • Creamy lemon glaze:
  • 2 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 Tbsp heavy cream
  • 2 tsp lemon zest
  • 1 cup powdered sugar

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Move the oven rack to the lower third of the oven. Generously butter and flour a 2-piece tube pan and set aside.
  • Use a whisk to sift together the flour, pudding mix, baking powder and salt, set aside.
  • In the mixing bowl of a stand mixer beat together the sugar, melted butter, vegetable oil, lemon zest, lemon and vanilla extracts over medium high speed.
  • Lower the speed of the mixer and add the eggs one at a time beating well after each addition.
  • To the bowl add the sifted dry ingredients alternately with the milk. Mix well.
  • After all of the ingredients have been added, increase the speed of the mixer and beat on medium speed for 1-2 minutes, stopping to scrape the bowl periodically. The batter will be thick and creamy.
  • Pour into the prepared tube pan. Bake for approximately 1 hour and 15-20 minutes. Test the center with a toothpick and if it shows moist crumbs, remove from the oven.
  • Cool in the tube pan for 20 minutes then remove the outer ring from the pan and cool completely on a cooling rack.
  • Lemon Glaze: In a small mixing bowl mix together the heavy cream, lemon juice and lemon zest into the powdered sugar.
  • Mix until the powdered sugar is dissolved and there are no lumps. Add additional lemon juice, if needed to thin for drizzling.
  • Drizzle over the cooled cake.

Notes

Serving suggestions: Serve with vanilla bean ice cream, fresh whipped cream, lemon curd or vanilla pastry cream and assorted berries. [raspberries, blueberries, strawberries]
My Aunt Beulah’s recipe recommends checking the cake after it’s been baking for 1 hour. Oven temperatures vary, and due to the combination of butter and oil, the top of this moist cake could over cook if not closely watched. After one hour, if the top is sufficiently browned, place a piece of aluminum foil on top to prevent over browning.

Nutrition

Serving: 1piece | Calories: 454kcal | Carbohydrates: 64g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 84mg | Sodium: 166mg | Potassium: 98mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 46g | Vitamin A: 468IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @melissassk or tag #melissassk!

 

141 Comments

  1. Hey so I messaged you in July of last year 🙂 always still using same ingredients and every time it falls ! I love love this cake , do you think I should turn up my oven I have seriously had my cake in the oven for almost 2 hours and it still seems wet inside ! I have covered it with foil but the inside is still not done ! Please help ! I think this is my 10th time making it and I do exactly the recipe 🙂

    1. If you’ve made this cake 10 times and it never gets done inside perhaps it’s your oven or the elevation where you live. If so, you will need to make those adjustments in real time.

  2. Hi,
    I’m excited to try this recipe! For my nephew’s birthday, I need to make a layered cake and then carve it to a shape. Do you think this recipe will stack and shape well? Or would you recommend a different lemon cake for that?

    1. How fun! This pound cake is dense by nature. It’s hard for me to say how it would do depending on the shape and how you’ll secure it. If you’re looking for a dense lemon cake, this pound cake certainly fits the bill. Let us know how it goes!

  3. j aimerais bien avoir une recette de gateau au cafe mais qui est gouteux et une recette creme au beurre au cafe j en n ai essaye beaucoup mais le gateau est tres sec et la creme au beurre n est pas bonne alors si tu as une recette j aimerais bien la faire et y gouter merci. Je vais faire le quatre quart au citron et la bagatelle au citron j e t en donne des nouvelles merci.

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