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If you are a lemon lover like us, you MUST put this lemon pound cake with lemon glaze on your to-do list – like today!

We ALWAYS have lemons in the house. We add them to water, soda, and of course, make some great desserts with lemons as well.

If you’re a fan of fruity desserts, you’ll love this cake. It’s a flavorful spin on Cream Cheese Pound Cake, similar to our Lemon Bundt Cake. But, this recipe is a little lighter with a tasty lemon glaze!

We love Lemon Bars and Lemon Cupcakes, but this pound cake is also a favorite!

Why we think you’ll love it:

  • Lemon glaze. While the naked cake would be good on its own, adding some lemon glaze really kicks it up a notch! 
  • Sweet and tart. It’s tender, moist, and has just the right amount of sweet lemony flavor!
  • The prep is EASY! Just 10 minutes to mix the batter, then bake it! The glaze is also a breeze, making this a favorite easy dessert.

Lemon Pound Cake with Lemon Glaze Ingredients and Substitutions

Cake

  • 1 cup butter, softened – see How to Soften Butter Quickly
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 4 large eggs Room temperature eggs will incorporate better than cold eggs.
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour – You can also use cake flour. Either way, be sure to measure the flour properly.
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup buttermilk – or learn How to Make Buttermilk
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest, freshly grated The peel of a medium lemon can produce 1 tablespoon of zest. See How to Zest a Lemon for tips.
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice – A medium-sized lemon can produce 2-3 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice, which is perfect for this recipe.

Glaze

  • 1¼ cups powdered sugar sifted
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice freshly squeezed
  • 1-2 tablespoons milk
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How to Make Lemon Pound Cake with Lemon Glaze

  1. PREP. Heat oven to 325°F. Grease and flour a bundt pan; set aside.
  2. BATTER. In a large bowl, combine sugar and butter at medium speed, scraping the bowl often, until creamy. Continue beating, adding 1 egg at a time, until well mixed.
    • In a medium bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
    • On low speed alternately add the flour mixture and the buttermilk and scrape the sides of the bowl often, until well mixed. Add lemon zest and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Beat until combined.
  3. BAKE. Spoon the cake batter into a prepared pan. Bake for 55-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Invert onto a serving plate; cool completely.
  4. GLAZE. Stir the powdered sugar, 2 teaspoons of lemon juice, and enough milk for desired glazing consistency in a small bowl.
    • Drizzle over the cooled cake. Add as much or as little as you like.
  • To achieve the perfect pound cake use our top tips: make sure all of your ingredients are room temperature, don’t overmix, use real butter, and don’t rush the baking process! 
  • Instead of lemon glaze, pipe on thicker lemon frosting or add Whipped Cream with fresh berries to each slice.
  • We love using a decorative bundt pan or a tube pan, which has smooth sides. Just be sure to properly grease and flour the pan to keep the cake from sticking.
  • If you would rather make this pound cake in a loaf pan, you will need two standard 9×5-inch bread loaf pans and bake them at 325°F for about 55-65 minutes.
Lemon pound cake with lemon glaze on a white plate.
4.98 from 39 votes

Lemon Pound Cake with Lemon Glaze

By: on lilluna.com
This bright, zesty lemon pound cake with lemon glaze has a tender crumb and a quick prep. It's the perfect sun-shiny treat!
Servings: 12
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 55 minutes
Total: 1 hour 5 minutes

Ingredients 

Cake

  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup buttermilk
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest, freshly grated
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Glaze

  • cups powdered sugar
  • 2 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1-2 tablespoons milk

Instructions 

  • Heat oven to 325°F. Grease and flour a bundt pan; set aside
  • In a large bowl, combine sugar and butter at medium speed, scraping the bowl often, until creamy. Continue beating, adding 1 egg at a time, until well mixed.
  • In a medium bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  • On low speed alternately add the flour mixture and the buttermilk and scrape the bowl often, until well mixed. Add lemon zest and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Continue beating until combined.
  • Spoon batter into prepared pan. Bake for 55-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Invert onto a serving plate; cool completely.
  • For the glaze, stir powdered sugar, 2 teaspoons of lemon juice, and enough milk for desired glazing consistency in a small bowl. Drizzle over the cooled cake.

Video

Notes

Recipe Tips.
  • To achieve the perfect pound cake make sure all of your ingredients are room temperature, don’t overmix, use real butter, and don’t rush the baking process! 
  • Instead of lemon glaze, pipe on thicker lemon frosting or add Whipped Cream with fresh berries to each slice.
  • We love using a decorative bundt pan or a tube pan, which has smooth sides. Just be sure to properly grease and flour the pan to keep the cake from sticking.
  • If you would rather make this pound cake in a loaf pan, you will need two standard 9×5-inch bread loaf pans and bake them at 325°F for about 55-65 minutes.
Bake ahead of time and store covered at room temperature for 1-2 days, or wrap it with plastic and again with foil and freeze for 3 months. Add Lemon glaze before serving.
Store leftovers covered or in an airtight container(s) at room temperature for 3-4 days, in the fridge for about 5 days, or in the freezer for 2-3 months.

Nutrition

Calories: 458kcal, Carbohydrates: 70g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 17g, Saturated Fat: 10g, Cholesterol: 97mg, Sodium: 322mg, Potassium: 99mg, Sugar: 46g, Vitamin A: 575IU, Vitamin C: 1.5mg, Calcium: 45mg, Iron: 1.7mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Recipe FAQ

To remove the cake from the pan?

Let the cake cool, tap the pan firmly a few times, and shake it gently to help loosen the cake. Invert the pan onto a rack, lift the pan, and let the cake continue to cool on the rack before serving.

Make ahead of time?

Bake the lemon cake ahead of time and store it covered at room temperature for 1-2 days, or wrap it with plastic and again with foil and freeze for 3 months. Add lemon glaze before serving.

How to store?

Store leftovers covered or in an airtight container(s) at room temperature for 3-4 days, in the fridge for about 5 days, or in the freezer for 2-3 months.

This recipe was originally published March 2016.

About Kristyn

Kristyn Merkley is a published cookbook author, wife, mom of six, and major food enthusiast! For the past 15 years, she has been sharing foolproof, family-friendly recipes—each one tested in her kitchen—that anyone can master. As a seasoned recipe creator, she loves making cooking simple, stress-free, and totally doable for everyone!

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4.98 from 39 votes (13 ratings without comment)

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50 Comments

  1. Zobug says:

    5 stars
    Hey! I just wanted to ask, what would happen if I used oranges instead of lemons?

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      I haven’t made this one as an orange pound cake, but I imagine it would be delicious!! Swap the lemon zest and juice for orange. You’ll have to let us know how it turns out of it you!

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