Lemon Pound Cake

My lemon pound cake is moist and tangy, with all the sweet flavors of a Starbucks lemon loaf, only better. This easy lemon cake recipe has lush homemade lemon curd swirled right into the batter, and plenty of fresh lemon zest in every bite.

In classic pound cake fashion, this cake is rich and dense, yet nicely balanced with the brightness of the lemon and sweet limoncello glaze. Enjoy a slice of zesty lemon pound cake in the summertime with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. So delicious! I’ll even double up on the fruity flavors with a drizzle of strawberry syrup. It’s the perfect summer treat to bring to brunches, barbecues, and picnics.

Why Make This Lemon Pound Cake With Lemon Glaze

If you love lemon desserts as much as I do, prepare to be hooked by this luscious lemon pound cake! Here are just a few reasons to love it:

• Homemade lemon curd. This pound cake is swirled with ribbons of my homemade lemon curd recipe throughout a soft, buttery lemon crumb. It’s easy to make from scratch!
• Limoncello glaze. I make a super simple lemon pound cake glaze from powdered sugar and limoncello liqueur. It’s a delicious, boozy twist with loads of sweet, lemony flavor. Of course, you can opt to make a lemon glaze sans alcohol if you prefer. 
• Perfect for brunch or dessert. This pound cake is versatile enough to make for a light afternoon treat, a sweet addition at brunch, or an easy dessert to take along to any occasion. 

What You’ll Need

Traditional pound cake recipes are made with one pound each of flour, butter, sugar, and eggs. Rather than a full pound of each ingredient, I’ve adapted this lemon pound cake for most kitchens using the ingredients below. Scroll for the full recipe details in the recipe card.

• Eggs – Bring the eggs to room temperature.
• Milk – You can use whole milk or 2% milk in this recipe; either one is fine.
• Sugar – For the most consistent results, use regular granulated sugar.
• Lemon Zest – Fresh lemon zest is a must! You’ll get the best flavor from lemons when they’re in season. Plus, you can juice the lemons afterward to make the glaze.
• Vanilla – Skip the imitation vanilla and stick with real vanilla extract or vanilla paste. The flavor is so much better!
• Oil – I add liquid coconut oil to my cake batter, though another type of oil, like vegetable oil, will also work. Adding oil in place of butter yields a lighter, more tender cake crumb.
• Baking Powder and Salt – For leavening. Check the expiration date on the baking powder to make sure it’s fresh.
• Flour – I recommend using all-purpose flour. Spoon and level the flour if you don’t have a kitchen scale. This avoids overmeasuring, which makes the cake dry.
• Lemon Curd – I use my homemade lemon curd. So dreamy! If you’re pressed for time, you can also use your favorite brand of store-bought lemon curd.
• Powdered Sugar – You’ll whip together an easy glaze using powdered sugar, also called confectioner’s sugar, combined with lemon liqueur or lemon juice.
• Limoncello – This is an Italian lemon liqueur made from lemon zest and sugar with a sweet, intense lemon flavor. You’ll find limoncello in most liquor stores throughout the US. If you don’t have it or aren’t a fan, use a bit of fresh lemon juice and/or zest instead to amp up the lemon flavor in the glaze.

How to Make This Lemon Pound Cake

Follow the steps below to make this easy lemon loaf from scratch.

• Prep the pan. While the oven preheats to 350ºF, grease and line your loaf pan. I recommend lining the pan with a piece of parchment paper cut to fit into the bottom of the pan, long enough so that the edges hang over each end. This makes it easy to lift the pound cake from the pan once it’s baked.

• Mix the cake batter. First, whisk together the eggs, milk, sugar, lemon zest, and vanilla into a smooth batter. Next, stream in the coconut oil while continuing to whisk, then add the baking powder and salt. Lastly, stir in the flour. It’s fine if your batter looks a bit lumpy, be careful that you don’t overmix!

• Assemble. Add about 3/4 of the cake batter to your prepared pan. Drizzle the batter with half of the lemon curd, and then add the remaining batter and another drizzle of curd. Take care that the curd doesn’t touch the edges of the pan, as the sugar will burn if it bakes against the hot sides. 
• Swirl and bake. Use a butter knife to swirl the lemon curd lightly through the batter. Then, bake the lemon pound cake at 350ºF for 50-55 minutes, then leave it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Afterward, lift the cake out of the pan and place it on a wire rack.

Add the Pound Cake Glaze

• Prepare the glaze. Make a quick lemon glaze by combining powdered sugar with a couple of spoonfuls of limoncello (or lemon juice). Whisk until you reach a smooth consistency. Pour the glaze over the pound cake while the cake is still slightly warm.
• Cool. Let the cake finish cooling before slicing and serving. See below for some of my favorite serving ideas.

Tips for a Perfect Lemon Loaf

• You can make this pound cake in a bundt pan. Be sure to generously grease and flour the pan so that your lemon bundt cake pops out easily.
• Use fresh lemon juice. I’m talking freshly squeezed. Don’t use bottled lemon juice, as the flavor just won’t be the same. And while you’re at it, don’t skip the lemon zest!
• Keep the curd away from the edges of the pan. I mentioned it earlier, but try your best not to let the lemon curd touch the sides of the pan when you’re swirling it in. This way, the sugars won’t burn.
• If the lemon glaze for your pound cake is too thin, whisk in additional powdered sugar a little at a time to thicken it. If it’s too thick, add more Limoncello to get it to a pourable consistency.
• Pound cake is meant to be a little dense. However, it shouldn’t be dry or heavy. If your pound cake is dry, this could be the result of overbaking or because you added too much flour. 
• On that note, make sure to measure the ingredients correctly. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, I recommend the spoon-and-sweep method, where you spoon ingredients like flour into your measuring cup and use the back of a knife to level it off.

Variation Ideas

Looking to change things up with your lemon pound cake? Try these easy recipe variations:

• Substitute the lemon curd: If you’re looking to substitute the lemon curd in this recipe, try lemon pie filling or lemon marmalade instead.
• Different fruit preserves: You can also replace the lemon filling altogether with fruit jam or preserves like strawberry jam, or raspberry jam for a lemon raspberry cake.
• Add berries: For even more summery vibes, add fresh seasonal blueberries for an easy lemon blueberry pound cake. Tossing your berries in flour before folding them into the batter will help to keep them from settling at the bottom of the cake. 
• Add poppy seeds: Stir in poppy seeds for a variation of my lemon poppy seed pound cake.
• Skip the glaze: If you’d prefer to leave your pound cake unglazed, you can always dust the top with powdered sugar instead.

How to Store Lemon Pound Cake

• Store airtight. Keep your lemon pound cake airtight at room temperature for up to 4 days. Pound cake has a tendency to dry out when stored in the fridge.
• Freeze. Once the glazed cake is completely cooled, wrap your pound cake tightly in plastic wrap, plus a layer of foil. You can freeze this cake whole or in easy grab-and-go slices. Freeze it for up to 3 months, and defrost the cake at room temperature before serving.

More Lemon Desserts to Try

• Lemon Cooler Cookies
• Lemon Sheet Cake
• Pistachio Lemon Bundt Cake
• Lemon Chiffon Cake
• Lemon Cream Pie