We don’t discriminate when it comes to our love of sweets and baked goods, but we will say: there’s a special spot in our hearts reserved for any deliciously tart, lemon dessert. This pound cake is out of this world and has left us (drooling and) wanting more! The basics of this cake will serve you in just about any situation and you can cater it to what you have on hand (classic pound caked, spiced cake, apple cake, etc), but the lemon is definitely our favorite. It tastes amazing on its own, but the glaze which only takes a minute or two to whip up makes the whole thing a showstopper!
Any time you need a break from those heavy desserts, try this lemon pound cake instead: it’s filling enough to jumpstart your day and light enough to be the perfect note to end dinner on. This cake is a winner through and through!
Lemon Pound Cake
Yields 2 loaves
Ingredients
Cake:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, divided
- 3-4 lemons, zested
- 5 eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Glaze:
- 2-2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350º F and butter and flour two, 8-inch loaf pans. Shake out excess flour and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- In a large bowl or mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. 4-5 minutes.
- One at a time, add eggs, waiting until each is fully incorporated before adding the next. Then pour in vanilla extract.
- In a small bowl, combine buttermilk and lemon juice and whisk together.
- Alternate between adding 1/3 cup flour mixture and 2-3 tablespoons buttermilk, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Mix until just incorporated.
- Gently fold in lemon zest.
- Pour batter evenly into loaf pans and smooth over the tops. Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
- Remove from oven, run a knife around the edge of the loaf pan and turn cakes out to cool.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together lemon juice and powdered sugar until smooth, with no lumps remaining.
- Pour mixture on top of loaves and let drizzle down the sides.
Recipe adapted from Plain Chicken