The Best-Ever Lemon Pound Cake

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
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Updated on 12/20/22
Lemon pound cake
The Spruce
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 95 mins
Total: 105 mins
Servings: 16 servings

This fabulous lemon pound cake will, without a doubt, become one of your favorites. The cake is moist and filled with fresh lemon flavor.

The warm cake is brushed with a fresh lemon and sugar sauce, making it even more moist and lemony. If you're looking for a smaller cake, you might try a lemon pound cake loaf.

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Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter (softened)
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 3 cups sugar (granulated)
  • 5 large eggs (room temperature)
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour (13 1/2 ounces)
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon lemon extract
  • For the Glaze:
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Lemon Pound Cake Recipe
     The Spruce

  2. Heat the oven to 300 F. 

  3. Butter and flour a 10-inch tube cake pan.

    Lemon Pound Cake Recipe
     The Spruce

  4. Beat butter in a large bowl at medium speed with an electric hand-held mixer.

    Lemon Pound Cake Recipe
     The Spruce

  5. Gradually add oil, beating until well-blended.

    Lemon Pound Cake Recipe
     The Spruce

  6. Gradually add sugar, beating well. Continue beating for about 5 minutes, or until very light and fluffy.

    Lemon Pound Cake Recipe
     The Spruce

  7. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

    Lemon Pound Cake Recipe
     The Spruce

  8. Add flour to creamed mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour. Mix just until blended after each addition.

    Lemon Pound Cake Recipe
     The Spruce

  9. Stir in lemon extract.

    Lemon Pound Cake Recipe
    The Spruce 

  10. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly.

    Lemon Pound Cake Recipe
     The Spruce

  11. Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour and 35 minutes to 1 hour and 45 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in center of the cake comes out clean. The cake will pull away from the sides of the pan slightly.

    Lemon Pound Cake Recipe
     The Spruce

  12. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes.

  13. Remove from pan and place directly on ​a wire rack or invert onto a rack if using a 1-piece pan.

  14. Combine glaze ingredients, stirring until sugar dissolves.

    Lemon Pound Cake Recipe
     The Spruce

  15. Brush lemon glaze on sides of cake and spoon glaze over top, a little at a time.

    Lemon Pound Cake Recipe
     The Spruce

  16. Let cake cool completely before serving.

    Lemon Pound Cake Recipe
     The Spruce

Recipe Variations

  • Try adding a dash of salt in the recipe to bring out the lemon flavor.
  • Add a few teaspoons of finely grated lemon zest to the cake batter.
  • Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla along with the lemon extract.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
441 Calories
21g Fat
61g Carbs
5g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 16
Amount per serving
Calories 441
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 21g 27%
Saturated Fat 9g 47%
Cholesterol 92mg 31%
Sodium 378mg 16%
Total Carbohydrate 61g 22%
Dietary Fiber 2g 6%
Protein 5g
Calcium 100mg 8%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)