Pound cake got its name from the original 1700s recipe: exactly one pound each of butter, sugar, eggs, and flour.
Iced Lemon Pound Cake
Dive into this luscious Iced Lemon Pound Cake, where each slice is a delightful balance of buttery goodness and zesty lemon essence. With a velvety lemon glaze that seeps into the cake and a sweet icing that adds the perfect touch, this treat will brighten up any day! Get ready for a burst of citrusy bliss in every forkful!
Prep
15
min
Cook
65
min
Serves
8
people
Level
intermediate
📝 Ingredients
Serves 8🥬Fresh Produce(4)
- ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice (79.2 ml)
- 1½ tbsp fresh lemon juice (22.5 ml)
- 1 tbsp lemon zest (15 ml)
- lemon zest (optional)optional
🥛Dairy & Eggs(5)
- ¼ cup salted butter (melted) (56.8 g)
- 1 tbsp salted butter (14 g)
- 3 extra-large eggs
- 2 tsp heavy cream (10 ml)
- 1 cup full-fat sour cream (240 ml)
🫙Pantry Staples(7)
- 2 tsp baking powder (10 ml)
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar (200 g)
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour (188 g)
- 1⅓ cups granulated sugar (266 g)
- ⅓ cup sugar (66 g)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (5 ml)
- ¼ cup vegetable oil (60 ml)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x5 loaf pan, line with parchment, and grease again.
- 2
Whisk flour and baking powder. In a mixer, whisk sugar + lemon zest, then add sour cream, eggs, and vanilla until smooth. Mix in dry ingredients on low just until combined.
- 3
Stir together oil and melted butter, then gently fold into the batter until fully blended. Pour into pan and smooth the top. Bake 55–65 minutes (I do 62 minutes), until a toothpick comes out clean.
- 4
For the glaze: simmer lemon juice, sugar, and butter until dissolved and clear, stirring occasionally.
- 5
Cool cake 10 minutes, remove from pan, and place on a rack over a baking sheet. While warm, slowly pour syrup over top and let soak in. Cool completely.
- 6
For the icing: whisk confectioners’ sugar, lemon juice, and heavy cream until thick but spreadable. Spoon over cooled cake, spreading toward edges without letting it drip down the sides. Garnish with lemon zest and let set before slicing.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Cream sugar with lemon zest for 3-4 minutes to release citrus oils - the friction breaks cell walls and increases lemon flavor intensity by up to 300%.technique3-4 minutes
- ✓Mix oil and melted butter at exactly the same temperature (around 75°F) to prevent the batter from seizing and creating dense pockets.ingredient75°F
- ✓Apply the lemon syrup while the cake is between 140-160°F so the warm crumb structure absorbs maximum liquid without becoming soggy.timing140-160°F
- ✓Test doneness at 55 minutes by checking internal temperature reaches 205-210°F, not just relying on toothpick test which can miss dense spots.technique205-210°F
- ✓Make the final icing with a 4:1 ratio of powdered sugar to liquid for proper consistency that won't run off but still spreads smoothly.ingredient4:1 ratio
Share this recipe
Prep
15
min
Cook
65
min
Serves
8
people
Level
intermediate
Share this recipe
Pound cake got its name from the original 1700s recipe: exactly one pound each of butter, sugar, eggs, and flour.
Iced Lemon Pound Cake
Dive into this luscious Iced Lemon Pound Cake, where each slice is a delightful balance of buttery goodness and zesty lemon essence. With a velvety lemon glaze that seeps into the cake and a sweet icing that adds the perfect touch, this treat will brighten up any day! Get ready for a burst of citrusy bliss in every forkful!
📝 Ingredients
Serves 8🥬Fresh Produce(4)
- ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice (79.2 ml)
- 1½ tbsp fresh lemon juice (22.5 ml)
- 1 tbsp lemon zest (15 ml)
- lemon zest (optional)optional
🥛Dairy & Eggs(5)
- ¼ cup salted butter (melted) (56.8 g)
- 1 tbsp salted butter (14 g)
- 3 extra-large eggs
- 2 tsp heavy cream (10 ml)
- 1 cup full-fat sour cream (240 ml)
🫙Pantry Staples(7)
- 2 tsp baking powder (10 ml)
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar (200 g)
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour (188 g)
- 1⅓ cups granulated sugar (266 g)
- ⅓ cup sugar (66 g)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (5 ml)
- ¼ cup vegetable oil (60 ml)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x5 loaf pan, line with parchment, and grease again.
- 2
Whisk flour and baking powder. In a mixer, whisk sugar + lemon zest, then add sour cream, eggs, and vanilla until smooth. Mix in dry ingredients on low just until combined.
- 3
Stir together oil and melted butter, then gently fold into the batter until fully blended. Pour into pan and smooth the top. Bake 55–65 minutes (I do 62 minutes), until a toothpick comes out clean.
- 4
For the glaze: simmer lemon juice, sugar, and butter until dissolved and clear, stirring occasionally.
- 5
Cool cake 10 minutes, remove from pan, and place on a rack over a baking sheet. While warm, slowly pour syrup over top and let soak in. Cool completely.
- 6
For the icing: whisk confectioners’ sugar, lemon juice, and heavy cream until thick but spreadable. Spoon over cooled cake, spreading toward edges without letting it drip down the sides. Garnish with lemon zest and let set before slicing.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Cream sugar with lemon zest for 3-4 minutes to release citrus oils - the friction breaks cell walls and increases lemon flavor intensity by up to 300%.technique3-4 minutes
- ✓Mix oil and melted butter at exactly the same temperature (around 75°F) to prevent the batter from seizing and creating dense pockets.ingredient75°F
- ✓Apply the lemon syrup while the cake is between 140-160°F so the warm crumb structure absorbs maximum liquid without becoming soggy.timing140-160°F
- ✓Test doneness at 55 minutes by checking internal temperature reaches 205-210°F, not just relying on toothpick test which can miss dense spots.technique205-210°F
- ✓Make the final icing with a 4:1 ratio of powdered sugar to liquid for proper consistency that won't run off but still spreads smoothly.ingredient4:1 ratio