I love Lemon. I’m totally a big fan. And I love pound cake. So together – heavenly!! I’ve been making this recipe for years! I first found it in the first few years of our marriage and I’ve been making it ever since. It’s just a great all around easy cake. A pound cake is a kind cake that has been around forever! It is defined as a rich cake containing a pound, or equal weights, of each chief ingredient, typically flour, butter, and sugar. Not all pound cakes nowadays stick to the formula.
I’ve made this cake so many times as it’s one of my very favorites. It’s lovely all on it’s own. Or it’s lovely in a great trifle. Or it’s great with some fresh fruit and whipped cream on the side. The last time I made it I doubled it and my kids ate a loaf and a half when they first got home from school. And I had to stop them from eating more!
Lemon Pound Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar, divided
- 4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/3 cup grated lemon zest (6 to 8 large lemons)
- 3 cups flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, divided
- 3/4 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For the Glaze:
- 2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
- 3 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 2 (8 1/2 by 4 1/4 by 2 1/2-inch) loaf pans. You may also line the bottom with parchment paper, if desired.
- Cream the butter and 2 cups granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer on medium speed, add the eggs, 1 at a time, and the lemon zest.
- Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, combine 1/4 cup lemon juice, the buttermilk, and vanilla. Add the flour and buttermilk mixtures alternately to the batter, beginning and ending with the flour. Divide the batter evenly between the pans, smooth the tops, and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until a cake tester comes out clean.
- Combine 1/2 cup granulated sugar with 1/2 cup lemon juice in a small saucepan and cook over low heat until the sugar dissolves. When the cakes are done, allow to cool for 10 minutes. Remove the cakes from the pans and set them on a rack set over a tray or sheet pan; spoon the lemon syrup over them. Allow the cakes to cool completely.
- For the glaze, combine the confectioners' sugar and the lemon juice in a bowl, mixing with a wire whisk until smooth. Pour over the tops of the cakes and allow the glaze to drizzle down the sides.
Notes
The Barefoot Contessa has been one of my favorite recipe sources for a long time! I love love love her stuff! I collect her cookbooks. I’m just missing one!
If you like lemon at ALL, I promise you’ll love it!