Lemon Buttermilk Pound Cake comes together with simple pantry staples like butter, sugar, eggs, and flour, then gets its bright, fresh flavor from tangy buttermilk, lemon juice, and plenty of fresh lemon zest.
This isn’t just another lemon pound cake—it’s the one that actually delivers that bright, fresh citrus flavor in every bite instead of fading into something bland or overly sweet. The combination of rich butter, tangy buttermilk, and real lemon juice and zest creates a soft, tender crumb with a flavor that tastes homemade in the best way. If you’ve been searching for a lemon cake that truly stands out, this is the one worth sticking around for.
Recipe Highlights
- Bright, Real Lemon Flavor – Fresh lemon juice and zest don’t just hint at citrus here—they shine through in every slice for a bold, fresh taste that actually tastes like lemon.
- Ultra-Moist, Tender Crumb – The buttermilk and butter work together to create a soft, rich texture that stays moist for days without feeling heavy.
- Perfectly Balanced Sweetness – The tangy lemon glaze and subtle salt in the batter keep the sweetness in check, so each bite feels bright, rich, and not overly sugary.
Lemon Buttermilk Pound Cake ingredients
Butter (1 ½ cups) & Sugar (2 ½ cups) – These two create the rich, sweet foundation of the cake, with butter adding flavor and softness while the sugar helps build that classic tender pound cake crumb.
Eggs (4 large) – Eggs give the cake structure and richness, helping it stay dense enough to slice cleanly while still feeling soft and moist.
Flour (3 ½ cups), Salt (½ tsp), & Baking Soda (½ tsp) – The flour forms the structure of the cake, salt sharpens the flavor, and baking soda reacts with the buttermilk to create a light lift and balanced texture.
Buttermilk (1 cup), Lemon Juice (2 TBSP), & Lemon Zest (1 TBSP) – This trio brings the signature flavor, with buttermilk adding moisture and tang while the lemon juice and zest deliver bright, fresh citrus throughout the batter.
Glaze (2 cups powdered sugar, 2 TBSP butter, 2 TBSP lemon juice, 2 tsp + 1 TBSP lemon zest, 1 TBSP milk) – This mixture creates a smooth, sweet-tart topping that sets beautifully over the cake, adding extra lemon punch and a glossy finish.
Tips for Making a Lemon Bundt Cake
I used to really struggle with making bundt cakes, until I learned a few tricks! Now they’re one of my favorite types of cakes to make because not only are they really easy, but they’re so pretty. Here’s what I do:
- Use a high quality bundt cake pan. Not all bundt cake pans are the same! You want a heavy one and I prefer a classic shape, as opposed to the super fancy pans. They’re just easier as you don’t have to worry about heavily greasing a million facets. I love my “Original Nordic Ware Pro 12 Cup Bundt Cake Pan.”
- Grease the bundt cake pan well. You can spray with non-stick spray and then flour the pan, you can grease it by hand with shortening or butter. Or you can take a short cut and use the non-stick spray specifically for baking– it’s the BEST! Since I’ve started using this on my bundt cake pan I haven’t had a single issue with sticking. You can find it on the baking aisle of nearly every major grocery store. I know that Wilton also makes a “Cake Release” product but I haven’t tried it. I imagine it works well too!
- Bake pound cakes a day in advance! Pound cakes really taste better a day or two after they’re baked, so if you have time, bake them, release them from the pan and then cover them in an airtight container and let the flavors develop. Then, prior to serving, drizzle with glaze or frost as you’d like and serve.
Lemon Buttermilk Pound Cake
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups white sugar
- 1 ½ cups butter softened
- 4 eggs
- 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 TBSP lemon juice
- 1 TBSP lemon zest
Lemon Glaze:
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 TBSP softened butter
- 2 TBSP lemon juice
- 2 tsp lemon zest + more for garnish on top about 1 TBSP total
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a bundt cake pan.
- Beat white sugar and 1 ½ cups butter together in a bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, thoroughly beating each egg into the butter mixture before adding the next.
- Combine flour, salt, and baking soda together in a bowl. Add ⅓ of the flour mixture to the butter mixture; mix well. Pour in ½ the buttermilk and beat until combined. Repeat adding the remaining flour mixture and buttermilk, beating well after each addition, and ending with the flour mixture. Stir lemon juice and zest into batter. Batter should be very smooth and have a silky texture- almost as if it was whipped. Pour batter into prepared cake pan.
- Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F and bake for 70-75 minutes. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing to a cake platter or plate.
- Make the lemon glaze by whisking powdered sugar, lemon juice, 2 TBSP soft butter, lemon, and lemon zest together in a bowl until glaze is smooth. Once the cake has fully cooled, pour the glaze over the cake, letting some drizzle down the sides and into the center. Top with additional lemon zest, if desired. Enjoy!
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How long is this Lemon Bundt Cake good for?
This Lemon Buttermilk Pound Cake stays fresh for about 3–4 days when stored in an airtight container at room temperature, or up to about 5–6 days in the refrigerator. The texture holds up well, but the lemon glaze may soften slightly over time.
Yes, it freezes really well—just wrap the cake tightly (or freeze individual slices) and store for up to 2–3 months. Thaw at room temperature for a few hours, and it tastes just as soft, moist, and lemony as the day it was made.
How do I know when my bundt cake is fully baked?
Fully cook and then fully cool your bundt cake. Releasing the cake from the bundt cake pan is more difficult if you’ve undercooked your cake AND if you’re trying to get the cake out of the pan before cooling it enough. If you’re not sure if you cake is fully cooked, you can always test the internal temperature- here’s my favorite cooking thermometer! It should read 210 degrees F.
Once it’s perfectly baked, remove the cake from the oven and let it cool on a cooling rack for about 30 minutes. I prefer a cooling rack over cooling cakes on hot pads because cooling racks allow air to circulate better around the entire cake, so it cools faster. You cake shouldn’t be cold, but it should be cool enough to handle. Place a plate on top of the cake, facing down, then overturn the entire cake. The cake should release on to the plate.
Why is my cake so dense?
This can happen if you don’t cream the butter and sugar enough before adding the eggs. Make sure the mixture has turned a light, almost white color before moving on to the next step. It is also important to scrape down the bowl to ensure that everything is uniformly mixed.
Another possibility could be that your baking powder or baking soda has expired. These both cause the cake to rise, so any problem with them will create a really dense cake.
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- Quick & Easy Orange Sherbet is the ultimate two-ingredient summer treat—icy, creamy, and bursting with bright citrus flavor that tastes like sunshine in a scoop. A frozen dessert you’d wait all year for!
Lemon Buttermilk Pound Cake made with butter, sugar, eggs, as well as buttermilk, lemon juice and fresh lemon zest for fabulous fresh, bright lemon flavor!
Meredith Baldwin says
Made this per recipe. Just OK. Rather dry. Revisions offered in comments are huge improvements, Best to look elsewhere for a good real pound cake recipe
Pamela says
Can I add fresh blueberries to this recipe? If so, how much should I add? Thank you.
Jessica says
You could add 1 cup of fresh blueberries! Sounds fantastic actually!
Luddy says
Can you substitute cake flour?
Jessica says
I imagine that’d work out great!