Lemon Buttermilk Pound Cake is a classic pound cake recipe with the addition of fresh lemon! Buttermilk gives this Lemon Pound Cake a wonderful texture and everyone loves the bright flavor of the lemon glaze. It’s the perfect buttermilk pound cake recipe!
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Lemon Buttermilk Pound Cake is one of the most incredible lemon cakes I have ever tried! I served it with sliced sweetened strawberries on top and everyone raved – even my husband who doesn’t quite share my fondness for lemon desserts. It is gorgeous too, especially if you make it in a bundt pan as shown in the pictures.
How to make our Buttermilk Lemon Pound Cake Recipe
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!
- 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. 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.
- 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.
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Lemon Buttermilk Pound Cake ingredients
Here’s what you need to make our Lemon Buttermilk Pound Cake:
–2 1/2 cups white sugar
–1 1/2 cups butter, softened
–4 eggs
–3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
–1/2 teaspoon salt
–1/2 teaspoon baking soda
–1 cup buttermilk
–2 TBSP lemon juice
–1 TBSP lemon zest
To make the 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)
–1 TBSP milk
How to make Lemon Pound Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a bundt cake pan. (I’ve also made pound cake in a bread pan and it turned out beautifully! It needs to be a large one like this Norpro 12″ Bread pan though.)
- Beat white sugar and 1 1/2 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 1/3 of the flour mixture to the butter mixture; mix well. Pour in 1/2 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.
- To make glaze, beat powdered sugar, lemon juice, 2 tablespoons butter and lemon zest together in a bowl until glaze is smooth. Once 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.
If you enjoyed this Lemon Buttermilk Pound Cake, you’ll love these other popular cake recipes:
- Mandarin Orange Cake with Pineapple Frosting
- Raspberry Cream Cake
- Easy Homemade Vanilla Cake
- Strawberries & Cream Poke Cake
- Buttermilk Banana Cake
LEMON BUTTERMILK POUND CAKE
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups white sugar
- 1 1/2 cups butter softened
- 4 eggs
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon 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
- 1 TBSP milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a bundt cake pan.
- Beat white sugar and 1 1/2 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 1/3 of the flour mixture to the butter mixture; mix well. Pour in 1/2 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.
How to make Lemon Glaze:
- Whisk powdered sugar, lemon juice, 2 tablespoons soft butter, lemon and lemon zest together in a bowl until glaze is smooth. Once 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.
Video
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Beth Reagan says
Wonderful recipe! Came out perfect! Taste is incredible!!! 👌🏻
Maggie says
I cannot get enough of this cake! I’m not a cake person at all but I do love a good pound cake and I especially love the lemon flavor in this cake! So good!
Bre says
Lovely lovely recipe. Very moist and tender. I didn’t get that flaky crust I like in pound cakes but still good. Used lemon oil in replace of lemon zest and added lemon extract.
Jessica says
So glad you enjoyed them!
wilhelmina says
I love everything about this yummy cake!
maria says
can this recipe be done into mini loaves or mini bundt cakes?
Jessica says
I’ve not baked with mini bundts but I can’t imagine it wouldn’t work! Use a cooking thermometer to test for doneness- 200 degrees F.
Josephine Carroll says
Hi, I would like to know how long this would keep for please.
Thank You
Jo
Jessica says
On the countertop? About 5-7 days. Freezer- about 2 months.
Pj says
Made this cake and love it. This is my go to pound cake now. Can’t wait to try your other lemon recipes. Thanks for sharing.
Nellie says
So glad you enjoyed the recipe! We love lemon around here!
majii says
Jessica,
This cake is a winner! I stumbled across your blog and this recipe Saturday afternoon and made the cake shortly afterwards. I followed every step to a “T,” and I am very impressed with the way this cake turned out! I ate a few crumbs, and I wanted to eat the entire cake. It is absolutely delicious. Thanks so much for this recipe, and as I said above, this cake is a winner! I’ll be cooking a few of these as Christmas presents for others.
majii says
Forgot to rate it, so I have to reply to my own comment!
Alison says
Thank you so much Majii! I love that you are baking for Christmas presents. Enjoy!
CC says
This was my first time using this recipe. It was the the best, flavor, moistest and flavorful cake that I have ever made. Not a crumb was left on the plate after Christmas dinner!
Alison says
It’s great to hear this could be a part of your Christmas!
Ruth says
Very delicious and moist. Mine took less cooking time than recipe called for. So be mindful when baking that different ovens require adjustments for time. Absolutely delicious 😋
Olivia says
Glad you enjoyed! Thanks for the tip!
Anita says
I was so excited to make this cake in my new Nordi Ware bundt pan! TJe only issue I had was with the cooking time! It seemed long so I adjusted my time to 65 minutes. BUt it still turned out to dry! I was so disappointed! NEXT time I will only cook for 50 minutes and go from there! ANITA
Jessica says
Each pan is a bit different!
Haley says
Can I split between 2 loaf pans?
Jessica says
Yes, you can!
Kim says
Im baking it for the first time now! However, its running over! Yikes! I don’t know what could have happened. I was able to clean up, without the cake falling. Keeping my fingers crossed!
Kim
Jen says
Do you have any tips for making this in min Bundt pans? We live this cake and I want to try my new mini Bundt pan. Thank you.
Jessica says
I think that sounds lovely! I don’t have any experience making this cake in mini bundt pans, so I’d watch closely and check for doneness.
Michelle says
Ahh!!! I forgot to turn the oven temp down😢 hoping for the best. Took it out at 65min. Looks and smells amazing!
Sherrie says
My son requested a lemon pound cake for his birthday. I am so glad that I chose this recipe! It for sure is a winner!! I used cake flour and added 1 tsp lemon extract to the recipe. It’s scrumptious!
Nellie says
So glad you enjoyed the cake – we love it too!
Retta says
Would you clarify how long the cake should cool in the pan? On this site you said 30 minutes and the printed recipe says 10 minutes. I love the recipe; cake turned out perfect. However not really pleased with the glaze. I followed your recipe exactly, it was a bit thick.
Jessica says
Overturn the cake once the pan cools off enough to touch.
Pamela Allen says
I love love this cake. I have made it several times.
Alison says
So happy you have been enjoying this one Pamela!
liz Anderson says
Should this be refrigerated after putting the glaze on?
Thanks! Can’t wait to try it!
Nellie says
No need to refrigerate!
Jan says
This was the best! I’ll make this one more often. Great with berries on the side.
Nellie says
What a great idea to serve with berries -that sounds delicious!
Kendall Martin says
So moist and delicious. Absolutely the BEST day 2 once the cake has time to heighten in flavor. Highly highly recommend. I’ve made this recipe a dozen times and I am never disappointed. Cake does grow in height in oven. Do not overfill bundt pan. If wanting to gift in throw away foil pans each recipe “batch” makes roughly 2.5 of the small throw away foil loaf pans-I am thinking these are maybe 1/2 the volume of a standard bread loaf tin.
Vivian Smith says
I’ve made many pound cakes and was leery when this recipe called for only four eggs. I’m so glad I made it b/c it’s one of the best I’ve made or had! I’ve made it twice! It’s easy and comes out perfect. I like a dense p/c and often don’t think of lighter versions as a true pound cake but I love the texture of this cake. It’s not too heavy or too light and I love the way it feels in my mouth. It doesn’t dissolve gummy, nor is it dry. I’ve added this to my favorite pound cake recipes! Highly recommend! (I found the icing recipe not to be “pourable” but stiff so I added more lemon juice to make it spreadable.
Cheryle says
Twice this cake has sullen in! Such a disappointment! Is the recipe correct?
Jessica says
I’m guessing you mean it’s sunken in. Now, bundt cakes in generally look pretty puffy when you take them out of the oven, then they settle down. Is that what you mean? I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a sunken in bundt cake- help me understand.
Tracey says
I choose this for my first successful ( hopefully) pound cake. I cried when it came out. It was so beautiful. The taste was spot on.
Baking has never been my thing. I started about a year ago, but a good pound cake was elusive. Thank you for taking the time to make the accompanying video it was a life saver. This has given me confidence to keep baking.
Nellie says
Baking successes are the best – way to go Tracey!