Easy Lemon Pound Cake Recipe

TL;DR

Lemon pound cake is easy to nail if you measure flour carefully and avoid overmixing the batter.

Key Points

• 1.Ingredients: 2 cups flour, 1½ tsp baking powder, 1 tsp salt, 1¼ cups sugar, 1 cup unsalted butter, 4 eggs, ½ cup whole milk, 3 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tbsp zest
• 2.Lemon sugar trick: Rub lemon zest into the granulated sugar by hand before mixing — this extracts the oils for maximum lemon flavor and turns the sugar visibly wet
• 3.Two things that can ruin the cake: Over-measuring flour (always spoon into the cup or use a scale) and overmixing the batter with flour added, which creates a gummy, dense crumb
• 4.Mixing method: Cream butter 2–3 minutes, add lemon sugar, beat 2 more minutes, add eggs one at a time, then alternate flour in 3 additions with milk — finish by hand with a spatula
• 5.Baking: 350°F for 65–70 minutes in a 9x5 pan; tent loosely with foil in the final 15 minutes to prevent over-browning; cool 10 minutes in pan then transfer to a wire rack
• 6.Glaze: Whisk 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 2 tsp milk, and a pinch of zest; drizzle over fully cooled cake — raspberries or blueberries can replace milk for a colorful fruit glaze