Lemon Pound Cake

Five ingredients and one big shortcut: a yellow cake mix boosted with an entire cup of lemon curd stirred right into the batter. The curd replaces some of the water, so you get a denser, more pound cake-like crumb with lemon flavor baked into every bite, not just sitting on top.

Chopped walnuts add crunch and a toasty, slightly bitter contrast to all that citrus sweetness. The fresh lemon glaze drizzled over the cooled cake seals the deal with a bright, tangy hit.

The key move here is reducing the water by ¼ cup when you add the lemon curd. This keeps the batter thick enough for a proper Bundt cake structure instead of something too loose and cakey. Let it cool the full 25 minutes before flipping or you’ll lose the top.

Pro Tips

• Use store-bought lemon curd for consistency; homemade can vary in thickness and throw off the batter
• Toss the chopped walnuts in a tablespoon of flour before folding them in so they don’t sink to the bottom
• The glaze should be thick enough to drip slowly down the sides; add lemon juice a teaspoon at a time
• Grate the lemon zest before you juice it; much easier that way

Variations

• Lemon blueberry: Fold in ¾ cup fresh blueberries tossed in flour along with the walnuts
• Poppy seed: Add 2 tablespoons of poppy seeds to the batter and skip the walnuts
• Almond lemon: Swap walnuts for slivered almonds and add ½ teaspoon almond extract