Awesome Lemon Pound Cake
Submitted by kraye
Lemon pound cake with a fine, buttery crumb and bright citrus zest, baked in a bundt or mini loaves. Old-fashioned five-egg richness with no leavening except properly creamed butter.
YIELD
12 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
60 minREADY
2 hrsThis lemon pound cake is the real-deal old-fashioned kind, no baking powder cheating, no boxed-mix shortcuts. The lift comes entirely from how thoroughly you cream the butter and sugar, then fold air in with each egg one at a time. That’s where the soft, fine crumb comes from.
Cake flour matters here. Its lower protein gives that classic pound-cake tenderness instead of the slightly tough crumb you’d get from all-purpose. Don’t sub it without expecting a denser result.
Lemon zest, not juice, carries the citrus flavor without messing with the moisture balance. The oils in the zest are concentrated and bake up fragrant without making the batter wet.
Chef Tips
- Use room-temperature butter and eggs, cold ingredients won’t aerate properly and the cake won’t rise without leavening.
- Beat the butter and sugar a full 4 to 5 minutes until visibly pale and fluffy, this is your only source of lift.
- Microplane the lemon zest, avoiding the bitter white pith underneath.
- Tap the pan firmly on the counter before baking to release big air bubbles that would otherwise leave holes.
Variations
- Brush a hot lemon-juice and sugar syrup over the cake right out of the pan for a soaked, drizzle-style version.
- Add 2 tablespoons of poppy seeds to the batter for a classic lemon poppy seed pound cake.
- Swap lemon for orange zest, or use both, for a brighter, more aromatic cake.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat the oven to 325℉ (160℃).
Grease and Flour bundt pans or mini-loaf pans.
Put the butter in a large mixing bowl and beat until creamy.
Slowly add sugar, beating constantly, until the mixture is well blended.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Add the flour and salt and beat until smooth and thoroughly blended.
Add the lemon zest and beat another few seconds.
Pour the batter into the pan and smooth top with spatula.
Bake for about an hour or until a straw comes out clean when inserted into the center.
Let cool in the pan 5 minutes before turning onto rack to cool completely.
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