Favourite Lemon Pound Cake

A good lemon pound cake walks the line between rich and bright, and buttermilk is what gets it there. The tang of buttermilk keeps the dense, buttery crumb tender and moist, while two full tablespoons of fresh lemon zest carry the actual citrus flavor. Zest, not juice, is where the lemon’s fragrant oils live.

Creaming the butter and sugar properly is the step that earns the cake its lift. Beat them until pale and fluffy to whip in air, since there’s only a little baking soda doing the rest of the work.

Once it’s baked and cooled, you have a choice. Serve it plain with tea, or stir lemon juice and sugar into a quick glaze and pour it over so it soaks in and crackles on top. That syrup keeps the cake moist for days and doubles down on the lemon.

Kitchen Tips

• Cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy; that’s where most of the cake’s rise comes from.
• Zest the lemons before juicing, and take only the yellow, never the bitter white pith underneath.
• Test with a skewer in the center; pound cake is dense and can look done before the middle sets.
• Pour the glaze over while the cake is still slightly warm so it soaks in rather than sitting on top.

Variations

• Add a handful of poppy seeds for a lemon-poppy seed loaf.
• Fold in fresh blueberries or raspberries.
• Swap part of the lemon for orange or lime zest.