Moist Lemon Cake Recipe

This moist Lemon Cake Recipe is fluffy, tangy and so easy to make from scratch! Every bite of this supremely moist pound cake is bursting with fresh lemon flavor and the easy lemon glaze on top will have you hooked after just one bite.

This homemade lemon pound cake tastes even better than the Starbucks Lemon Loaf!

If you like the Starbucks Lemon Loaf then you’ll love this delicious, moist lemon cake recipe that’s made completely from scratch in less than 10 minutes. It’s one of my favorite afternoon or breakfast treats and it always gets rave reviews, everyone loves it! It’s gone in minutes whenever I make it.

This batter is made with freshly grated lemon zest and fresh lemon juice. When it the cake comes out of the oven it is infused with a homemade lemon syrup to give it an extra lemon kick, and then after cooling down the pound cake is topped with the most delicious lemon glaze.

This easy lemon cake is not dry and not fudgy, it’s perfectly moist while still being fluffy and it keeps fresh for a few days! A perfect cake for every occasion. If you like lemon desserts, you have got to give this cake a try!

Tips and Tricks for Making This Easy Lemon Cake Recipe

• You can also make this recipe in a bundt pan. It looks prettier than in a loaf pan but make sure to grease your bundt pan generously so that your cake will come out of the pan.
• Don’t leave out the lemon zest, that is what gives it the wonderful lemony flavor! I always use organic lemons and my favorite grater that I’ll like below.
• For the best flavor use freshly squeezed lemon juice! Don’t use the bottled stuff, trust me fresh lemon juice tastes so much better.
• When you make the lemon glaze for this pound cake don’t add too much liquid. You want the glaze to be nice and thick not runny. Start with 1 tbsp lemon juice and 1 tbsp milk and add the remaining 1/2 tbsp as needed.

• This cake keeps well covered at room temperature for up to 4 days.

Looking for more Lemon Dessert Recipes?

• Easy Lemon Cream Pie Recipe
• Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
• Lemon Blueberry Bundt Cake
• Easy Lemon Raspberry Cake
• Easy Lemon Curd Mousse

You might have realized by now that I love lemon desserts. My husband even complained that all I do is make lemon desserts … until he tried today’s recipe and demanded more. Bahaha! If you love everything lemon like me check out my whole collection of recipes with lemon there is even a delicious lemon risotto.

Tools used for making this Recipe:

Loaf Pan: I can recommend all the baking pans from this brand! They’re super easy to clean and cakes bake evenly.
Stand Mixer: My most used kitchen appliance and it’s so pretty it can sit on the counter as decoration!
Citrus Zester: This one easily zests the rind without the pith, I really love this tool. It’s perfect for zesting citrus fruits, grating hard cheeses, and ginger.
Bundt Pan: This pan has a non-stick coating which makes it super easy to get the cake out of the pan and it’s heavy, cast-aluminum sturdiness makes cakes bake more evenly.
Lemon Squeezer: This tool makes it super easy to juice lemons AND limes. It is a 2-in-1 tool that is super sturdy and easy to use. You’ll be amazed at how much juice you’ll get out of a lemon.

5 from 1 vote

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Moist Lemon Cake Recipe

This moist Lemon Cake Recipe is fluffy, tangy and so easy to make from scratch! Every bite of this supremely moist pound cake is bursting with lemon flavor. If you like the Starbucks Lemon Loaf then you'll love this homemade lemon pound cake!

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Time 1 hour

Servings 10

Calories 284 kcal

Ingredients

For the lemon pound cake:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (190g)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter room temperature (115g)
• 1 cup granulated sugar (200g)
• 2 large eggs room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1/2 cup buttermilk (120ml)

For the lemon syrup:

• Juice of 1 lemon
• 3 tbsp confectioners’ sugar

For the lemon icing:

• 1 cup confectioners' sugar sifted (120g)
• 1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp milk

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease a 9x5-inch (or 8x4-inch) loaf pan.
2. In a small bowl combine the flour, baking powder, lemon zest, and salt. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or using an electric mixer) cream the butter and sugar together at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.
4. With the mixer running on low-speed, add the eggs one at a time, then beat in the vanilla extract and lemon juice. Beat on medium-high speed until combined.
5. With the mixer on low, add about one-third of the flour mixture and mix until almost combined, then add half the buttermilk and mix until just combined. Repeat with another third of flour mixture and then the last half of the buttermilk, ending with the last third of the flour. Beat until just incorporated.
6. Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 45-55 minutes until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick comes out mostly clean with only a couple moist crumbs. Baking times vary, so keep an eye on yours.
7. Let the cake cool for about 10 minutes in the pan. Stir together the lemon juice and confectioners’ sugar for the lemon syrup. Carefully invert the loaf pan, and transfer the cake to a cooling rack, then brush the syrup on the cake while it’s still warm. Allow cake to cool completely.
8. When the cake is cooled, combine all the icing ingredients, start with 1 tbsp lemon juice and milk and add the remaining lemon juice as needed. The icing should be thick and not runny. Pour icing over cake and let dry before serving.

Recipe Notes

You need two organic lemons for this recipe!