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.
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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.
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.
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.
Want to try this Lemon Loaf Recipe?
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Moist Lemon Cake Recipe
Ingredients
For the lemon pound cake:
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 Tbsp lemon zest
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice, about 1/2 lemon
- 1/2 cup buttermilk, see below for substitution
For the lemon syrup:
- 1/4 cup lemon juice, about 1 lemon
- 3 Tbsp powdered sugar
For the lemon icing:
- 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
- 1.5 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease a 9x5-inch (or 8x4-inch) loaf pan.
- In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, lemon zest, and salt. Set aside.
- 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 4-6 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Let the cake cool for about 15 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.
- 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.
Notes
- If you don't have buttermilk you can make your own by combining 1/2 cup of milk with 1.5 tsp lemon juice or white vinegar. Let the mixture sit for a de minutes until it starts to curdle
- The longer you beat the sugar and butter, the better the result will be because this process incorporated air into the batter and make the cake fluffy and tender
- I recommend using fresh lemon juice but you can also bottled lemon juice
- This cake would also taste great with lime juice or orange juice
Nutrition Information
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If you’ve tried this or any other of my recipes, don’t forget to rate the recipe and to leave me a comment. I love hearing from you!
Joanne says
This is so yummy! I took it to a work function and because of the size, it was so easy to transport. I’m making another one next week and think I’ll chop up some green and red glace cherries to sprinkle on the icing to make it more festive, just to decorate. I can’t believe how good it was. Thank you!!!
Melissa says
My partner has always said how he loves Starbuck’s Lemon Pound Cake. Never having eaten it, I have tried to satisfy his enjoyment over the years with other lemon pound cake recipes. They were good, but this was SPOT ON. I made this for his birthday, and he absoultely loved it. So many layers of lemon and very moist! For the glaze, I used Meyer lemon and added the zest as well. We will be using this recipe again! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.
Namratha says
Very beautiful cake, so soft n light…! And so easy.. really enjoyed it
Sadi says
Can I make this in a square pan?
Evelina says
Super! Very tasty, moist cake! Loved it 😍
Kathryn says
I made this and honestly, it’s amazing. I’ve never tasted such good lemon cake! It didn’t last long as my husband is a fan of this too! One question, do you think it could be made gluten free? Or reduced gluten? Asking because I should eat gluten but I LOVE lemon cake. Xxx
Leyla says
Thank you very much for the recipe! It’s amazing!
Steph says
Made this last night! We have already devoured it! What a perfect cake!
I swapped the buttermilk for soured cream and worked very well! Thankyou!x
Kathryn says
This was so amazing.. it didn’t last long!! Do you think there’s any way to make it gluten free and still be tasty?
Julia Foerster says
You could try using a good gluten-free cup for cup flour, Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour for example. I haven’t tested it myself but many gluten-free bloggers swear by it.
Jem says
Hi, may I know if this recipe is just enough or is it too much for my 6×3 round baking pan? I was planning to make one tonight.
Julia Foerster says
It might be a bit too much batter for such a small pan but you could make a few muffins with the leftover batter.
Larisa says
hi! can i use coconut oil instead of butter?
also, how long should i let the milk/lemon juice mixture sit for it to turn into buttermilk?
thank you!
Julia Foerster says
I haven’t tested this recipe with coconut oil so I’m not sure, sorry. Let the milk/lemon mixture sit for about 3-5 minutes, it should look curdled.
Missy says
This is my 3rd time making this easy, delicious cake. It’s def on my go to list. It has never failed me and it’s not complicated. Most importantly the flavor is on point! Thank you 😊
Jing Huei says
Hi! Do you think it’s possible to reduce the amount of sugar used? :)
Julia Foerster says
You might be able to reduce the amount of sugar in the batter to 3/4 cup but I wouldn’t recommend reducing it further because it will change the texture of the cake and how it bakes up in the oven.
Melissa says
I’ve been trying new treat recipes every few weeks and this loaf definitely tops the list. It’s soooooo good! The instructions are right in point (great tip about the buttermilk and beating the sugar/butter) I’m thinking about making a few more batches of this so I have it on hand. Very very very yummy. Thanks for sharing it!
Eliza says
Oooooh! So yummy!
Made this for a friend who absolutely enjoyed it!
antonella says
I’m going to be honest… this is the BEST lemon cake i’ve ever tried in my whole life! I don’t know why I like it so much but i’ve done this a billion times and it always turns incredible! I mean it is so soft, sweet and just so delicious! I made this for my sister in her birthday and all of them, including her friends, absolutly loved this! I just enjoy eating this so much… HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
Reem says
Amazing recipe 👌🏼
Carolina says
Made it cake last night with poppy seeds for my in-laws and it was a big hit. My mother in-law who is a great cook & baker, enjoyed so much👍😍🌸 Delish
Sieda says
Lovely recipe! I didn’t use the lemon syrup or the lemon icing because I was too lazy but the cake on its own was delicious anyways! Thank you for sharing.
Annabel says
Hi! I love your blog -do you think I can double this recipe then make it into a 2 layer 8 inch cake? Thanks!
Julia Foerster says
I haven’t tried it myself so I’m not 100% sure but I think it would work.