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 few 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!
Chane says
Love this lemon cake recipe. I’ve made it three times already and will continue to make it for many other occasions.
Joyce Herrera says
Hi Julia, greetings from Manila. I came across your recipe as i was looking for the best moist lemon cake recipe that is easy to make. My son is turning 15 this March 5 and he personally requested for a delicious and moist lemon cake for his birthday. I am new at baking and i hope i can pull it off. I want to use a bundt pan will this be enough or need to double the recipe? Thank you so much. God Bless and more delicious and easy recipes please.
Sending you lots of hugs,
Joyce
Julia Foerster says
I wouldn’t recommend using a bundt pan for this recipe. It’s definitely not enough batter for a bundt pan and I think it would be very difficult to get the cake out of the pan in one piece because the texture is quite soft.
Alan says
Omg I loved it! I have always like Starbucks’ lemon bread, but this one takes the win.
Artika says
Can substitute egg with yogurt or something else?
Shamyla says
I love this recipe and it tastes delicious!
I wanted this to be my go to recipe, but as the cake cooled down it dried a lot!
Initially cutting it, its moist and crumbly but after a few hours it’s completely dry.
Where the cake it exposed to the air is really very dry and now I dont know what to do!
I didnt use all of the syrup when brushing it on, do you think thats what made the difference?
Julia Foerster says
Mmh that’s weird, this cake stays moist for days. Did you cut into it while it was still warm? Always wait for it to cool down, so it retains its moisture. Using all of the syrup is definitely recommended and it should be brushed onto all sides of the cake. Also always cover the cake after cutting off slices.
Shamyla says
Thanks for the response!
It definitely wasn’t warm and I did brush all sides of the cake, but I reckon it was down to me not using all of the syrup. I tried to salvage it and add the rest of the syrup and I’ve stored it in an airtight container. If nothing else, I’ll turn it into cake pops!
I have plenty of lemons so I’ll definitely try again.
Thanks!
Lisa says
Hi! Thank you so much for this perfect lemon loaf cake!! I cannot believe I have finally found the one. I’ve tried at least 6-8 other recipes and all were disappointing. I tried yours today & the loaf is phenomenal! I added a tablespoon of canola oil to the butter sugar mixture just to add more moisture, and added lemon extract for stronger lemon flavor. Thank you so much!!
Beca says
Hello,
It looks really great!
My son’s first birthday is coming up and want to make him a lemon cake, but he is allergic to dairy… any ideas? Can substitute butter with coconut oil? and the butter milk with some other kind?
Thanks
Julia Foerster says
Beca, I think it’s easier and safer to look for a dairy-free lemon cake recipe. Too many substitutions will change the taste and texture too much and I wouldn’t want your little one to have a less than great birthday cake.
Julie says
The best recipe, nice and fluffy, easy to make and very tasty!
Irda murni Ali rahim says
Hi, can i use 8-inch cake pan for this recipe?
Ana says
Hi Can the recipe be doubled or tripled?
Nic T says
Absolute winner! Everyone loved it, even my hubby who doesn’t have a sweet tooth! I left off the icing though as I found the cake with the lemon syrup was perfect!
Juliet says
Can I make this in two 8-inch cake pans? I wanted to try putting raspberry compote or something similar in between the layers. Thanks!
Julia Foerster says
I’m not sure if there is enough batter for two 8-inch cake pans, you might have to double the recipe. Baking time might change too.
Jaymee N. says
I tried this recipe on 2/2/21 on a whim because I needed to use up some fresh lemons. It was the first time I have followed a recipe EXACTLY in a long time and was a little skeptical when I tried the batter.
But once everything was baked, syruped, and iced, I was so surprised by how delicious this pound cake was. Having that fresh lemon taste is better than anything you can get from a grocery store or Starbucks.
I highly recommend this recipe to anyone willing to listen. It’s worth the extra bowls.
Jayda says
I haven’t made this yet but is it nessecary to have a stand up mixer of can I use my small electric mixer?
Julia Foerster says
You can use your small electric mixer, Jayda!
Liz Scott says
What size of cake tin please
Julia Foerster says
Check out step 1 of the recipe.
Willetta McGowen says
I made this last night. My brother gave me some lemons right off the tree, so I started looking for lemon cake recipes. This cake is so delicious; so moist and not too sweet. I made it with self rising flour instead of all purpose and left out the lemon zest. Will have to buy me a zester. I was just too exhausted to make the icing but did put the lemon glaze on it. My husband can’t stop eating it. This recipe is a keeper.
Clara says
this is SO good. it’s light and fluffy, citrusy and not too sweet. if you are not a fan of sweets, definitely try this recipe!
Jenell says
Hi! So excited to try this recipe! Can I use Greek yogurt instead of buttermilk? If yes, are the measurements the same?
Julia Foerster says
Sorry, Jenell, I haven’t tested this recipe with greek yogurt so I’m not sure.
Cara Pfundston says
Wonderful. I added an extra egg and a splash of orange juice to batter. Then, a little coconut to the glaze.
Jeanette Muller says
So yummy … have made it several times. But everytime it has a big canyon down the centre of the loaf. Any advice? No, I dont overmix.
Julia Foerster says
It could happen because your baking powder was not fresh anymore or because the batter stood for too long before being baked. Sometimes opening the oven door during baking also causes this or taking it out too soon.
Jasmine delos santos says
First time to make a lemon cake recipe last weekend and it was a hit and loved by my family.! Thank you for your recipe. tips on alternatives are very helpful.
In my kitchen now, ready to make another one, (dessert for my guest tom !) 🤩
Rick says
Great recipe, loaf turned out perfectly, Thank You.