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    Home > Recipes > Cakes & Cupcakes

    Moist Lemon Cake Recipe

    ↓ Jump to Recipe · By: Julia Foerster · Posted: 08/25/17 · Updated: 11/08/18

    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.

    Two slices of moist lemon cake with lemon glazing lying on a white plate with a fork garnished with two lemon wedges. A wooden cutting board with the rest of the cake is in the background.

    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!

    A loaf of moist lemon cake on a wooden cutting board, line with parchment paper. Two slices have been cut off and are lying in front of it. Next to it, there\'s half a lemon and two lemon wedges next to it.

    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.

    A slice of moist lemon cake with lemon glazing lying on a white plate garnished with two lemon wedges. A fork has taken out a piece of it. There\'s a wooden cutting board and half a lemon in the background.

    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.

    Close-up of a loaf of moist lemon cake on a wooden cutting board, line with parchment paper. Two slices have been cut off and are lying in front of it. Next to it, there are two lemon wedges.

    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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    A loaf of moist lemon cake on a wooden cutting board, line with parchment paper. Two slices have been cut off and are lying in front of it. Next to it, there's half a lemon and two white plates.
    Servings: 10

    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
    Course: Baking
    Cuisine: American
    Calories: 306kcal
    Author: Julia Foerster
    4.97 from 860 votes
    Print PIN RECIPE Rate

    Ingredients

    Cups - Metric

    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
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    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

    Calories: 306kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 58mg | Sodium: 144mg | Potassium: 98mg | Sugar: 34g | Vitamin A: 350IU | Vitamin C: 0.9mg | Calcium: 48mg | Iron: 1.1mg
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    Nutrition Facts
    Moist Lemon Cake Recipe
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 306 Calories from Fat 90
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 10g15%
    Saturated Fat 6g30%
    Cholesterol 58mg19%
    Sodium 144mg6%
    Potassium 98mg3%
    Carbohydrates 49g16%
    Sugar 34g38%
    Protein 3g6%
    Vitamin A 350IU7%
    Vitamin C 0.9mg1%
    Calcium 48mg5%
    Iron 1.1mg6%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Maha says

      May 19, 2022 at 4:56 pm

      The temperature you mentioned is for a conventional oven or convection oven?
      If it’s for conventional what should be for the convection✨

      Reply
      • Julia Foerster says

        May 25, 2022 at 3:08 pm

        All my recipes are for a normal (conventional) oven. To make it work for a convection oven reduce the temperature by about 25 degrees.

        Reply
    2. Dale Schultz says

      May 15, 2022 at 5:21 pm

      5 stars
      Hi Julia,
      When I first tried this recipe I loved it so much I ate the entire cake in two days! I felt badly later that I didn’t have any more. No self-control! So I have a couple friends that were leaving on a trip and I thought this would be the perfect going away gift. Of course, I made two!
      Really a wonderful recipe Julia. It’s now on my go-to list for pot lucks. Everyone always races. All credit goes to you. Thank you.
      Dale

      Reply
    3. Precious Brown says

      May 11, 2022 at 10:05 pm

      Could I use almond milk instead of buttermilk? Also so I use a 9×9 baking dish?

      Reply
      • Julia Foerster says

        May 12, 2022 at 2:42 pm

        I haven’t tested this recipe with almond milk so I don’t know. If you want to use a 9×9 baking dish the cooking time will be different.

        Reply
    4. Andrea says

      May 10, 2022 at 10:19 pm

      5 stars
      Moist and delicious. I made the icing with 1 Cup powdered sugar, lemon juice, and buttermilk.

      Reply
      • Ben Wycoff says

        May 13, 2022 at 3:08 am

        It was awesome!! Thought I cooked it too long but the crust was the best part 😂

        Reply
    5. Renee Boyle says

      May 09, 2022 at 9:05 am

      5 stars
      This was soooo good! I made it Gluten free using an all purpose flour. The second time I made it( with in 24 hours ) the mix looked like it curdled after mixing in the egg. Any idea what would cause that ? I went ahead and finished it. We will see if my “taste testers “ like the second as much as the first one. This one is a keeper !

      Reply
      • Priscilla says

        May 20, 2022 at 1:34 am

        I think it might be because the egg was still too cold… but that’s just a guess!

        Reply
    6. Melinda R. says

      April 30, 2022 at 10:52 pm

      I baked my cake at 350 and checked it at 45 minutes. I used the 9 x 5 loaf pan and it sunk in the middle. Does anyone know why?

      Reply
    7. Cindy says

      April 28, 2022 at 4:22 pm

      It came out so good!!!! Thank you for the recipe.

      Reply
    8. Caroline says

      April 28, 2022 at 6:22 am

      Can’t wait to try it and taste it. Can I use a normal cake pan to make a cake instead. Is there enough mixture? Thank you!

      Reply
      • Julia Foerster says

        April 28, 2022 at 10:46 am

        I haven’t tested this recipe with a normal cake pan. It depends on how big your pan is, the baking time will also change.

        Reply
      • Yuili says

        May 08, 2022 at 9:32 am

        I used a regular cake Pan and it came out just fine, it did take less time, somewhat under 45 minutes, it took all the batter for the cake pan.

        Reply
    9. Patti says

      April 27, 2022 at 9:21 pm

      Looks fabulous and all the reviews certainly support that! Can this recipe be converted to 3 – six inch layers? If so, should I be doubling the ingredients?

      Thanks!

      Reply
      • Julia Foerster says

        April 28, 2022 at 10:47 am

        I haven’t tried that so I’m not sure but I think doubling the recipe is a good idea.

        Reply
    10. Shameca says

      April 26, 2022 at 5:39 pm

      Can I add blueberries to the recipe and if so do I need to add more flour

      Reply
      • Julia Foerster says

        April 27, 2022 at 10:43 am

        I haven’t tested this recipe with blueberries so I’m not sure if it would work. Let me know how it goes if you give it a try!

        Reply
    11. Akina Maher says

      April 26, 2022 at 1:03 pm

      5 stars
      I made this today! Im now eating half of the load while typing my review lol . So moist and soft and amazing! I absolutely love this recipe!

      Reply
    12. Charisa McKinney says

      April 26, 2022 at 11:37 am

      5 stars
      This Moist Lemon cake is absolutely DIVINE. I would consider myself to have a high standard for food and dessert. MOIST, tangy, and not overly sweet. You can taste the lemon yet its not overpowering. Perfectly balanced flavors. I would definitely put a layer of parchment in the very bottom of your loaf pan before baking, it keeps the moisture in the cake and prevents over browning. I cut mine to size.

      Reply
    13. Mala says

      April 26, 2022 at 1:13 am

      5 stars
      Definitely tastes better than the Starbucks lemon loaf!

      Reply
    14. Audrey Chaffin says

      April 25, 2022 at 10:32 pm

      Would not recommend the 8”x4” option. Mine was raw in the middle and I had to cover the edges with foil to keep them from burning while the rest of the cake baked. :(

      Reply
      • Julia Foerster says

        April 26, 2022 at 10:48 am

        Sorry this happened, Audrey! Sounds to me like your oven is running hot! I tested this recipe with both pan sizes and didn’t have this happen. Depending on the pan you use (dark metal, light metal, glass) the edges might brown faster but that usually happens towards the end of the backing time when the center is also nearly done, so covering the pan with foil for the last 10-20 minutes might be a good idea.

        Reply
        • Audrey Chaffin says

          April 26, 2022 at 5:23 pm

          Thanks for the response! The cake was still delicious. Could definitely be my oven.

          Reply
    15. Kristin Hamilton says

      April 25, 2022 at 10:14 pm

      5 stars
      Super moist and flavorful! And def cream your butter and sugar for 6 minutes! I creamed mine until the butter turned white and boy was this a moist crumb. Great recipe and will be my go-to lemon loaf for now on!!!

      Reply
    16. AMV says

      April 24, 2022 at 9:32 am

      Have you every made the recipe with cake flour?

      Reply
    17. Courtney says

      April 23, 2022 at 10:09 am

      Have you ever doubled this recipe and baked it in a Bundt pan?

      Reply
      • Silke says

        May 06, 2022 at 6:40 am

        I followed the recipe fully, weighing everything in grams. I don’t know if it is supposed to be flat and more brownie like than cake like, but mine is. Although the flavour is still really good, I’m just wondering if it’s my ingredients (which were all freshly bought and all at room temperature), or the recipe.
        Thanks!

        Reply
        • Julia Foerster says

          May 06, 2022 at 11:51 am

          Silke, the cake definitely shouldn’t come out like a brownie. What size pan did you use?

          Reply
    18. Sabrina says

      April 21, 2022 at 4:08 pm

      5 stars
      Always comes out great!

      Reply
    19. MC says

      April 19, 2022 at 9:49 pm

      5 stars
      Hey, I want to try this recipe, looks so good! Could you sub out the butter for say vegetable oil though? Thanks

      Reply
      • Julia Foerster says

        April 19, 2022 at 9:54 pm

        I don’t recommend using vegetable oil instead of butter.

        Reply
        • Nadine says

          May 13, 2022 at 5:03 am

          Some members of my family dislike butter, so I always use vegetable oil (2/3 quantity of the butter) and it is fantastic.
          We LOVE this recipe

          Reply
          • Nadine says

            May 13, 2022 at 5:17 am

            I forgot to mention: when using oil you need to beat the eggs with the sugar first until white and fluffy and then add the oil in a thin stream.

            Reply
    20. Emma says

      April 15, 2022 at 8:59 am

      5 stars
      Absolutely perfect flavor and texture. Followed the exact recipe and wouldn’t change a thing.

      Reply
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    Welcome!

    Julia Foerster from Plated Cravings

    Hi, I'm Julia! Born in Germany, I call Canada now my home and love to share my favorite dishes with you! Here you'll find hundreds of recipes, all made from scratch with lots of tips and detailed step-by-step instructions. ➝ Visit my about page and ➝ subscribe to never miss a new recipe!

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