This post may contain affiliate links.Please read our disclosure policy.
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.
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?
PIN IT TO YOUR BAKING BOARD TO SAVE IT OR SHARE ON FACEBOOK!
Follow Plated Cravings on Pinterest for more great recipes!
[social_warfare buttons=”Pinterest, Facebook”]
Moist Lemon Cake Recipe
Ingredients
For the lemon pound cake:
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 Tbsp lemon zest
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ 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
- ½ cup buttermilk, see below for substitution
For the lemon syrup:
- ¼ cup lemon juice, about 1 lemon
- 3 Tbsp powdered sugar
For the lemon icing:
- 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 ½ Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease a 9x5-inch (or 8x4-inch) loaf pan (see note).
- 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.
Video
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 incorporates air into the batter and makes the cake fluffy and tender
- I recommend using fresh lemon juice but you can also use bottled lemon juice
- This cake would also taste great with lime juice or orange juice
- Some readers have commented that their cake stuck to the pan. If you're unsure how well your cake pans perform, line the pan with parchment paper. In my experience, this cake always comes out of the pan easily if it is greased well. I use these OXO cake pans (affiliate link).
Nutrition
NEVER MISS A RECIPE!
PINTEREST / FACEBOOK / INSTAGRAM / TWITTER
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!
Using the icing recipe as written does not give a thick icing. Even with 1TB of lemon juice to start. It makes a glaze.
Sorry, the icing came out runny for you, Sandy! The icing recipe definitely makes a thick layer if done right. It won’t be as thick as a frosting but should not be runny like a glaze. Always start with a small amount of liquid and add only as much liquid as you need to get it to the right consistency. The icing should be thick enough to be brushed on with a pastry brush or spread on top. Check out the video of the recipe that’s embedded in this post to see me making it. If the icing comes out too runny add a few more tablespoons of powdered sugar until you get to the right consistency.
Thank you so much for your recipe, I tried it, and it was awesome, Chef Foretie siajoka,Bumi,Kariba
Lovely recipe! I dotted a few teaspoons of lemon curd in the mix as I put it into the baking tin. I have some buttermilk to use up, so want to make two more cakes, but can I freeze them?
Yes, you can freeze them! Make sure the glaze has set completely and then wrap in plastic wrap and put in a freezer bag. I often cut it into slices before freezing so I can take out individual slices.
Thank you. Slicing it before freezing is a great idea!!! I might be able to make it last longer :-)
I’ve made this lemon loaf and it’s amazing!! Do you think I could use this batter in a cupcake tin ?
Yes, that should work. A few people commented that they used this recipe for cupcakes and it came out great.
After baking several different lemon cake recipes and being disappointed with the outcome, I finally found the perfect lemon cake. This cake is lemony, moist, fluffy light, and absolutely delicious, even on the second day. BTW I’m surprised there was any left after my husband cutting stop taking slices of it. All the other recipes I tried were just too heavy and dense. Thanks, Julia for the great recipe, I look forward to trying other recipes now that I found your site.
Sadly – first time I have had this but the butter did not cream – I felt like too much sugar. I tried it again with different butter and still the same result. :-(
Sorry, this happened Lesley! This can happen if your butter is too cold (or too warm). Always make sure your butter is at room temperature, it can’t properly cream with sugar otherwise.
Could I cut the sugar to 3/4 cup?
Yes, that should work without changing too much about the texture and taste but I don’t recommend using less than a 3/4 cup.
I suddenly got the urge to make lemon cake today and I found your recipe. I made it and it is DELICIOUS! So moist and lemony. The recipe was very easy to follow. I did add some extra sugar to the lemon glaze and a tiny bit of butter to the frosting, but other than that I followed it exactly. I’m definitely saving this recipe and making it again.
Hi Julia! I’ve baked this cake atleast 5 times now and im never gonna stop! Its mu signature bake now! I was wondering whether blueberries could be added to the cake while keeping all the ingredients and measurements the same?
I haven’t tried it but I don’t see why not. I would keep everything the same and start with 1/2 cup of fresh blueberries because they also add moisture to the cake.
Novice here. First time trying this recipe and it came out really well. Super lemon-y just like we like it. Making it again this weekend to send to my son at uni.
Thanks for sharing.