An easy lemon pound cake that bakes up beautifully in your favorite Bundt pan. This pound cake is rich, moist, and full of bright lemon flavor.
My father used to buy a pound cake every week when I was a child. He has an insatiable sweet tooth and would eat half the cake on his own, leaving the rest of the family to fight over the remaining cake.
These days I feel we could all do with a small trip back to memories like this, so when I saw the recipe for lemon pound cake with cornmeal in my Short Stack cookbook, I knew I need to make it.
Short Stack is a series of mini cookbooks each focused on a particular ingredient. A few years ago I received three Short Stack cookbooks (Buttermilk, Egg, and Tomato). They recently released a "full size" cookbook that features several ingredient categories all put together in a bright, beautifully illustrated cookbook.
Why You'll Love This Lemon Pound Cake
This pound cake is made for lemon dessert lovers like my daughter and me! There is lemon permeated throughout every inch of the cake to give you a bright burst of flavor.
We start with lemon juice and zest in the cake. Once finished, the cake is then drenched in lemon-infused simple syrup before lemon icing and candied lemon zest decorate the top. The cornmeal adds a really nice texture similar to the lemon lavender semolina cake I made last spring.
The only change I made with this cake is that I doubled it so I could make it in a Bundt cake. The icing did need a bit more liquid than called for when you double it, so I added a couple of tablespoons of milk.
It's comforting, bright, and I promise everyone will be begging for another slice!
How do You Serve Pound Cake?
I honestly think there is no limit to the number of ways you can serve your lemon pound cake. In my opinion, the cake is perfect as-is. A dollop of whipped cream would do marvelously here though, and a scoop of vanilla or lemon ice cream would be absolutely divine as well.
You can also serve it with fresh fruits like berries or stone fruits, all of which pair really well with the brightness of the lemon.
If you are a fan of icing on your pound cake and the lemon glaze isn't enough, you can also do a healthy drizzle of cream cheese icing
How do You Store Lemon Pound Cake?
Typically, pound cake lasts at room temperature in a cake holder for up to a week. However, since air can still get in there, I prefer to wrap my cake so it is airtight and keeps the cake moist.
Some people also prefer to store their cakes in the refrigerator, and again, just be aware that the pound cake is usually best served at room temperature. Any refrigerated pound cake would need to be in an airtight container.
Does Pound Cake Freeze Well?
When I make cake, I do usually freeze it, but it isn't as common with pound cake. As long as it is in an airtight container, you can definitely freeze your cake - just thaw it in the refrigerator overnight when you want to serve it! I also recommend baking the cake in loaf tins for easier storage if you plan on freezing it.
Craving More?
Samesies! I love my brown butter banana cake and I think you will, too. My lemon blueberry cake is another personal favorite. Pistachio pound cake is a dream and I think about it all the time!
Recipe Card
Lemon Pound Cake
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup cornmeal
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- 4 teaspoons lemon zest
- 6 large eggs room temperature
- ¼ cup lemon juice room temperature
- 1 cup sour cream
For the Lemon Syrup
- ⅓ cup lemon juice
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
For the Glaze and Topping
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 - 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and flour a 12-cup Bundt pan very well.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, cornmeal, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.
- Beat the butter, sugar, and lemon zest until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the eggs one at a time, then beat for an additional 2 minutes.
- Stir together the lemon juice and sour cream together.
- Alternate adding the flour (in three additions) and sour cream (in two additions) to the butter mixture.
- Pour the batter into the Bundt pan and bake for about 50 - 65 minutes, or until a nice golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. The cake should pull away from the sides of the pan slightly.
- Allow to cool in the pan for about 30 minutes. Tap the pan against the side of the counter a few times on every side to help loosen the cake. Carefully turn out onto a wire rack and tap out the cake.
- As soon as the cake is on the wire rack, add the lemon and sugar together for the syrup in a small saucepan and heat until the sugar is dissolved and slightly thickened. Pour the syrup over the cake while it is still hot. Allow to cool completely.
- Mix together the powdered sugar and lemon juice for the icing and drizzle over the now cooled cake. Mix together the lemon zest and granulated sugar for the topping and spread over the top of the cake and icing.
Notes
Nutrition
Guntherb says
At what point is the milk added in the 'For the Glaze and Topping' portion of this recipe?
Amanda says
It is added to the glaze in the powdered sugar mixture to thin it out