Lemon Pound Cake
Quick answer
A dense, buttery pound cake elevated by the brightness of fresh lemon zest and juice.
What makes this special
- Fresh lemon zest and juice lift the dense, buttery crumb of this Lemon Pound Cake.
- Natural top crack at 175°C for 55-60 min signals a properly baked pound cake
- Zest rubbed into flour first disperses lemon oils evenly through the batter
Key ingredients
Core cooking flow
- 1 Bring 200 g butter and 4 eggs to room temperature before mixing.
- 2 Grate only the yellow peel from 2 lemons, then rub the zest into 200 g flour with your fingertips.
- 3 Beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, then add 200 g sugar in portions.
A dense, buttery pound cake elevated by the brightness of fresh lemon zest and juice. Creaming the butter and sugar until light introduces air pockets that keep the heavy crumb from becoming leaden, and adding eggs one at a time ensures the emulsion stays stable. Rubbing the lemon zest into the flour before combining releases its essential oils evenly throughout the batter, so every slice carries the same citrus intensity. Lemon juice raises the batter's acidity just enough to maintain a tender, fine crumb rather than a tough one. During roughly an hour at 175 degrees Celsius, the top splits into the characteristic crack that signals a properly risen pound cake. After cooling completely, a glaze of powdered sugar and lemon juice is drizzled over the surface, hardening into a thin, translucent shell that adds sweetness and a subtle sheen. Wrapped and rested overnight, the lemon flavor deepens as the oils permeate every layer of crumb.
Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Prep
Bring 200 g butter and 4 eggs to room temperature before mixing.
Line a loaf pan with parchment, then preheat the oven to 175C so the batter can go in as soon as it is ready.
- 2Step
Grate only the yellow peel from 2 lemons, then rub the zest into 200 g flour with your fingertips.
Sift it together with 1 teaspoon baking powder to spread the citrus oils and remove lumps.
- 3Season
Beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, then add 200 g sugar in portions.
Whip for 3-4 minutes, stopping to scrape the bowl, until the mixture looks paler and slightly increased in volume.
- 4Prep
Add the eggs one at a time, mixing fully after each addition.
If the batter starts looking curdled or slippery, mix in a spoonful of the flour blend to help the emulsion come back together.
- 5Prep
Fold in the sifted flour mixture in two or three additions with a spatula.
Add 3 teaspoons lemon juice, then stop mixing as soon as no dry flour remains to keep the crumb tender.
- 6Season
Spread the batter in the pan, level the top, and bake at 175C for 55-60 minutes until the top cracks and a skewer comes out clean.
Cool completely before drizzling a glaze made with 100 g powdered sugar.
After the steps
Pick a recipe that fits this dish.
Continue with shared ingredients, meal pairings, or a similar method.
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