Dense, buttery pound cake will get a lemon elevate on this brilliant and cheery citrus model. Iced lemon pound cake is tremendous moist and bursting with the flavors of contemporary lemon, creamy butter, and candy vanilla. A creamy lemon icing that units on prime is the one adorning this small-yet-stunning cake requires.
One reader, Laurie, says: “I’ve by no means made pound cake earlier than however this turned out very nicely. It was moist and scrumptious. It took 50 minutes to bake and I’m glad you talked about that a few moist crumbs on a toothpick is okay, in any other case I could have left it within the oven longer and it might have been a bit dry. I used the zest of 1 1/2 lemons as urged as I like lemon. I’m making one other one at this time!”
Right here’s precisely what you might want to make when it’s citrus season: grapefruit Greek yogurt cake.
But when grapefruit isn’t your very best selection, iced lemon pound cake is one other dwelling run. I initially printed this recipe on my web site in 2017 and I make it not less than as soon as each winter season. Think about a espresso store lemon loaf, however with a tighter crumb and with supremely contemporary taste you solely get from selfmade. (Nothing compares!)
Do you take pleasure in pound cake? My favourite is that this cream cheese pound cake which has an upgraded taste, tight and dense crumb, and stays splendidly buttery and delicate. Brown butter pound cake has an identical texture and comes with the addition of brown butter taste. Level being—I like including aptitude and taste to pound cake and lemon is at all times a stunning selection.
By the way in which, should you’ve tried the lemon loaf recipe in my cookbook Sally’s Baking Dependancy, you’ll admire at this time’s recipe, too. The cookbook variation is a lighter-crumbed fast bread—delicate and ethereal like birthday cake, however with massive and brilliant lemon taste that hits as quickly as you’re taking the primary chunk.
The Precise Texture of This Lemon Pound Cake
Immediately’s recipe has the identical wake-up-your-tastebuds taste as my cookbook variation, however the texture is somewhat completely different. It’s:
- Unapologetically moist
- Candy and golden caramelized-like edges
- Dense and satisfying with out tasting heavy
- Tremendous wealthy and buttery
- Additional easy with a velvety crumb
Finest Substances to Use & Why I Don’t Suggest Substitutions
You want simply 9 substances within the lemon pound cake batter. With so few substances, it’s greatest to stay to the recipe as a result of every has an vital job. I’ve tried my hand at many variations, and preserve coming again to this recipe due to its cautious ratio of substances. I don’t suggest straying.
Dry Substances: You want all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. The quantity of flour isn’t a misprint. You actually solely want 1.5 cups, or 188g. One way or the other, it simply works!
Moist Substances: Seize your room temperature butter and sugar, you then’ll want eggs, bitter cream for moisture (it additionally retains the crumb a bit gentle), vanilla extract, and lemon zest + juice.
Useful Tip: You want lemon zest and juice and it’s best to zest the lemon earlier than juicing it. Right here’s the citrus zester and the citrus juicer I exploit should you want suggestions.
Count on a Thick Lemon Pound Cake Batter
This can be a thick batter. In contrast to vanilla cake or chocolate cake, there’s no milk to skinny issues out. The one actual liquid is from the lemon juice, and there isn’t an excessive amount of of it. Pound muffins don’t sometimes embody liquid in addition to eggs. (For those who think about these liquid!)
You may bake this in a 9×5-inch loaf pan, however currently I’ve been utilizing my 1-lb. 8×4-inch loaf pan. It yields a taller loaf, and wishes somewhat additional bake time. I embody directions for each pans within the recipe under. If all you’ve is a 9×5-inch loaf pan, which is what you employ for banana bread and pumpkin bread, you should utilize it, however count on the bread to be somewhat shorter than pictured.
Unfold the batter into the greased loaf pan. There isn’t a lot pouring concerned… extra of a spoon-and-spread scenario right here!
Lemon Icing That Units
I consider the saying goes… when life fingers you lemons, make lemonade glaze. The icing on prime of the pound cake provides a complete different degree of lemon taste. It’s thick and units after a pair hours, producing a candy and zingy layer you’ll wish to save for final. You want heavy cream (or half-and-half or milk), lemon juice, and confectioners’ sugar.
Be at liberty so as to add candied lemons on the highest for presentation, like I do with lemon poppy seed bread.
This recipe is just too small for a Bundt pan. In you need a bigger lemon pound cake in a Bundt pan, listed here are 2 choices: (1) Double the recipe, however use 3/4 cup (180g) of bitter cream to make sure there’s sufficient moisture. The remainder of the substances are merely doubled. Observe the identical baking time and temperature from my cream cheese pound cake. And (2) Use my lemon poppy seed Bundt cake recipe, and be at liberty to skip the poppy seeds.
Completely. You may fold 1 cup (about 140g) of contemporary blueberries into the batter. I attempt to keep away from frozen blueberries as a result of they flip the batter and cake grayish blue, however be at liberty to make use of them if that’s all you’ve. No have to coat them with flour earlier than folding in, however really feel to take action should you’d like. This batter is sort of thick, in order that they don’t actually sink.
Iced Lemon Pound Cake
Prep Time: quarter-hour
Cook dinner Time: 55 minutes
Whole Time: 3 hours, quarter-hour
Yield: serves 8-10
Class: Cake
Technique: Baking
Delicacies: American
Description
Dense, buttery pound cake will get a lemon elevate on this brilliant and cheery citrus model. Iced lemon pound cake is tremendous moist and bursting with the flavors of contemporary lemon, creamy butter, and candy vanilla. A creamy lemon icing that units on prime is the one adorning this small-yet-stunning cake requires.
Directions
- Decrease the oven rack to the decrease third place and preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease an 8×4-inch loaf pan (like this one or this one) with nonstick spray. Or you should utilize a 9×5-inch loaf pan for a shorter loaf.
- Make the cake: Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt collectively in a big bowl. Put aside.
- With a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the butter on excessive velocity in a big bowl till easy and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the granulated sugar and beat on excessive velocity for two minutes till creamed. Scrape down the perimeters and up the underside of the bowl as wanted. With the mixer operating on low velocity, add the eggs separately. As soon as the final egg is totally combined in, cease the mixer. Add the bitter cream, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract, then beat on medium velocity till mixed. Scrape down the perimeters and up the underside of the bowl as wanted. The combination might look curdled on account of the various textures combining. That is regular and the batter will come collectively if you add the dry substances within the subsequent step.
- With the mixer operating on low velocity, slowly add the dry substances simply till mixed. If wanted, run a whisk by means of the batter a couple of occasions to rid any giant lumps. Keep away from over-mixing. Batter may be very thick.
- Spoon/unfold the batter into ready loaf pan and bake for 55-65 minutes should you used an 8×4-inch pan and 45-60 minutes should you used a 9×5-inch loaf pan. Tent the cake with aluminum foil midway by means of baking to stop the highest from over-browning. Pound muffins are dense and take awhile to bake within the oven. Baking occasions range, so control yours and don’t be alarmed if yours is taking longer. The cake is completed when a toothpick inserted within the heart comes out *principally* clear. A pair moist crumbs are OK.
- Take away the cake from the oven and place on a wire rack. Permit cake to chill within the pan on the wire rack for 1 hour, then rigorously take away the marginally heat cake from the pan. Let it proceed cooling on a wire rack or on a serving plate/platter. You may add the icing whereas the cake continues to be heat or anticipate it to chill.
- Make the icing: Whisk all the icing substances collectively and pour over cake. Serve instantly or wait till the cake cools utterly, which guarantees neater slices.
- Cowl and retailer leftover cake for as much as 3 days at room temperature or as much as 1 week within the fridge.
Notes
- Make Forward & Freezing Directions: You can also make the pound cake forward of time by freezing it. (I counsel icing it proper earlier than serving, so freeze it with out the icing.) Bake it, cool it, then wrap it in a layer of plastic wrap after which a layer of aluminum foil. Freeze the loaf for as much as 3 months. Permit the cake to thaw in a single day within the fridge, then deliver to room temperature earlier than topping with icing and serving.
- Particular Instruments (affiliate hyperlinks): 9×5-inch Loaf Pan or | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Electrical Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Cooling Rack | Citrus Juicer | Citrus Zester
- Bitter Cream: For those who don’t have bitter cream, you should utilize plain yogurt or dairy/nondairy milk as an alternative. If utilizing milk, your pound cake gained’t have a brilliant tight crumb that’s signature to pound muffins. As an alternative, the cake could have a lighter and cakier texture. For greatest outcomes, I like to recommend full-fat bitter cream.
- Bundt Pan: Listed here are 2 choices for making a lemon Bundt pound cake in a Bundt pan. (1) Double this recipe, however use 3/4 cup (180g) of bitter cream. For those who had been doubling the recipe, you’ll use 1/2 cup however be sure to enhance to three/4 cup for added moisture. The remainder of the substances are merely doubled. Spoon/unfold right into a generously greased 10-12 cup Bundt pan. Observe the baking time and temperature from my cream cheese pound cake. (2) Use my lemon poppy seed Bundt cake recipe. Be at liberty to depart out the poppy seeds. That cake has a lighter texture and isn’t fairly as heavy as pound cake.
Key phrases: lemon pound cake
