Lemon Pound Cake
Our scrumptious homemade lemon pound cake is a masterful fusion of perfectly baked airy cake moistened by tart-sweet lemon syrup. To elevate this sensory journey, we top the cake with a velvety lemon glaze and a sprinkling of fresh lemon slices.
Equipment
- Kitchen scale (Or measuring cups)
- Lemon zester (Or cheese grater)
- hand mixer
- Mixing bowls
- loaf pan (9x5-inch)
- Parchment paper
- oven
- piping bag (Optional)
Ingredients
Ingredients for Lemon Pound Cake
- 3 lemons zest (zest of 3 medium-sized lemons)
- 250 g powdered sugar (1cup + ⅔cup; Or you can use 150g granulated sugar to substitute 250g powdered sugar)
- 200 g unsalted butter (1+¾ sticks of butter; Room temperature softened)
- 1.5 g salt (¼ tsp)
- 5 large eggs (Room temperature *See Note1)
- 100 g heavy whipping cream (⅓cup + 2tbsps)
- 3.5 g vanilla extract (⅔ tsp)
- 50 g lemon juice (3 tbsps)
- 300 g all purpose flour (2 + ½ cups)
- 6 g baking powder (1 +¼ tsp)
Ingredients for Lemon Syrup
- 80 g water (⅓ cup)
- 50 g granulated sugar (¼ cup)
- 50 g lemon juice (3+½ tbsp)
Ingredients for Lemon Glaze
- 30 g lemon juice (2+½ tbsp)
- 120 g powdered sugar (1 cup)
Others
- 2 tbsps softened butter (For greasing the loaf pan and piping a line of butter on the top surface of the cake)
- lemon zest and lemon slices (For the final decoration)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 340°F (170°C). Grease a loaf pan with butter and then line it with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, use medium speed of the hand mixer to whip softened butter for about 3 minutes until it turns pale and fluffy.
- In a separate bowl, combine lemon zest and powdered sugar, gently rub with clean hands until well combined.
- Add the lemon zest sugar mixture to the butter and stir with a spatula until all dry sugar is incorporated. Then, use a hand mixer to whip the softened butter and granulated sugar until achieving a light and fluffy consistency.
- In another bowl, whisk 5 room temperature eggs until they are uniformly mixed. Gradually incorporate the egg mixture into the butter, adding 2 tbsps at a time, mixing well with the hand mixer after each addition.
- Pour in the heavy whipping cream, vanilla extract, and lemon juice.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients to the butter egg mixture. Use the lowest speed setting of the hand mixer to mix just until combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Fill a piping bag with approximately 1 tablespoon of softened butter. Cut a small opening, around 2 mm in diameter, at the tip of the piping bag. Hover the piping bag above the cake batter and draw a horizontal line across the center. (This step is optional, but it can help with forming an even and perfect crack on the surface of the pound cake.)
- Bake in the oven for about 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- While the cake is baking, prepare the lemon syrup: Combine water and granulated sugar in a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Turn off the heat, then pour the lemon juice into the saucepan, stir until well mixed. Set it aside.
- Once baked, remove the cake from the oven, and carefully transfer it to a plate.
- When the cake is warm to the touch but not hot, use a brush to gently brush the lemon syrup over the cake's top and sides.
- Once the syrup has been absorbed, allow it to soak into the cake for a few minutes, and let the cake to cool naturally.
- While the cake is cooling, prepare the lemon glaze: In a bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth. Once the cake is completely cool, apply the lemon glaze over the top.
- Optionally decorate the lemon pound cake with lemon/lime zest and lemon slices. Slice and serve immediately.