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This heavenly Lemon Pound Cake is soaked with tart and delicious lemon syrup and topped with creamy vanilla icing.  If you love lemon, this one is for you.

Closeup on a Lemon Pound Cake frosted with Vanilla Icing sitting on a white plate next to a cutting board covered with lemon slices.

This summer we are lemon obsessed at Two Sisters and have been busy in the test kitchen working on a bunch of new lemon dessert recipes.  This Lemon Pound Cake is one of our new favorites.  The moist lemon-flavored pound cake is enhanced with a yummy sweet and tart lemon syrup and everything always tastes amazing when it is topped with vanilla icing.  If you need to whip up something special for a potluck, a neighborhood barbecue, or that special lemon-lover in your life we highly recommend this easy-to-make lemon cake recipe!

Ingredients You Will Need

All the ingredients you will need to make Lemon Pound Cake including lemons, butter, granulated sugar, flour, powdered sugar, lemon juice and zest, eggs and vanilla.

How to Prepare the Lemons

Collage image showing how to zest and juice two lemons for the pound cake recipe.

Step 1: You will need to juice and zest a couple of lemons for this yummy cake.  You will need 1/2 cup of lemon juice for the lemon syrup you drizzle on the pound cake and 1/4 cup of lemon juice for the cake.  You will also need 2 tablespoons of Lemon Zest for the cake recipe.

How to Make the Pound Cake

Collage image showing how to make the lemon sugar for the pound cake recipe.

Step 2: Add the sugar and the lemon zest to the mixing bowl.
Step 3: Turn on the mixer to low and thoroughly mix the sugar and the lemon zest.  Set aside and let the lemon flavor steep into the sugar for at least 15 minutes.

Collage image showing the steps for making the pound cake batter.

Step 4: Add Butter to the sugar mixture in the mixing bowl.  The butter needs to be softened to room temperature.   Cream the butter and sugar until it is light and fluffy. (Approximately 5-6 minutes). 
Step 5: Add the eggs one at a time and beat them until thoroughly combined. Scrape down the bowl after each egg has been beaten into the batter.
Step 6: Add the vanilla and lemon juice and mix until combined.
Step 7: Add flour and baking powder and mix on medium-low ONLY until the flour is just combined.  Do not overmix after the flour has been added.

Collage image showing how to prepare the pound cake for baking.

Steps 8-9: Prepare a 9x5x3″ loaf pan and pour the batter into the loaf pan.
Step 10: Spread the batter out so it is evenly distributed in the pan.
Step 11: Bake in an oven preheated to 325 degrees for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool the pound cake in the pan for 10 minutes and then remove it from the pan to finish cooling. 

How to Make the Lemon Syrup

Collage image showing how to make a Lemon Syrup and drizzle it onto the cooling Lemon Pound Cake.

Step 12: While the pound cake is baking, make a batch of lemon syrup.  Add 1/2 cup of lemon juice and 1/2 cup of sugar in a small saucepan. Cook on a medium-low setting, stirring constantly until the sugar is dissolved and a light syrup is formed.
Step 13:  As the Lemon Pound Cake is cooling, drizzle the hot Lemon Syrup over the cake a little at a time (every 10 minutes or so add another drizzle of the syrup.) The more syrup, the more moist and tart the cake will be. Allow the cake to fully cool.

How to Make the Vanilla Icing

Collage image showing how to make the Vanilla Icing.

Step 14: Add the softened butter and the vanilla to a mixing bowl.  Mix until combined and smooth.
Step 15: Add the powdered sugar and mix until fully combined.
Step 16: Add the milk/heavy cream one tablespoon at a time and then mix until the consistency of spreadable icing. 
Step 17: Continue to add milk until you get the right consistency.

How to Frost the Cake

Collage image showing how to frost the Lemon Pound Cake with the vanilla icing.

Step 18: Use a spreader to ice the top of the Lemon Pound Cake.
Step 19: Smooth out the icing.

Closeup on a partially sliced Lemon Pound Cake sitting on a white serving platter on a white table with lemons in the background.

Other Lemon Desserts You Will Love

Did you Make This Recipe? Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @twosisterscrafting on Instagram so we can see it!

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Lemon Pound CakePrint

Lemon Pound Cake

Yield 10-12 Servings
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Additional Time 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes

This heavenly Lemon Pound Cake is soaked with tart and delicious lemon syrup and topped with creamy vanilla icing.  If you love lemon, this one is for you.

Ingredients

Pound Cake

  • 1 cup Granulated Sugar
  • 2 tablespoons Lemon Zest
  • 1 cup Butter (Salted Sweet Cream, softened to room temperature)
  • 4 Large Egg (room temperature)
  • 2 teaspoons Vanilla
  • 1/4 cup Lemon Juice
  • 1 teaspoon Baking Powder 
  • 2 cups All-Purpose Flour

Lemon Syrup

  • 1 /2 cup Granulated Sugar
  • 1 /2 cup Lemon Juice

Vanilla Icing

  • 1/4 cup Butter (Salted, Sweet Cream, softened to room temperature)
  • 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
  • 2 cups Powdered Sugar
  • 1-2 tablespoons Milk/Heavy Cream

Instructions

  1. You will need to juice and zest a couple of lemons for this yummy cake.  You will need 1/2 cup of lemon juice for the lemon syrup you drizzle on the pound cake and 1/4 cup of lemon juice for the cake.  You will also need 2 tablespoons of Lemon Zest for the cake recipe.
  2. Add the sugar and the lemon zest to the mixing bowl.
  3. Turn on the mixer to low and thoroughly mix the sugar and the lemon zest.  Set aside and let the lemon flavor steep into the sugar for at least 15 minutes.
  4. Add Butter to the sugar mixture in the mixing bowl.  The butter needs to be softened to room temperature.   Cream the butter and sugar until it is light and fluffy. (Approximately 5-6 minutes).
  5. Add the eggs one at a time and beat them until thoroughly combined. Scrape down the bowl after each egg has been beaten into the batter.
  6. Add the vanilla and lemon juice and mix until combined.
  7. Add flour and baking powder and mix on medium-low ONLY until the flour is just combined.  Do not overmix after the flour has been added.
  8. Prepare a 9x5x3″ loaf pan and pour the batter into the loaf pan.
  9. Spread the batter out so it is evenly distributed in the pan.
  10. Bake in an oven preheated to 325 degrees for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool the pound cake in the pan for 10 minutes and then remove it from the pan to finish cooling.
  11. While the pound cake is baking, make a batch of lemon syrup.  Add 1/2 cup of lemon juice and 1/2 cup of sugar in a small saucepan. Cook on a medium-low setting, stirring constantly until the sugar is dissolved and a light syrup is formed.
  12. As the Lemon Pound Cake is cooling, drizzle the hot Lemon Syrup over the cake a little at a time (every 10 minutes or so add another drizzle of the syrup.) The more syrup, the more moist and tart the cake will be. Allow the cake to fully cool.
  13. For the Vanilla Icing, add the softened butter and the vanilla to a mixing bowl.  Mix until combined and smooth.
  14. Add the powdered sugar and mix until fully combined.
  15. Add the milk/heavy cream one tablespoon at a time and then mix until the consistency of spreadable icing.
  16. Continue to add milk until you get the right consistency.
  17. Use a spreader to ice the top of the Lemon Pound Cake.
  18. Smooth out the icing.
  19. Serve at room temperature.

Did you Make this Recipe? Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @twosisterscrafting on Instagram so we can see it!

© Two Sisters Crafting
Cuisine: American / Category: Cakes