Sharing is caring!

This recipe for Easy Lemon Pound Cake is moist, tangy, and quite simple to make from scratch, topped with a homemade glaze!

Lemon Pound Cake

Recently someone gifted us a Starbucks Gift Card, and *secret* NONE of us drink coffee! We stopped by our local store though, and tried the Starbucks Lemon Loaf that was highly recommended by some friends. It was an instant hit with my kids, so it became my mission to create the Best Lemon Pound Cake at home that could rival the store version. A Homemade Starbucks Lemon Loaf is simple & easy to make from scratch, and it’s SO YUMMY!

We’ve decided that we want to experiment with other fruits following this Lemon Pound Cake Recipes format, because we love it so much.

For a gluten free cake option, consider this delicious 3 ingredient yogurt cake from Combine Good Flavors. It’s light and refreshing and an absolutely divine pairing with fresh fruits.

Is Pound Cake Better with Milk or Water

Most cake recipes call for water as an ingredient. However, you can easily substitute a dairy product for the water, in equal quantities. When you replace water for milk, it makes your cake taste homemade (even when using a box mix). If you use buttermilk, it’ll make the cake taste richer and creamier. 

How to Make Lemon Pound Cake:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a large loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the butter and sugar.

Beat until light and fluffy.

Add the lemon zest and lemon extract.

Add the eggs.

Beat until well combined.

Add the lemon juice and sour cream.

Mix until combined.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt.

Add half the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix until combined.

Pour the milk into the bowl and mix.

Add the remaining flour and mix until combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes, then remove it from the pan and place it on a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

How to make Glaze for Lemon Pound Cake:

While the cake is cooling, make the glaze by mixing the powdered sugar, lemon extract, and two tablespoons of milk.

Whisk until smooth.

Continue adding milk one tablespoon at a time until desired consistency is reached.

When the cake is cool, drizzle the glaze over the top of the loaf.

Allow the cake to rest for 10 minutes, until the glaze is set, before serving.

Tips and Tricks for Making This Easy Lemon Cake Recipe

• Make sure you use quality brand name ingredients. I love substituting with less expensive store brands when and where I can, but I’ve found with a Pound Cake it can affect the results.
• You can also make this loaf cake recipes like this one in a Bundt pan. Just make sure that depending on the sizes of your pans you adjust the quantity of mix to fit. In any style pan it’s ESSENTIAL to thoroughly grease your the pan generously so that your cake will come out of the pan and not stick.
• Make sure you use firm lemons to zest, it’s more challenging to zest soft lemons.
• Don’t leave out the lemon zest, that is what gives it the wonderful lemony flavor!
• For the best flavor use the juice from freshly squeezed lemons! Don’t use bottled juice, freshly squeeze yields a much better result.
• Can swap cream for Greek Yogurt
• This cake keeps well covered at room temperature for up to 4 days.

If you love this Copycat Starbuck Lemon Pound Cake, you won’t want to miss this Starbucks blueberry scones copycat recipe!

What toppings are good with pound cake?

1. Fresh strawberries & whipped cream 
2. Chopped peaches & whipped cream 
3. Fresh blueberries & simple syrup.
4. Vanilla ice cream & chocolate sauce.
5. Sliced bananas & honey.

What type of flour is best for pound cake?

I prefer cake flour. However, it’s not always regularly available in my local stores, Cake flour is lighter than all-purpose flour so it creates a lighter pound cake that I prefer. However, I shared this recipe with all purpose flour because it’s more widely available in the areas where the majority of my readers live. If you can find cake flour at an affordable price, use that! Otherwise, all purpose works fine 🙂 

Many of my regular readers prefer using store bought cake mixes instead of a from scratch cake. If you prefer that, I recommend using a Duncan Hines Lemon Pound Cake Mix for the base loaf, then just make the homemade glaze using that portion of the recipe 🙂

How to store leftover Lemon Pound Cake

Store in an airtight container on the countertop for up to 4 days.

How to freeze Lemon Pound Cake:

The cake can be frozen without the glaze for up to 3 months. After it is completely cooled, double-wrap it securely  plastic freezer wrap, then place it in a heavy-duty freezer safe bag that has been clearly labeled with contents AND date.. Thaw the overnight on the countertop before serving. Make the glaze fresh and apply before serving.

These are a few items I find helpful in my own kitchen when preparing this Lemon Pound Cake Recipe:

Don’t miss these additional delicious Lemon Recipes here at When Is Dinner:

• Lemon Crinkle Cookies
• Paleo Lemon Bars
• Lemon Chicken Zoodles
• Lemon Basil Orzo Pasta Salad
• Lemon Turmeric Popsicles
• Lemon Bars
• Keto Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake
• Lemon Sugar Cookie Pie
• Lemon Poppy seed Muffins
• Strawberry Cupcakes with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
• Homemade Pink Lemonade Cookies