No-Fuss Lemon Pound Cake (5 Ingredients)
If you’re looking for a classic but no-fuss lemon pound cake recipe you’ve come to the right place. 5 ingredients and 10 minutes of hands-on prep time is all you need to make this sweet, tangy, and moist lemon loaf.
Traditionally a pound cake is made with equal parts of sugar, butter, and flour – 1 pound of each. They are underrated in my opinion as they’re incredibly quick and easy to make thanks to the simple butter, flour, and sugar ratio. AND they’re super tasty of course, store well, and make affordable and nut-free lunchbox fillers.
I typically add a simple dusting of powdered sugar to keep it mess-free for the kids’ lunchboxes but a simple lemon glaze (2 1/2 tbsp lemon juice mixed with 1 cup powdered sugar) works well too.
Check out strawberry pound cake, cinnamon pound cake, and blueberry and lemon pound cake for some delicious flavored options as well.
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Lemon Pound Cake
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb butter lightly salted
- 1/2 lb sugar
- 4 eggs room temperature
- 1/2 lb self-rising flour
- 2 tsp lemon zest
- 6 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp powdered sugar to serve, optional
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease and line a 9×5 inch loaf pan with baking paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. About 2-3 minutes.1/2 lb butter, 1/2 lb sugar
- Beat in the eggs one at a time.4 eggs, 2 tsp lemon zest
- Gradually add the self-raising flour to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined.1/2 lb self-rising flour
- Fold in the lemon zest and juice by hand using a large spoon or spatula.2 tsp lemon zest, 6 tbsp lemon juice
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Dust with powdered sugar before serving (optional).2 tsp powdered sugar
Notes
Nutrition
Ingredients and substitutions
- Lemon – I use plenty of fresh lemon juice and zest for an extra lemony cake. Organic lemons are best if you’re zesting them. Otherwise make sure you wash the lemon thoroughly under some warm water.
- Butter – Lightly salted butter works well or use unsalted + 1/8 tsp of salt.
- Sugar – Granulated and powdered sugar for dusting (optional).
- Eggs – Medium-sized at room temperature. Make sure they’re not cold.
- Flour – Self-rising flour for convenience or all-purpose flour + 2 tsp of baking powder.
Key steps: lemon pound cake
1: Cream the wet ingredients until light and fluffy. Take your time here.
2: Make sure not to overmix the cake batter once you add the dry ingredients. You’re after a lump-free batter.
3: Thoroughly grease a loaf tin with butter and line it with parchment paper to make sure the pound cake pops out easily after baking.
4: Add the cake batter in an even layer and bake the lemon loaf in a preheated oven. Make sure it’s up tom temperature.
My top 3 pound cake tips
- Cream butter and sugar well: This is the most crucial step for a tender, fine-crumbed pound cake. Make sure the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Avoid overmixing: When incorporating the flour, make sure not to overmix the batter or the pound cake will become dense.
- Slice and freeze: I often double batch the recipe, slice the cake and freeze it with some parchment paper in between the layers for easy single serve slices. Perfect for lunchboxes.
