Italian Lemon Pound Cake

Italian Lemon Pound Cake is a delicious citrus treat any time of day and makes a particularly cheerful gift, sort of like sharing a bit of sunshine. The soft, dense cake is topped with two layers of lemony goodness, lemon syrup and lemon glaze, ensuring lots of flavor in every bite!

Why you'll love this recipe

This super lemony loaf has the soft, dense crumb unique to pound cake. Two additional lemony layers, a syrup and a glaze, provide extra flavor and extra moisture that help keep the loaf from drying out.

This is a cake recipe you should bake when you are looking for a luscious citrus treat to enjoy with your tea and when you want to bake a gift that will brighten the day.

I baked this recipe as five mini lemon loaves, ideal for mailing of gifting. The delicious citrus loaf can also be baked as two regular sized loaves.

If you love this glazed fruity loaf, next time try Cherry Bread another moist quick bread with a beautiful pink glaze.

Instructions

This is an overview of the instructions. The full instructions are in the recipe card below.

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
2. In a separate bowl, combine the buttermilk, lemon juice, and vanilla.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
4. Add the eggs, one at a time, and the lemon zest.
5. Alternate adding the flour and buttermilk mixtures to the batter.
6. Pour batter evenly into the pans. This batter will fill 5- 5 ½ inch mini loaf pans or 2- 9” inch loaf pans Use a spatula to smooth the tops.
7. Bake mini loaves for 30-35 minutes and regular loaves for 45-55 minutes. Loaves are ready when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
8. Cool the cakes completely before removing from the pan.
9. Make the lemon syrup by combining lemon juice and granulated sugar and stirring until the sugar dissolves.
10. Brush the tops of the loaves, coating completely with the syrup.
11. Let set for 30 minutes or until dry.
12. To make the lemon glaze, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, lemon juice, and butter until smooth.
13. Spread the glaze over the tops of the loaves.

Storage

Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Individually wrapping each cake in wax paper, then plastic wrap will help retain moisture in the loaves.

Baking tips

• Zest the lemons first, then squeeze the lemons for the required juice. I love using my Microplane to quickly and easily create fine zest that never digs into the bitter white pith.
• For the best tangy lemon flavor, don’t skimp on the ⅓ cup of lemon zest added to the batter. You will need 6-8 lemons (depending on size) which are used for both zest and for juice.
• This recipe can also be used in one 10-inch Bundt pan.

Tips for gifting and shipping

• Do NOT ship lemon cake in hot weather. Moist, sugary cake will mold quickly in the heat.
• The extra step of brushing on the lemon syrup makes these loaves good for cool weather, short distance (up to 5 travel days) care packages. The syrup provides extra moisture to help keep the loaves fresh longer.
• Well wrapped to seal out as much air as possible, these loaves stay fresh for up to 1 week.
• These loaves make lovely gifts whether removed from baking pans or gifted inside baking pans or disposable foil pans.
• For mailing in care packages, wrap each loaf in wax paper followed by plastic wrap. Then place the  wrapped loaves in a freezer weight ziplock bag. Squeeze out as much air as possible before sealing the bag.
• For a pretty, in-person gifting presentation, wrap each loaf or pan with a strip of wax paper then a strip of colorful ribbon or wrapping paper. Place the wrapped loaf into a clear cellophane bag and tie closed.

More lemon recipes

Lemon Biscotti are the perfect biscuit to have with hot or cold tea. Crunchy and refreshing!
Lemon and Lime Butter Cookie Rosettes are both beautiful and delicious. They make a wonderful Mother's Day gift.

Italian Easter Cookies, Taralli Dolci Di Pasqua, are coated in a crisp, lemon icing. So pretty and delicious!
Lemon Shrewsbury Biscuits are a popular British biscuit to serve at tea time. Their pretty design is fun and easy to create.

Italian Lemon Cookies are like soft lemon pillows!

My experience with this recipe

Recently, I shared an Instagram Story about my favorite baking cookbooks and asked for recommendations for books I should add to my collection. I received a bunch of great suggestions which I bought or borrowed from the library.

My blogging friend Cindy from Salt and Serenity is a baker extraordinaire. When she suggested "Bobbette and Belle, Classic Recipes from the Celebrated Pastry Shop", I knew it would be a winner.

I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve baked from the book so far, and a big bonus is that several of the recipes are adaptable for shipping and gifting. If you are looking for a cookbook with everything from cookies to fancy cakes, you are sure to enjoy this one.

This recipe for Italian lemon pound cake is adapted just slightly from "Bobbette and Belle". Though not a good choice for long distance or hot weather shipping, these little tea cakes are wonderful gifts for nearby friends and neighbors.

Ready to bake? Join the free membership group to get new recipes and a newsletter delivered to your inbox! You can also stay in touch on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram. I’d love to stay in touch!

Italian Lemon Pound Cake Recipe

This moist lemon cake is topped with two both lemon syrup and lemon glaze, ensuring lots of flavor in every bite! 

4 from 4 votes

Print Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour

Servings: 5 mini loaves

Calories: 1214kcal

Author: Wendy Sondov

Adapted From: "Bobbette & Belle" cookbook

Ingredients

LOAVES

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ¾ cup buttermilk room temperature
• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs room temperature
• ⅓ cup lemon zest from 6-8 lemons

SYRUP

• 1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar

GLAZE

• 2 cups confectioner’s sugar
• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon unsalted butter melted

Instructions

LOAVES

• Preheat the oven to 350° F. Butter and flour 2- 9” loaf pans or 5- 5 ½ ” mini loaf pans.
• In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
• In a large measuring cup, combine the buttermilk, lemon juice, and vanilla.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
• Lower the mixer speed and add the eggs, one at a time. Then mix in the lemon zest.
• Alternate adding the flour and buttermilk mixtures to the batter.
• Divide the cake batter evenly between the pans. Fill each mini loaf pan with approximately 1 heaping cup of batter. Batter should be ¾”-1” from the top of each mini loaf pan. Use a spatula to smooth the tops.
• Bake mini loaves for 30-35 minutes and regular loaves for 45-55 minutes. Loaves are ready when a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
• Place the pans on wire racks to cool completely before removing the loaves.

LEMON SYRUP

• In a small mixing bowl, combine lemon juice and granulated sugar. Microwave for about 30 seconds. Stir until the sugar is dissolved into the juice.
• Brush the tops of the loaves, coating the tops completely with the syrup.
• Let set for 30 minutes or until dry or just slightly tacky to the touch.

LEMON GLAZE

• Whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, lemon juice, and butter until smooth.
• Spread the glaze over the tops of the loaves.
• Allow the glaze to set completely, about 1 hour, before wrapping or storing.
• Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Individually wrapping each cake in wax paper, then plastic wrap will help retain moisture in the loaves.

Notes

• Zest the lemons first, then squeeze the lemons for the required juice. I love using my Microplane to quickly and easily create fine zest that never digs into the bitter white pith.
• For the best tangy lemon flavor, don’t skimp on the ⅓ cup of lemon zest added to the batter. You will need 6-8 lemons (depending on size) which are used for both zest and for juice.
• This recipe can also be used to produce one Bundt cake.

Packing tips

Wrap loaves in wax paper, then in plastic wrap. Place loaves in a freezer weight ziplock bag or plastic storage container. Moist loaves ship best in cool weather.

Nutrition

Calories: 1214kcal | Carbohydrates: 198g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 43g | Saturated Fat: 26g | Cholesterol: 235mg | Sodium: 714mg | Potassium: 224mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 137g | Vitamin A: 1409IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 115mg | Iron: 4mg

Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @TheMondayBox or tag #themondaybox!

First Published: April 25, 2020. Last Updated: February 17, 2022. Updated for additional information and better reader experience.

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