Italian Lemon Pound Cake Recipe

Iced Lemon Loaf sliced to show soft, dense interior.

4 from 4 votes

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!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 35

Total Time 1

Servings mini loaves

Calories 1214kcal

Author Wendy Sondov

Adapted from "Bobbette & Belle" cookbook

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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