Southern Lemon Pound Cake Recipe

Southern lemon pound cake recipe is a buttery, dense delight with fresh lemon flavor. The lemon frosting glaze with sour cream is the perfect addition to drizzle right over the dessert. The rich-flavored lemon pound cake is undoubtedly a dessert to die for and perfect for all those lemon lovers.

Ingredients For Southern Lemon Pound Cake

Pound Cake

• Butter (softened)
• Granulated sugar
• Eggs
• Fresh Lemon juice (or from a jar)
• Lemon extract
• Grated lemon peel (optional)
• All-purpose flour
• Salt
• Baking soda
• Sour cream

Frosting Glaze

• Butter (softened)
• Sour cream
• Powdered sugar
• Lemon juice

Full printable recipe with measurements and instructions listed at the bottom of the post in the recipe card.

Classic Pound Cake

I really love lemon recipes, and this lemon pound cake with sour cream is one of my favorites. It is topped with a super easy lemon glaze icing that hardens just a little and gets a tad crunchy, making it a wonderful treat. The recipe is perfect for potlucks, office parties, or any dessert table.

Dense Cake

The pound cake is dense, refreshing, and the perfect dessert for any party, whether it is around the holidays or the middle of summer. Plus, this homemade pound cake is moist and so easy to make.

I don’t like complicated recipes, and I promise this one is easy and quick and will please everyone who takes a bite. You can use store-bought lemon juice if you’d like. For this recipe, I went on and bought some lemons and used fresh-squeezed lemon juice in the cake and the icing. But fair warning, you won’t be able to stop at one bite of this moist cake.

How To Make Lemon Pound Cake

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and grease and flour the Bundt pan.
2. Cream the butter and sugar together.
3. Add the eggs, lemon juice, grated lemon peel, and lemon extract to the bowl.
4. Next, sift the flour, baking soda, and salt and add to the bowl. Mix together. 
5. Add the sour cream and mix together. Pour into a bundt pan and bake.
6. To make the glaze, mix the butter, sour cream, lemon juice, and powdered sugar together. 
7. Pour over the cooled cake. 

Step By Step Instructions For The Cake

Start the recipe by adding softened butter to a large bowl.

I’ve stated many times before that I am the pits at remembering to set my butter out to soften it to room temperature. I actually remembered this time, but if you don’t, just put it in a microwave-safe bowl for a few seconds, and it will begin to soften. 

Next, add the granulated sugar to the bowl with the butter. Cream butter and sugar together. 

Add the eggs to the bowl, one at a time.

Dropping them in one at a time gives them the opportunity to mix well into the batter. 

Then, add the lemon juice, grated lemon, and lemon extract.

You can use bottled lemon juice for this recipe, but I thought fresh lemons would be the perfect addition to the recipe. Plus, you can add some grated lemon zest (peel) to the mix for a little more tart flavor. The lemon pound cake recipe calls for lemon extract. I know this seems like a lot of lemon, but it really helps add more lemon flavor to the cake. It’s the right amount of lemon.

Before adding the flour to the batter, sift it along with the salt and baking soda in a separate bowl.

When you sift the dry ingredients, this will ensure that those three ingredients will blend together well. It also ensures that the flour will mix well into the batter. I just recently bought a sifter, but if you don’t have one, you can use a strainer like I am using above. It’s nice to be able to set it above the bowl, place everything in there, and then sift away. 

Add the flour mixture to the batter and mix together with an electric mixer.

Once you get the flour mixed in, add the sour cream, scrape the sides of the bowl, and mix one more time.

The sour cream is going to keep the pound cake moist. 

Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and bake. 

Tip 1: Be sure to spray and flour the bundt pan. Don’t forget about the middle of the bundt pan. I am pretty liberal with the flour. I will shake it out over the sink to avoid too big of a mess. 

Tip 2: Run your spatula through the batter, or you might get an air hole in the cake. You can see in the picture above that I didn’t get all of the air holes out, and one baked right in. It still tastes the same, but it looks prettier without the holes. 

Bake the cake for the suggested time below; however, check it with a cake tester before taking it out of the oven. If the cake tester comes out clean, it’s done baking. Allow the cake to cool before making the frosting. 

Lemon Frosting Glaze 

This is a simple lemony glaze that is perfect for this cake or any white cake.

Add the butter, sour cream, and lemon juice to the bowl and mix together. 

Finally, add the powdered sugar to the bowl and mix again until it is smooth. 

This recipe makes quite a bit of glaze. I like to pour half of the lemon frosting glaze over the cake and let it sit in the fridge for a little bit to add a touch of crust to the outside. When I am ready to cut and serve the cake, I pour even more glaze over the individual slices for a super delicious treat. You can also pour it over the top of the cake before cutting.

How To Store The Pound Cake

Store the pound cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

More Delicious Pound Cake Recipes

• Eggnog pound cake with eggnog glaze
• Copycat Starbucks lemon pound cake
• Brown sugar pound cake
• Blueberry lemon pound cake

Lemon Desserts

• Lemon meringue pie – this is a classic recipe that is perfect for holidays and summer picnics.
• The best lemon bars – you will love this great recipe for tangy and sweet lemon bars.
• Lemon cream pie – this is such an easy recipe that it is a hit wherever we take it.
• Luscious lemon chess squares – if you love regular chess squares, you will love these.
• Lemon bundt cake recipe from Glorious Treats is a wonderful dessert for any occasion.

Easy Lemon Pound Cake Recipe

If you’re in the mood for a buttery, dense, delightful, and moist lemon pound cake, then this Southern recipe is perfect for you. The addition of sour cream to the glaze really takes this dessert up a notch.

So, if you’re looking for something truly special to wow your guests with – look no further than this rich-flavored dessert. It really is the best lemon pound cake. And don’t forget to scroll down for the printable recipe. The homemade lemon pound cake is a perfect balance of texture and tang, sure to become one of your favorite lemon cake recipes.

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