Description
This Italian Lemon Pound Cake is a moist and flavorful dessert featuring bright lemon zest and juice incorporated into a tender buttery cake. A smooth lemon glaze drizzled on top adds a delightful tangy finish. Perfect for a refreshing treat with tea or coffee, this cake combines classic pound cake richness with the fresh zestiness of lemon.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup sour cream, room temperature
- Zest of 2 large lemons
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract (optional, for extra lemon flavor)
Glaze Ingredients
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- Zest of 1 lemon (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 325°F (160°C). Grease and flour a 10-inch bundt or tube pan to ensure the cake doesn’t stick during baking.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together until the mixture becomes light and fluffy. This process usually takes about 5 minutes and helps create a tender texture in the cake.
- Add Eggs: Add the eggs one at a time to the creamed butter and sugar, mixing well after each addition to fully incorporate the eggs, ensuring a smooth batter.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. This ensures even distribution of the raising agents and salt.
- Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, alternating with sour cream. Start and finish with the dry ingredients. Mix gently until just combined to avoid overmixing, which can lead to a dense cake.
- Add Lemon Flavoring: Fold in the lemon zest, fresh lemon juice, vanilla extract, and optional lemon extract into the batter, gently blending all the flavors together.
- Bake: Pour the batter into your prepared bundt or tube pan, spreading it evenly. Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour and 15 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Cool: Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes. Then, carefully remove it from the pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Prepare the Glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar and fresh lemon juice until smooth. Optionally stir in the zest of 1 lemon for extra zing.
- Glaze the Cake: Drizzle the lemon glaze over the cooled cake, ensuring an even coating. Let the glaze set before serving for a perfect finishing touch.
Notes
- Using room temperature ingredients ensures a smooth batter and better texture.
- The optional lemon extract boosts lemon flavor but can be omitted if unavailable.
- Make sure not to overmix the batter after adding flour to keep the cake tender.
- If you don’t have a bundt pan, use a loaf pan but reduce baking time accordingly and check doneness earlier.
- The glaze adds sweetness and tang, but you can adjust the lemon juice quantity to suit your taste.
