Lemon Buttermilk Pound Cake is flavored with fresh lemon juice and lemon zest. A tart lemon glaze adds even more citrus flavor to this cake.
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I’ve been making this Lemon Buttermilk Pound Cake since I was in my 20s. That’s a L O N G time! It’s always been a family favorite.
All of my kids grew up eating this pound cake. Now that they are all grown, I’m sure they will appreciate the fact that I’m finally sharing the recipe. These days, when they call me for an old family recipe, I just send them here. It’s much easier.
When it comes to the glaze, I sometimes serve it on the side instead of pouring it over the cooled cake. When I made this cake for a recent Sunday dessert, there was only one slice leftover. My grandson immediately called dibs!
Of course, they all love my dad’s famous sour cream pound cake, too!
Ingredients for Lemon Buttermilk Pound Cake ( Complete Recipe Below)
- Butter (I always use unsalted butter when baking)
- Sugar
- Eggs
- Fresh Lemon Juice
- Lemon Zest
- Vanilla Extract
- All-purpose Flour
- Salt & Baking Soda
- Buttermilk
- Vanilla
For the glaze, you’ll need:
- Powdered Sugar
- Softened Butter
- Juice of One Lemon
Way back in the day, I’d use one teaspoon of lemon flavoring for this cake. Then I decided to ditch the flavoring and replace it with freshly squeezed lemon juice and lemon zest. I love the fresh flavor. This is the link to my favorite lemon zester!
My tube pan is as old as the hills. If you don’t have one, this is a favorite tube pan.
Tips for Making a Lemon Buttermilk Pound Cake
- Always use room temperature ingredients.
- Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. You want a smooth texture (not gritty)
- Reduce the speed to low when you’re adding the flour and buttermilk alternately.
- Always use real butter. I never use margarine and I always use sweet cream butter for baking (unsalted).
- Store a pound cake in an air-tight container at room temperature. It should taste fresh for at least five days.
Substitute for Buttermilk
If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, you can easily make a substitute using plain milk and white vinegar OR lemon juice.
Add one tablespoon of white vinegar OR lemon juice to a 2-cup liquid measuring cup. Add milk to fill to the one-cup line. Stir the mixture and let it sit for five minutes. It should curdle and thicken slightly.
You May Also Like These Recipes:
- Quick and Easy Ice Cream Sandwiches
- Marshmallow Cream Frosting
- Blueberry Scones with Lemon Glaze
- Meyer Lemon Meringue Tart
- Best Ever Lemon Squares (one of my most requested recipes)
Lemon Buttermilk Pound Cake
Lemon Buttermilk Pound Cake is a tasty, moist cake topped with a lemon glaze.
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 3 eggs
- 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk
Glaze
- 1-1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 Tablespoons butter, softened
- Juice of one lemon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º F. Grease and flour a tube pan.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time. Beat well.
- Beat in the vanilla extract, lemon juice, and zest.
- Sift flour, soda, and salt together. On low speed, add flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk. Mix well.
- Spoon the cake batter into a greased and floured tube pan.
- Bake at 350º F. for one hour OR until golden brown and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. I always start checking at 45-50 minutes.
- Cool cake in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Invert the cake onto a wire rack and cool completely.
- To make the glaze, whisk together the powdered sugar, softened butter, and juice of one lemon. Whisk until well combined. If the glaze is too thin, add more powdered sugar. If it's too thick, add more lemon juice until you have a thick, but pourable glaze.
- Once the cake is completely cooled (about an hour) pour the glaze over the cake so that it drips down the sides. Let the glaze set before serving.
Nutrition Information
Yield
16Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 372Total Fat 14gSaturated Fat 9gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 5gCholesterol 70mgSodium 252mgCarbohydrates 58gFiber 1gSugar 39gProtein 4g
4 comments
Can cake flour be used instead of all purpose for the pound cake?
Yes! To substitute cake flour for all-purpose flour use 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons cake flour for every cup of all-purpose flour.
Made this cake for a family cookout…needless to say there weren’t any crumbs left…will definitely be making it again soon.
So glad you liked it! It’s a favorite of mine, too. Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to comment.