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This lemon buttermilk pound cake is buttery, moist, and so easy to make! It’s made with buttermilk and fresh lemon juice, and brushed with lemon syrup to give every that bright sweet lemon flavor. Top it off with a tart lemon glaze and you’ve the most delicious, foolproof pound cake that tastes like it came straight from Grandma’s kitchen!
Why This Lemon Buttermilk Pound Shines Every Time!
- Buttermilk keeps the crumb incredibly tender. Buttermilk is the secret weapon in this lemon pound cake. It adds a gentle tang that makes the lemon flavor pop, while also keeping the crumb incredibly soft for days. The acidity reacts with the baking powder to give the cake a little extra lift so you get a tall, plush slice that practically melts in your mouth.
- Rub lemon zest into the sugar. One trick I never skip when baking lemon cakes is rubbing the lemon zest into the sugar before mixing the batter. It might seem like a tiny step, but it releases the natural oils from the zest and perfumes the entire cake with bright lemon flavor. Babyyy… the difference is real!
- This pound cake rises sky high – which I just LOVE! Beating the butter and sugar together incorporates air into the batter, helping the cake rise tall while still maintaining that signature pound cake texture.
And if you love this recipe, be sure to check out my lemon cream cheese pound cake and vanilla buttermilk pound cake.
Main Ingredients
(Full ingredient list with measurements is located in the recipe card below.)
- Salted Butter provides richness and gives the cake its classic pound cake flavor.
- Granulated sugar sweetens the cake while also helping create a soft crumb.
- Eggs add structure and contribute to the dense yet tender texture.
- Buttermilk adds moisture and a subtle tang that balances the sweetness.
- Vegetable Oil adds extra moisture – we’re only adding 2 tbsp but it goes a long way!
- Lemon Emulsion – So, emulsions are water based while extracts are oil based. They are stronger and don’t lost their flavor while baking. So when you want that punchy, unmistakable lemon flavor, emulsions are going to do it every time! Of course, you can still use lemon extract if you don’t have it.
- Fresh lemons – we’re using the zest and juice are used to give the cake a bright, natural lemon flavor.
- Cake flour creates a softer crumb than all-purpose flour, giving the cake that delicate bakery-style texture.
How To Make Lemon Buttermilk Pound Cake
Zest lemons into the sugar and pinch together for about 2-3 minutes, until the sugar takes on a pale yellow color and smells fragrant.
Cream the butter and sugar. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and lemon sugar together until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes, then add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition to ensure a smooth batter.
Combine the batter. Alternate adding the dry ingredients and buttermilk, lemon extract, lemon juice, and vanilla extract to the batter and mix until a smooth, thick batter forms. Bake the cake. Pour batter into a greased bundt pan and bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs.
Make lemon simple syrup: then turn over onto a cooling rack to cool completely. Brush onto the cake fresh out of the oven.
Add the glaze. Combine confectioners’ sugar, melted butter, and lemon juice in a bowl and whisk until smooth. Drizzle over the cooled cake.
Professional Baking Tips and Common Mistakes To Avoid
Use room temperature ingredients. Butter, eggs, and buttermilk mix together more evenly into the batter when they’re not cold.
Don’t overmix the batter. Once the flour is added, mix just until combined to keep the cake tender.
Use a kitchen scale to measure your ingredients! Too much flour can make the cake dry, so weigh your ingredients or spoon and level the flour instead of scooping.
Grease the bundt cake pan well. Pound cakes can stick easily, so make sure the bundt pan is thoroughly greased.
Under-creaming the butter and sugar. This step is essential for creating the cake’s structure.
Recipe FAQs
Yes. If using all-purpose flour, remove 2 tablespoons per cup and replace it with cornstarch to mimic cake flour.
Using buttermilk and properly creaming the butter and sugar helps the cake stay moist for several days.
Yes. Wrap the cooled cake tightly in plastic wrap and freeze for up to three months.
Divide the batter among to 8×4 loaf pans and bake until a wooden skewer inserted comes out clean. Top with the same lemon icing from this recipe.
More Lemon Desserts
Desserts
Lemon Olive Oil Loaf
Desserts
Lemon Blackberry Cake
Desserts
Lemon Ricotta Pound Cake
Desserts
Moist Lemon Cake with Lemon Curd
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If you make this recipe, please leave a star rating on the recipe card and comment below! You can also tag @BritneyBreaksBread on Instagram and hashtag #britneybreaksbread so I can celebrate your beautiful creations!
Lemon Buttermilk Pound Cake
Equipment
- Stand Mixer (or electric hand mixer)
Ingredients
- 3 1/4 cups (406 g) Cake Flour
- 1 tsp (5 g) Baking Powder
- 1 tsp (3 g) Kosher Salt
- 4 tbsps Lemon Zest, (zest from about 3 lemons)
- 2 1/2 cups (500 g) Sugar
- 1 1/2 cups (340 g) Salted Butter, (room temperature)
- 1 tbsp (14 g) Vegetable Oil
- 5 large (250 g) Eggs, (room temperature)
- 3/4 cup (180 g) Buttermilk
- 2 tbsp (20 g) Lemon Juice
- 1 tbsp (15 g) Lemon Emulsion
- 1/2 tbsp (8 g) Butter Vanilla Emulsion, (or vanilla extract)
- 1/2 tsp Almond Extract
Lemon Simple Syrup
- 1/2 cup (120 g) Water
- 1/2 cup (100 g) Sugar
- 2 tbsp (30 g) Lemon Juice
Lemon Glaze
- 2 cups (250 g) Powdered Sugar
- 4 tbsp (56 g) Salted Butter, (melted)
- 2-3 tbsp (30 g) Lemon Juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. For the pan release, you can use nonstick baking spray or use a pan release recipe of 2 tbsp butter flavored shortening, 2 tbsp flour, and 2 tbsp vegetable oil. Mix together until smooth, then use a pastry brush to coat the entire inside of a 12 cup bundt pan.
- Mix the dry ingredients together in a medium mixing bowl – flour, baking powder, and kosher salt. Set aside. 3 1/4 cups Cake Flour 1 tsp Baking Powder 1 tsp Kosher Salt
- Add sugar and lemon zest to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted and rub together with your hands until the sugar takes on a pale lemony color and the sugar smells like lemon – this releases all of the lemon oil into the sugar, making the cake more flavorful! Add butter and vegetable oil and fit the mixer with the paddle attachment. Mix together medium speed for 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and continue to mix for another 2 minutes. 4 tbsps Lemon Zest 2 1/2 cups Sugar 1 1/2 cups Salted Butter 1 tbsp Vegetable Oil
- Begin adding eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after the addition of the 3rd egg and repeating once all of the eggs have been added. Add the lemon emulsion/extract, butter vanilla emulsion or vanilla extract, and almond extract and mix until combined, about 30 seconds. 5 large Eggs 1 tbsp Lemon Emulsion 1/2 tbsp Butter Vanilla Emulsion 1/2 tsp Almond Extract
- Add half of the dry ingredients into the batter and mix until just combined, about 15 seconds. Then add in the buttermilk and lemon juice and mix until combined, about another 15 seconds. Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix for about 20 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl again, ensuring all of the ingredients are mixed together and give it one last mix for about 5 seconds. 3/4 cup Buttermilk 2 tbsp Lemon Juice
- Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan, then bake for 1 hour and 15-25 minutes, until the top of the cake is golden brown and a toothpick comes out with just a few moist crumbs.
- While the cake is baking, make the lemon simple syrup. Combine water and sugar in a pan over medium low heat. Stir until the sugar is just dissolved, then add in lemon juice. 1/2 cup Water 1/2 cup Sugar 2 tbsp Lemon Juice
- Fresh out of the oven, poke the cake with a skewer or toothpick repeatedly to create lots of holes. Pour half of the lemon syrup on the cake. Allow the cake to sit in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn over onto a cooling rack. Brush the top of the cake with the remaining lemon syrup and allow the cake to cool completely.
- Make the lemon glaze glaze by whisking together powdered sugar, melted butter, and lemon juice. Whisk until just combined. Start with 2 tbsp of lemon juice and if you want a thinner glaze, you can use an additional tbsp. 2 cups Powdered Sugar 4 tbsp Salted Butter 2-3 tbsp Lemon Juice
- Once the cake is completely cooled, pour the glaze on top of the cake.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Excellent cake. Made it last night and took it to the office. Apparently, the lemony smell was so enticing that select folks said “diet? What diet?” Thank you so much for this awesome recipe.
Thank you!