Lemon Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Lemon Cream Cheese Pound Cake recipe is unbelievably moist and rich, with the perfect balance of tangy lemon and creamy sweetness. The cream cheese adds a subtle tang and a velvety texture that melts in your mouth with every bite. Trust me, it’s the kind of cake that’s so good, you’ll want to have a slice with your morning coffee and another for dessert!

For more pound cake recipes, try my Sour Cream Pound Cake and Pineapple Cream Cheese Pound Cake! For the classic version, try my cream cheese pound cake!

First we did my lemon bundt cake, then my lemon buttermilk pound cake, and now we’re doing a cream cheese version! This lemon cream cheese bundt cake has a dense yet moist crumb, akin to an old fashioned pound cake and is bursting with bright citrus flavors.

It has all of the classic pound cake characteristics – a pound of sugar, pound of flour, pound of butter – but with a twist – cream cheese! The addition of cream cheese gives this cake a soft and velvety texture that is absolutely divine! 

After baking, the cake is coated in a lemony simple syrup, similar to the butter glaze used in my salted caramel kentucky butter cake and topped with a lemony cream cheese glaze. 

Simple ingredients come together and make this recipe anything but! It’s your classic pound cake but taken up a notch or three – it’s buttery, velvety, soft, and PACKED with lemon flavor! This delicious recipe is decadent, easy to make, and perfect for any occasion. 

Salted Butter – salted butter has a bit more flavor which plays up the lemony flavor. You can use unsalted butter, simply increase the amount of salt used to 1 tsp as opposed to the 3/4 tsp listed in the recipe card. 

Full Fat Cream Cheese – the cream cheese gives the pound cake its velvety texture! Be sure to use full fat cream cheese, this is no time to skimp. I also use this in my mile high pound cake for that perfect texture.

Butter Flavored Shortening – I recommend using shortening or vegetable oil for a super moist cake and tender crumb. This help enhance the texture of the cake.

Lemon Zest – the lemon zest packs the lemon flavor! We mix the zest with the sugar. The oils infuse with the sugar for lemony flavor in every bite.

Granulated Sugar – for sweetness and moisture. 

Large Eggs – we’ll need 6 eggs for this recipe. Beating the air into the eggs and fats in this pound cake recipe are what causes it to rise in the oven. Be sure to use room temperature eggs! 

Lemon Extract – I LOVE a lemony cake – just check out my 7up pound cake, so I used a 1 1/2 tbsps of lemon extract. If you prefer a more subtle flavor, use 2 tsp instead. If you like subtle lemon desserts, you give lemon creme brulee a try next.

Cake Flour or All Purpose Flour – cake flour will give you the best results! Cake flour has lower protein content resulting in a softer cake. However, all purpose flour will work just fine! 

Variations

• Use powdered sugar or a simple lemon glaze as opposed to a cream cheese glaze.
• Try an orange version or even by swapping lemon extract for orange extract! Or try my key lime pound cake version next!
• Use a different baking pan: If you don’t have a bundt cake pan, you can use a tube pan or divide the batter between two loaf pans. 
• Poppy seeds can add a fun texture like how I did with my lemon poppyseed cake. Add about 2-3 tbsps for a nice pop of crunch and texture.
• Add chopped nuts like pistachios or pecans like I did with my butter pecan pound cake!

How to make Lemon Cream Cheese Pound Cake 

Prepare the Pound Cake Batter

Step 1: 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 15 cup bundt pan. 

Step 2: Add butter, sugar, and lemon zest to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix together medium low speed for 3 minutes, then add the cream cheese and cream until smooth, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and continue to mix for one minute.

Step 3: Begin adding eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after the addition of the 3rd eggs and repeating once all of the eggs have been added. Add the lemon extract and vanilla extract and mix until combined, about 30 seconds. 

Step 4: Add the dry ingredients into the bowl. Mix on medium speed until there are no streaks of flour in the batter. Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan, then bake for 1 hour and 20-30 minutes, until the top of the cake is golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. 

Make the Lemon Simple Syrup

Step 5: Make the lemon cake soak aka the lemon simple syrup. Combine water and sugar in a pan over medium low heat. Stir until the sugar is juset dissolved, then add in butter and melt completely. 

Step 6: Fresh out of the oven, poke the cake with a skewer or toothpick repeatedly to create lots of holes.

Step 7: 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.

Step 8: Brush the top of the cake with the remaining lemon syrup and allow the cake to cool completely.

Prepare the Lemon Cream Cheese Glaze

• Make the cream cheese glaze by mixing together room temperature cream cheese in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (you can also use an electric hand mixer for this). Mix on the lowest speed until smooth, then add confectioners sugar, fresh lemon juice, milk, and a pinch of salt. Continue to mix until everything is fully incorporated, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
• Once the cake is completely cooled, pour the glaze on top of the cake. Bookmark this glaze because you can also use it on my creme fraiche pound cake and 7 flavor pound cake for a pop of citrus.

Pro Baking Tips

• When preparing the pan with the cake release, be sure to coat the entire pan – this includes the middle funnel, the sides of the pan – the whole thing! This is the best way to prevent the cake from sticking. Don’t be afraid to really spray the pan down! 
• Use an oven thermometer to accurately measure the temperature inside of the oven. This will allow you to adjust the oven settings to ensure that the temperature is accurate!
• Measure your ingredients in grams! The metric measurements can be found in the recipe card under the “metric” tab. This is critical in baking so that your results are consistent each time. 
• For a thicker glaze, use less milk. 

What do you eat with Lemon Pound Cake? 

I like to eat my homemade lemon pound cake by itself or with a scoop of ice cream or a cup of tea or coffee. You can also serve with fresh berries or a dollop of whipped cream like I did with my key lime pie. To really up the lemon flavor, serve with lemon curd drizzled on top like how I did with my lemon meringue cake! 

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