A dense and buttery pound cake with a bit of lemon. This iced lemon pound cake is super moist and bursting with the flavors of fresh lemon, creamy butter, and a hint of vanilla.
Ingredients
| full batch | half batch |
| • 1½ c. flour • 1½ tsp baking powder • ½ tsp salt • 1 c. butter, softened • 1 c. sugar • 3 eggs • ¼ c. sour cream • 1 lemons zest • ¼ c. lemon juice • 1 tsp vanilla extract • 1 c. powdered sugar • 1½ Tbsp lemon juice • 1 Tbsp milk | • ¾ c. flour • ¾ tsp baking powder • ¼ tsp salt • ½ c. butter, softened • ½ c. sugar • 1 egg + 1 yolk • 2 Tbsp sour cream • ½ lemons zest • 2 Tbsp lemon juice • 1 tsp vanilla extract • ½ c. powdered sugar • 1 Tbsp lemon juice |
Directions
- Lower the oven rack to the lower-third position and preheat the oven to 350°F. grease a standard loaf pan
- With a hand mixer or whisk, beat the butter in a large bowl until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute with a mixer. Add the granulated sugar and beat until creamed, about 2 minutes with a mixer on high.
- Add the eggs one at a time until combined. Add the sour cream, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract, then beat until combined. The mixture may look curdled but this is normal and the batter will come together when you add the dry ingredients in the next step.
- Add flour, baking powder and salt. Mix everything to combine.
- Spoon/spread the batter into prepared loaf pan and bake for 55-65 minutes. Tent the cake with aluminum foil halfway through baking to prevent the top from over-browning. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out *mostly* clean. A couple moist crumbs are OK.
- Remove the cake from the oven and place on a wire rack. Allow cake to cool in the pan for 15-20 minutes, then carefully remove from the pan and let it continue cooling on a wire rack.
- Whisk all of the icing ingredients together and pour over cake.
Notes
* You can half this recipe for a baby loaf pan (3″ x 5″) but drop the total bake time to only 40 minutes.
