Italian Lemon Pound Cake is the only lemon cake recipe you will ever need! You are going to love the super moist texture and the rich citrus flavor.
The Italian Lemon Pound Cake is sure to have you hooked after just one bite. It really is that good! Every time I take this cake to a party it is always a huge hit.
Have you ever bit into a lemon dessert and instantly pucker up because the lemon flavor is so overpowering? You don’t need to worry about that with this recipe. It has the perfect balance between sweet and tart, so it is pucker free.
If you have a chance, try making the cake the day before you are going to serve it, because It tastes even better the next day!
Serve this Italian Lemon Pound Cake at a baby or wedding shower or enjoy it while sitting on the back porch on a quiet summer evening.
Who am I kidding, this cake would be amazing no matter where you are or who you serve it to.
With love from my kitchen to yours,
Carrie
*This post contains affiliate links which means I receive compensation if you purchase something from these links.
Here are some of the items that I recommend for making this cake.
*UPDATE: I added 1 teaspoon of fresh ginger to the cake batter, because I felt like it needed a little bit of kick to the lemon flavor. It’s amazing how much of a difference it makes. Then I omitted the butter from the glaze, because the butter is very temperamental and can curdle. I brush the glaze on the warm cake and once it has cooled down, drizzle the lemon cream cheese frosting over the cake.
Italian Lemon Pound Cake
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup of sour cream
4 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tsp. of fresh ginger, minced
Zest of 2 lemons ( about 2 tbsp.)
1 teaspoon of vanilla
Instructions
Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees
1. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside. In another bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Mix in the sour cream, lemon juice, vanilla, ginger, and lemon zest.
2. Mix half of the flour mixture into the butter mixture. Mix in the buttermilk and then add in the remaining flour mixture. Mix just until the flour disappears. Pour the cake batter into a bundt pan that has been generously sprayed with baking spray.
3. Bake for 70 to 80 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Turn the cake over on a cake platter. Spread the lemon glaze over the warm cake so that the glaze can soak into the cake. Let the cake cool completely and drizzle the lemon cream cheese frosting over the cake.
Lemon Glaze
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
3 tablespoon lemon juice, at room temperature
1. Whisk the powdered sugar and lemon juice together and mix until the glaze is smooth.
Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
4 oz. of cream cheese, softened
1 tbsp. of lemon zest
1/4 cup of lemon juice
2 cups of powder sugar
- Mix the all the ingredients together until smooth and creamy.
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Ready to make this cake, can I substitute evaporated milk for the buttermilk?
Rita,
No, you cannot substitute evaporated milk for buttermilk. If you don’t have buttermilk you can make some by adding 1/2 tbsp. of lemon juice or vinegar to 1/2 cup of regular milk. Let it stand for 5 to 10 minutes before adding to the cake batter.
~Carrie
What size bundt pan do you use??
Jill,
The bundt pan I use is a 12 cup capacity pan. Here is a link for the bundt pan that I use Cuisinart AMB-95FCP Chef’s Classic Nonstick Bakeware 9-1/2-Inch Fluted Cake Pan.
~Carrie
I am going to try it today. Thanks for all of the details that you have provided. (on the way to the store)
Cassandra,
I am excited for you to make it! Let me know if you have any questions.
~Carrie
Do I have to add the ginger?
Rel,
No, you don’t have to add the fresh ginger, but it is much better with it!
~Carrie
Can you use dry ginger instead?
Renea,
I would not recommend using dry ginger. The flavor of dry ginger is not the same as the fresh ginger.
~Carrie
Can you use cake flour?
Ila,
I have never tried making it with cake flour, so I can’t guarantee that it will turn out. You will have to use slightly less cake flour than all-purpose flour. Here is a link to an article that explains it better. http://www.cookinglight.com/cooking-101/essential-ingredients/all-purpose-flour-vs-cake-flour-whats-the-difference
Happy Baking!
~Carrie
Looks delicious! What part of this recipe makes it Italian? Just curious.
Jamie,
The name is from the original recipe. I don’t know why it is called Italian, but I when I have mascarpone cheese on hand I like to substitute it for the sour cream.
~Carrie
I never got the recipe
Debbie,
To get the recipe, you need to scroll down and click on the read more button, then the recipe will pull up. Let me know if that doesn’t work.
~ Carrie
How much fresh ginger did you add? I’m thinking a teaspoon but don’t want to over do it. Thanks
Barbara,
Yes, the recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of fresh ginger.
~Carrie
Barbara,
The recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of fresh ginger.
~Carrie
How do i get the recipe for the Italian lemon pound cake
Evelyn,
Scroll down to the read more button, click on that and the recipe will pull up.
~Carrie
Hello the first time I made this cake it was fluffy and light and I think the temperature was lower. I have a new oven, and it’s convection, but this time it was not as fluffy. Was the temperature changed? It’s a fabulous cake!
Georgia,
The recipe originally called for the cake to baked at 300. I changed it to 325 because I found that a lot of people were having troubles with the temperature and at 325 the cake was more consistent. You might want to try baking it at 300. I hope this helps!
~Carrie
To Georgia; re: convection oven.
If your recipe states 325 in a standard oven, you drop to 300 in a convection oven. Always reduce temperature by 25 degrees if using convection