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
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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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Yummy I’m gonna make this tomorrow..can’t wait…
Can i make this the day before easter and it taste as good or should it be made day of
Meagn,
Yes, you can make it the day ahead. In fact, I think that the cake tastes even better the next day.
~Carrie
I made mine in a 9X13″ pan and it was fine. I made Lemon Cream Cheese Icing for it and it was delicious. Also, I didn’t use ginger when I made it. I don’t even remember seeing ginger as an ingredient when I made it almost a year ago.
I’ve read many lemon cake recipes, but none that call for ginger. Really hesitant to put ginger in it.
H.M,
It is up to you as far as the ginger goes. I use fresh ginger not the dried. I have made this cake over and over and the ginger is what really makes the lemon flavor pop. Good luck!
~Carrie
I agree! Ginger is the “secret” ingredient for lemony goodness. My only problem was making the glaze. I couldn’t get the lemon juice to moisten the powdered sugar and had to add much more juice to get it to not be a glob instead of glaze. Any tips?
I love the addition of the ginger! It compliments the lemon nicely!
And that IS what makes you an excellent baker/cook. You have learned certain spices will enhance the flavors and make them pop. Especially fresh ones. I will be trying your recipe with/ginger in it.
ginger??? does this not add a “unique” flavour?
H.M,
You don’t taste the ginger, it just enhances the lemon flavor.
~Carrie
The ginger definitely enhances the lemon flavor! As a ginger enthusiast I can assure u the cake did not taste of ginger at all. It was perfect! Great idea using the ginger!!
This is my absolutely favorite cake of all time!!! It looks sooo delectable. Not particularly a baker, but will save this recipe for just the right time. Thanks for sharing…
Ms CF,
I can’t wait for you to try it. This cake is one of my favorites!
~Carrie
As a child living with my aunt, I remember her and a friend meeting at each other’s house every Wednesday. They world alternate whose house they would bake at. They would each make 3 cakes. Everyday, my uncle and I would have a slice with our lunch.. She never frosted it and I remember it always being on the counter.. It was delicious. Thanks for the recipe
Recipe made a deliciously moist cake, but the ginger flavor was quite unfavorable. We couldn’t even finish a single slice each before having to get rid of it because the ginger flavor kept building. Bummer.
Nicole,
I am sorry the cake didn’t turn out for you. Did you use fresh ginger or dried? I don’t use dried ginger because it has a totally different flavor than the fresh. The ginger only enhances the lemon flavor, you really don’t taste the ginger at all.
~Carrie
The glaze was too thick to absorb into the cake. I just sat on top of the cake like an icing. It seemed to not be liquid enough to be absorbed. I followed the recipe but 3 tablespoons of liquid isn’t enough for the amount of powered sugar to be liquid.
Jack,
I am sorry you had troubles with the glaze. I have never had that problem before. You could either cut the powder sugar back to 1 cup of adding an extra tablespoon of lemon juice. The lemon in the glaze will be a little more pronounced, but I think it would still taste great.
Hope that helps,
Carrie
Can I make this a few days ahead of.time and freeze? If so, would I still add the glaze or would it get slimey when defrosting?
Ashley,
I really couldn’t say for sure. I have never tried freezing the cake. I would think it would be fine, but I wouldn’t frost it before you freeze it. I would wait until it is has thawed out to frost it.
~Carrie