Glazed Lemon Pound Cake
Desserts · Serves 10 · Prep 20 min · Cook 55 min · Total 1 hr 15 min
A fine, buttery loaf that gets lemon three ways: zest rubbed into the sugar, a syrup soaked in while it is warm, and a sharp glaze on top. It stays moist for days on the counter. Perfect with afternoon coffee or tea.
Ingredients
The Cake
- 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp finely grated lemon zest (from about 3 lemons)
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), softened
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1/2 cup sour cream or plain whole-milk yogurt
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
The Syrup
- 1/3 cup lemon juice
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
The Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 to 2 tbsp lemon juice
Steps
The Cake
- Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan and line it with a parchment sling. Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt.
- Rub the sugar and lemon zest together with your fingertips until fragrant and damp. Add the butter and beat on medium-high until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time.
- Whisk the sour cream, lemon juice and vanilla together. On low speed, add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the sour cream mixture, mixing just until smooth.
- Scrape into the pan and bake until golden and a toothpick in the center comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes.
The Syrup
- While the cake bakes, simmer the lemon juice and sugar until the sugar dissolves. When the cake comes out, poke it all over with a skewer and brush on the warm syrup slowly so it soaks in. Cool 20 minutes in the pan, then lift out and cool completely on a rack.
The Glaze
- Whisk the powdered sugar with enough lemon juice to make a thick but pourable glaze. Spoon over the cooled cake, letting it drip down the sides, and let set 15 minutes before slicing.