This moist Lemon Cake Recipe is fluffy, tangy and so easy to make from scratch! Every bite of this supremely moist pound cake is bursting with lemon flavor. If you like the Starbucks Lemon Loaf then you'll love this homemade lemon pound cake!
Prep time: PT15M
Cook time: PT45M
Total time: PT60M
Rating
4.94 stars (1746 reviews)
Keywords
Lemon Cake Recipe
Ingredients
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
1 Tbsp lemon zest
½ tsp salt
½ cup unsalted butter (room temperature )
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs (room temperature)
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp lemon juice (about 1/2 lemon)
½ cup buttermilk (see below for substitution)
¼ cup lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
3 Tbsp powdered sugar
1 cup powdered sugar (sifted )
1 ½ Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp milk
Categories
Baking
Cuisine
American
Steps
Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease a 9x5-inch (or 8x4-inch) loaf pan (see note).
In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, lemon zest, and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or using an electric mixer), cream the butter and sugar together at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 4-6 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.
With the mixer running on low-speed, add the eggs one at a time, then beat in the vanilla extract and lemon juice. Beat on medium-high speed until combined.
With the mixer on low, add about one-third of the flour mixture and mix until almost combined, then add half the buttermilk and mix until just combined. Repeat with another third of flour mixture and then the last half of the buttermilk, ending with the last third of the flour. Beat until just incorporated.
Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 45-55 minutes until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick comes out mostly clean with only a couple moist crumbs. Baking times vary, so keep an eye on yours.
Let the cake cool for about 15 minutes in the pan. Stir together the lemon juice and confectioners’ sugar for the lemon syrup. Carefully invert the loaf pan, and transfer the cake to a cooling rack, then brush the syrup on the cake while it’s still warm. Allow cake to cool completely.
When the cake is cooled, combine all the icing ingredients, start with 1 tbsp lemon juice and milk and add the remaining lemon juice as needed. The icing should be thick and not runny. Pour icing over cake and let dry before serving.
Nutitrion
Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 306 kcal
Carbohydrates: 49 g
Protein: 3 g
Fat: 10 g
Saturated Fat: 6 g
Cholesterol: 58 mg
Sodium: 144 mg
Sugar: 34 g
Reviews
Prakash on 2026-03-29 (5 stars): My first lemon cake turned out super yumm! Thanks a lot for sharing!
Kate on 2026-03-26 (5 stars): Julia this was too good. Going to make with lime or 🍊 next time. Thank you.
Jacquelyn McColgan on 2026-03-24 (5 stars): This was fabulous !!
Rachael Garnett on 2026-03-23 (5 stars): A really lovely lemony cake.. I had the hankering for a piece, so I made myself wait, and it was worth it a few hours later!
My Topping didn't come out as shiny as yours. What's your secret? LOL
Jacob on 2026-03-22 (4 stars): I mean it was okay but the white thick icing you had as the picture well that wasn’t very accurate icing was runny and went down the cake probably would do this again but please change something about the icing
Ellen on 2026-03-22 (5 stars): Love this cake....nothing says spring better than a lemon cake. 1 suggestion: instead of vanilla, substitute for lemon extract. (chef's kiss)
Vlynn on 2026-03-20 (5 stars): The cake was very moist, fluffy and I buttered the pan and it didn't stick. I added the Tbs of zest and massaged it into the sugar and let it sit before creaming with butter. I added a little more zest to the flour mixture. Next time, I will poke the cake with a toothpick and let the lemon syrup absorb into the cake instead of just brushing it all over. I think that's the trick if you want more lemon flavor. Excellent recipe, I would definitley make this again.
Julia on 2026-03-19 (5 stars): I’ve seriously made this over a couple dozen times it’s that one recipe that never fails me I cannot recommend this enough
Coco D on 2026-03-14 (4 stars): My daughter and I just made this today! Very moist and delicious, and easy to make. Once thing I would suggest is adding a bit more lemon, both juice and zest. I could have doubled it. I only used fresh lemons.
Anupama Kamath on 2026-03-14 (5 stars): Softest,tangiest,spongy flavourful🍋🎂
Ruzanna Yeranosyan on 2026-03-08 (5 stars): Love this recipe! Thank you! I added berries and poppy seeds on the second loaf.
Elizabeth on 2026-03-05 (5 stars): This is genuinely the best thing I’ve ever baked. It’s amazing. I listened to everyone saying it stuck so I used disposable pans and greased and floured them before I put the batter in and I had no problem with them sticking. I bake for a living and at home almost every day I’m creating something and this is hands down the best. I used all lemon in the icing no milk so it had a more sour flavor and I added some lemon zest as well. WOW WOW WOW.
