Lemon Pound Cake

Lemon Pound Cake

This lemon pound cake is totally a Spring must-make, but it’s also a great cake to make if you are willing warmer weather or just dreaming it!

Or, currently, trying to hold on to warmer weather.

Lemons give you that extra warm weather feel and the fresh flavor is just bursting throughout this pound cake!

Does this pound cake look familiar? You aren’t crazy if you’re saying that this lemon pound cake looks familiar.

It is because it’s the Starbucks copycat!

The Best Starbucks Lemon Pound Cake Copycat Recipe

Every time I go to Starbucks (which is rare these days since I like making my own lattes at home and I’m not a huge fan of Starbucks; support local!), I get sucked into buying a lemon pound cake.

They strategically placed the darn pastry counter right next to the cash register, so when the line is out the door, you’re standing by the pastries for a good 5-10 minutes.

Who, in their right mind, after standing next to sugary goodness would pass on them?

I sure don’t. I almost always get the lemon pound cake.

I love how moist it is and how the lemony glaze rounds out the overall lemon pound cake flavor.

So, naturally, I had to find a way to copycat this recipe that way I don’t have to make a Starbucks run every time I crave it.

After just a few, maybe more than a few, taste tests with the real thing, I had it about figured out!

I’ll say it’s pretty close to the real thing and is definitely similar enough to curb those cravings and stop me from over-caffeinating myself at Starbucks on the regular.

How To Make Lemon Pound Cake

Making a pound cake to the level of a Starbucks quality might seem like a daunting task, but trust me it’s a piece of cake! ;)

Just preheat oven and grease a 9×5 loaf pan with cooking spray and set aside.

Beat milk, eggs, and the extracts in a bowl and set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer, sift together flour, sugar, and baking powder and add the lemon zest.

Stir to combine. Add the softened butter to the flour mixture and mix on low until just combined.

Then slowly add in the milk mixture, beating on medium speed until batter is combined.

Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and bake until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center of the cake. Allow cake to cool then un-mold.

For full measurements on ingredients and directions, check out the full recipe at the bottom of the post!

How Long Does Pound Cake Keep?

As long as it’s stored properly, in an airtight container, the cake will stay fresh for up to one week.

You can keep it on the counter, or in the refrigerator if you prefer your cake cold.

You can also store the cake in the freezer, and it will keep for up to 4 months.

Just let the cake thaw naturally on the counter for a few hours prior to digging in, once removed from the freezer.

Can I Make This With A Different Glaze?

Of course! I like the lemon glaze because it adds even more lemon flavor to the cake, which I love, but you could also just make a regular vanilla glaze if you like a more subtle lemon flavor.

For the vanilla glaze, just replace the lemon juice with 2-3 tablespoons of water, and add a 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla.

Do I have to make the glaze?

Nope! If you prefer a non-glazed pound cake, you can definitely keep the glaze off. I do highly suggest trying it with the glaze because it’s so worth it!

The pound cake will still be amazing either way to prepare it though, so enjoy it in whatever way you prefer.

Love Lemon Desserts? Then Try Out Some of These!

Every time I eat a lemon dessert it just feels even more like summer. That beautiful combination of sweet and slightly tart is my absolute favorite. I always have a few lemon recipes on hand ready to make any time I crave that perfect taste of summer.

Here are a few I’m crushing on right now: 

Lemon Cornmeal Cake

Honey Lemon Chia Seed Muffins

Lemon Blueberry Dutch Baby

Mini Lemon Hand Pies

Raspberry Lemon Cake

Blackberry Lemon Bread

Just Wait Until You Try This Lemon Pound Cake!

The lemon pound cake itself has a subtle lemon flavor but you really don’t get the citrus punch until the glaze hits your tongue. It’s tart and sweet at the same time and rounds out the cake part. It makes it the perfect sweetness and goes great with coffee or tea!

Dig in!

Lemon Pound Cake

Lemon Pound Cake recipe inspired by my favorite Starbuck’s treat!

4.67 from 3 votes

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Servings: 12 slices

Author: Julie Chiou

Rate Save Saved! Print

Cook Mode(toggling this on will prevent your screen from going dark)

Ingredients 

½1x2x3x

For the cake:

• ▢ 15 tablespoons (210 g) unsalted butter, softened
• ▢ 3 tablespoons milk
• ▢ 3 large eggs
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ 1 teaspoon lemon extract
• ▢ ½ teaspoon almond extract
• ▢ 1 ½ cups (188 g) cake flour
• ▢ ¾ cup (150 g) sugar
• ▢ ¾ teaspoon baking powder
• ▢ Zest of 2 lemons

For the glaze:

• ▢ 2 cups (240 g) confectioner’s sugar
• ▢ Juice of 2 lemons, use the lemons you used for the zest

Equipment

• Loaf pan
• Stand mixer
• Hand mixer

Instructions 

• Preheat oven to 350 °F (177 °C). Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray and set aside.
• Beat milk, eggs, and the extracts in a bowl and set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, sift together flour, sugar, and baking powder and add the lemon zest. Stir to combine.
• Add the softened butter to the flour mixture and mix on low until just combined, about 30 seconds.
• Then slowly add in the milk mixture, beating on medium speed until batter is combined. Turn the mixer speed on high and beat for an additional 20-30 seconds.
• Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and bake for 45-50 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center of the cake.
• Allow cake to cool for 15 minutes then un-mold.
• While cake is cooling, make the glaze. Combine powdered sugar and juice of 1 lemon, at first then slowly add the juice of the other lemon. Everyone likes their glaze consistency different so if you like it thicker, add less lemon juice, if you like it runnier, add more lemon juice.
• Once cake is cooled, take a fork and pierce all over the top of the cake. Unmold and set on a wire rack with parchment or wax paper underneath. Pour the glaze evenly over the top and let it cool for 10-15 more minutes before slicing.
• Store in an airtight container for 1 week.

NUTRITION FACTS

Serving: 1 serving | Calories: 333 kcal | Carbohydrates: 46 g | Protein: 3 g | Fat: 16 g | Fiber: 1 g | Sugar: 34 g

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition information can vary for a variety of reasons. For the most precise nutritional data use your preferred nutrition calculator based on the actual ingredients you used in the recipe.

The default measuring system for this website is US Customary. Unit conversions are provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. While we strive to provide accurate unit conversions, please be aware that there may be some discrepancies.

Photography by Jesse Reilly