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Slice of Italian Lemon Pound Cake with a lemon wedge on a rustic table
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5 from 1 vote

Italian Lemon Pound Cake

Creamy, zesty, and irresistibly tender, this Italian Lemon Pound Cake is the kind of dessert that brightens any table and lifts moods with a single slice.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 20 minutes
Total Time1 hour 40 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: Cake, Easy
Servings: 12 servings

Equipment

  • Bundt Pan
  • Mixing Bowl
  • Hand Mixer

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

  • 3 cups All-purpose flour Sifted if desired
  • 1 teaspoon Baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon Salt

Wet Ingredients

  • 1 cup Unsalted butter Softened to room temperature
  • 2 cups Granulated sugar
  • 3 large Eggs Room temperature
  • 1/2 cup Buttermilk Shaken or stirred before measuring
  • 1/2 cup Sour cream Full-fat preferred, room temperature
  • 4 tablespoons Fresh lemon juice About 1–2 lemons
  • 2 tablespoons Lemon zest From about 2 lemons, finely grated
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract

Glaze (optional)

  • 1 to 1 1/2 cups Powdered sugar
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons Fresh lemon juice Whisked to a pourable consistency

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C). Grease and flour a bundt pan or spray with baking spray and set aside.
  • In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir gently and set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3–5 minutes with a hand mixer or 2–3 minutes with a stand mixer on medium speed. Scrape the bowl as needed.
  • Beat in eggs, one at a time, blending well after each addition to keep the batter smooth.
  • Mix in sour cream, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and lemon zest until evenly combined.
  • Add half of the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until nearly incorporated.
  • Pour in buttermilk and mix gently to combine.
  • Add the remaining flour mixture and mix just until the flour disappears — avoid overmixing to keep the cake tender.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan, smoothing the top with a spatula.
  • Bake for 70 to 80 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached. Start checking at 70 minutes.
  • Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Carefully invert the cake onto a cake platter or wire rack.
  • While the cake is still warm, spread or drizzle the lemon glaze over the top so it soaks into the surface. Let the cake cool completely before slicing to let the glaze set.

Notes

For best results, use room temperature ingredients and avoid overmixing the batter.