Perfect Lemon Pound Cake

This Perfect Lemon Pound Cake is one of my all-time favourite Spring desserts. I originally shared it with you 2 years ago on the blog, but since it’s one of those recipes I’ve made over and over again, I’ve made a few small changes to the recipe that I think make it even better, so I’m re-sharing it with you today with brand new photos and a tutorial video that will help you make the perfect pound cake at home every single time.

The secrets to making the perfect pound cake at home are actually quite simple, but even though pound cake recipes are traditionally quite simple and seemingly easy, it’s also the kind of cake that’s easy to mess up if you’re unfamiliar with the process.

When it comes to how to make the perfect pound cake, the mixing is absolutely key. Whipping the butter and sugar together for an extra long time to create the ultimate fluffiness and then adding the eggs one at a time, whipping them in to create volume in the pound cake batter is what creates the lift in the cake – no leavening agent required!

Pound cakes are traditionally more on the dense side than a typical sponge cake, which is part of their trademark texture. But there’s a big difference between being dense and being heavy and you’ll definitely want to avoid the latter by not only whipping enough air into the wet ingredients, but also by making sure that when you fold the flour into the wet ingredients that you’re doing so with a light hand – this can make or break your pound cake – because if you’re too heavy handed when folding in the dry ingredients you’ll end up with a heavy, dry result that doesn’t rise. And trust me, no one wants that!

My last tip for making the perfect pound cake is to make sure it’s baked just enough, and not over- or under-baked. I know this probably sounds obvious, but since this recipe doesn’t contain any leavening agent it’s even more critical that it’s not under-baked or you’ll find the middle of the cake falls after baking, which is not a good look. Toward the end of the baking time, watch the cake carefully and test it with a toothpick every few minutes until it’s completely done. Be sure to remove it from the oven as soon as it passes the toothpick test (a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean), otherwise you’ll be left with a very dry pound cake!

This Perfect Lemon Pound Cake is one I’ve adapted from Chef Anna Olson. As far as baked goods go, I’ve never tried so many winning recipes from one chef as I have from Anna Olson. It should come as no surprise that her recipe for lemon pound cake is exceptional. I’ve made a few minor changes to the recipe as I’ve made it over the years, and it’s become a favourite in our family!