Lemon Cream Cheese Pound Cake

A from-scratch Southern classic with a golden crust, moist and buttery crumb, and a bright lemon glaze. Bake it a day ahead. It only gets better as it sits.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American, Southern

Keyword lemon cream cheese pound cake, Lemon Pound Cake, lemon pound cake recipe, recipe for lemon pound cake

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 2

Cooling Time 2

Total Time 4 20

Servings slices

Calories 457kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

Equipment

Bundt cake pan

Ingredients

Cake:

3 cups granulated sugar
1 ½ cups (3 sticks) salted butter, softened at room temperature
1 (8 ounce) package full-fat cream cheese, softened at room temperature
6 large eggs, at room temperature
3 cups bleached cake flour (such as Swans Down)
⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
Zest from 2 lemons (or up to 3 for stronger lemon flavor)
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Powdered sugar, for dusting (optional)

Optional Lemon Glaze:

1 ¼ cups confectioners' sugar
2 to 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Grease and lightly flour a Bundt pan or tube pan; set aside. Do not preheat the oven.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the cream cheese and beat until smooth, about 30 seconds.
With the mixer on low, add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
Gradually add the cake flour on low speed, scraping the bowl as needed. Mix just until combined, about 1 minute total.
Add the salt, vanilla extract, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Beat until smooth.
Transfer the batter to the prepared pan. Tap the pan on the counter a couple of times to release air bubbles.
Place the pan on a rack in the lower third of the cold oven. Close the oven and set the temperature to 300°F. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour 50 minutes to 2 hours.
Cool in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes, then invert onto a serving plate or wire rack to cool completely.
Dust with powdered sugar or drizzle with lemon glaze. To make the glaze, whisk together the confectioners' sugar, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, and vanilla extract until a thick, pourable glaze forms. Add more lemon juice to thin or more sugar to thicken. Drizzle over the cooled cake.

Video

Notes

Start in a cold oven. This is not a typo. Placing the pan in a cold oven before turning it on creates the thick, caramelized crust that's the hallmark of this recipe.
Use a block of full-fat cream cheese. Spreadable or whipped cream cheese from a tub will not give you the right texture.
Measure the flour correctly. Spoon it into the measuring cup and level off with a knife. Packing in too much flour results in a dry, dense cake.
Room-temperature ingredients are important. Cold butter or eggs won't blend smoothly, which affects volume and texture.
Zest only the yellow part of the lemon. The white pith underneath is bitter. For more lemon flavor, zest a third lemon and add it to the batter.
Don't leave the cake in the pan too long. About 10 to 15 minutes is ideal. Condensation will form after that and soften the crust.
Make it ahead. This cake is best made 1 day in advance. The flavor deepens and the crumb gets even more moist as it rests.
Storage: Covered at room temperature for 4 to 5 days; refrigerated for up to 1 week; frozen (tightly wrapped) for up to 3 months.
Loaf pan option: No Bundt pan? Use two 8½ x 4½-inch loaf pans and check for doneness starting at the 1-hour mark.
Unsalted butter: Add an extra ½ to ¾ teaspoon of salt to the batter if substituting.

Nutrition