Lemon Sour Cream Pound Cake –Fluffy, moist with citrusy flavor, drizzled with a refreshingly delicious sweet lemon glaze. A no-fail sweet treat for summer and all year round!
Pound cake is one of the classic cakes that are better known in the South with lots of variations that you can enjoy. Most of the time, it’s topped with fresh berries and whipped cream or adorn it with a ball of ice cream on top, and or drizzled with chocolate syrup.
Well, this one doesn’t need anything. Trust me! It’s Soo moist and literally melts in your mouth. Every time I make I always take a minute or two to moan.
You’ll get some oohs and aahs- For sure!
This insanely rich and moist Sour Cream Lemon Pound Cake version has both the complementing flavors of sour cream and lemon that are refreshingly delicious and leaves a slight tang in your mouth, with subtle sour acid notes; best for parties and even days when you are in the mood for something sweet.
Coz everybody needs a cake to brighten up their day, right?
So why is sour cream important in baking? And what is its purpose? I get asked this often, so let me explain.
Sour cream contains fat and acidity which has a significant impact not only on the flavor of the cake but on the cake’s texture too. Making it moist and fluffy with a tight crumb.
Not only that, but the sour cream’s acidity also delays browning, making the crust even all-around and golden even after almost an hour in the oven. Can you tell by the look of the cake? Love the lovely bright golden color
Thoroughly oil your bundt pan and try not to leave it sitting in the pan for too long, cause it might get sticky. Let it cool 10 minutes before removing from the cake pan.
Okay peeps, if your cake didn’t come out looking as pretty as you would like, then glaze it up.
No one would notice anyway. See the way I nicely adorned mine. I’ll be lying if I say it came out perfect- but I promise it this tastes damn delicious.
Whether you’re pairing it with a cup of coffee or tea for an afternoon snack, this soft, and tender Lemon Sour Cream Pound Cake will absolutely make you feel better (pinky swear!!).
Make it! Eat a slice or two and don’t worry about those love handles. Or do as I do, extend my workout time. C’mon, life is too short not to make this!
How To Make Lemon Sour Cream Pound Cake
Pre-heat the oven to 160°C/325°F. Grease a 10 inch tube pan generously with cooking spray and set aside. Cream together the butter and sugar at high speed in a stand mixture until it’s fluffy and starting to look white, about 5 minutes, add sour cream and mix for another minute. Stir in the eggs, a little at a time, beating the mixture well between each addition. Sift in the flour and baking powder into the batter, and then add Lime Zest & juice, vanilla and/or almond extract.
Stir well until everything is fully combined. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl. Pour batter into a greased cake pan. Tap pans on work surface to eliminate any large air bubbles. Bake at 325 until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 55–60 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack. Let it cool before glazing.
Watch How To Make It
Lemon Sour Cream Pound Cake
Ingredients
Sour Cream Pound Cake
- 8 ounces (226 grams) unsalted butter room temperature
- 2 cups (400 grams ) granulated sugar
- ¾ cup (170 grams,) sour cream room temperature
- 5 Large eggs
- 2 ½ cups (315 grams) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 medium Lemon Squeezed (about 3 Tablespoons Juice)
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract or almond extract
Lemon Glazed Icing
- 1 ¾ cups (150 grams) powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (adjust for desired thickness)
- ½ teaspoon (2.10 grams) almond extract
- 1-2 teaspoons (4.7- 9.4 grams) salted butter
- the zest of one lemon or more
- 1 tablespoon water (adjust to desired thickness)
Instructions
Sour Cream Pound Cake
- Pre-heat the oven to 160°C/325°F. Grease a 10 inch tube pan generously with cooking spray and set aside.
- Cream together the butter and sugar at high speed in a stand mixture until it’s fluffy and starting to look white, about 5 minutes, add sour cream and mix for another minute.
- Stir in the eggs, a little at a time, beating the mixture well between each addition. Sift in the flour and baking powder into the batter, and then add Lime Zest & juice, vanilla and/or almond extract
- Stir well until everything is fully combined. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl.
- Pour batter into a greased cake pan. Tap pans on work surface to eliminate any large air bubbles.
- Bake at 325 until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 55–60 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack. Let it cool before glazing.
Lemon Glazed Icing
- In a small pan combine Confectioners sugar , Lemon juice and zest , almond extract, melted butter, and adjust with water as need to achieve desired consistency. Gently whisk until mixture is smooth, you may use a fork for this too!
- Adjust consistency of glaze as desired . It should be pourable and thick.
- Spoon the glaze over the top of the cake, letting it drizzle down the sides.
Tips & Notes:
- The secret to baking a perfect pound cake actually lies in the mixing. Yes! So no matter how accurately measured the ingredients are, if you over mix, you risk ruining your cake.
- Be sure to cream the butter and sugar together until it starts to look white and fluffy, Then add the eggs one at a time to create volume in the pound cake batter, it usually takes about 5 minutes.
- This cake is somewhat fragile, take extra care when removing it from the oven and releasing it from the pan. Let it cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before proceeding and give it some time, before glazing.
- I use a nonstick spray coating to grease the pan. If using a bundt pan make sure you thoroughly grease the indentations because they are notorious for sticking. Making it harder to release your cake.
- Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.
Nutrition Information:
Diane says
Can I use cake flour instead of all purpose flour in this recipe?
imma africanbites says
Hi, Diane. Yes, you can use cake flour, but there’ll be just a sight difference in texture as cake flour creates an airier and lighter cake. So it’s all about preference. Please do let me know how it turns out for you.
Debbie says
I baked my cake today and at 325 my cake cooked for about 1hr 35min? This was based on placing a tester in for doneness
Dawn says
I am allergic to almonds. Can I substitute the almond extract in the icing for something else? Or if I leave it out will it make a big difference?
JOAN OKEKE says
Wow.. Looks yummy.. Please is there any replacement for sour cream? In Nigeria, I have actually never seen it. Can for example yogurt be used instead? Any substitute for it? Thank you for the good work. God bless you
Immaculate Bites says
Hi Joan! Yogurt is a great substitute for sour cream.
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Ashley Walters says
I’ve made this a few times and its definitely a hit among tasters. Very moist which is a plus Thanks so much for sharing God bless
imma africanbites says
Thank you for sharing your feedback, Ashley. God bless you, too!
Barbara says
Can I use a 1/2 sheet cake pan?
imma africanbites says
Hi, Barbara. Yes, you can. But please note that the baking time will vary depending on how deep it is.
LMS says
I have made many Pound Cake Recipes; but this one is by far a favorite! It is so moist and light, everyone who has this cake just loves it, the lemon is a nice addition for summer!!! Thankyou so much Imma for sharing this recipe, it is a keeper!!!
ImmaculateBites says
Awesome! So happy to hear it worked out well for you.
Dee says
Have you made this in loaf pans instead of bundt pans? I need to freeze it and there isn’t enough flat space in my freezer for a bundt.
ImmaculateBites says
Yes, it works with loaf pans too.
Tina says
Hello can use Lemon Extract instead of Vanilla in the cake .
imma africanbites says
I’d recommend almond extract instead of vanilla. I haven’t tried with lemon extract though, but I guess it’ll turn out fine. Let me know how it works. Thanks! 🙂
Wendy says
Hello, I don’t have a bundt pan–would it be all right to bake this cake in a normal round or rectangular pan?
Thanks!
Wendy
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Wendy! Yes, it would do just fine. The baking time will vary depending on how deep it is. In your case, might be less. Adjust time if as needed. Happy Cooking!!!
Roosevelt Ware Jr says
I have made this recipe and fell in love.
Here’s one question that is killing me the different colors icing what’s the trick here.
ImmaculateBites says
No trick here , it’s just the lemon doing it’s thing to the icing .
Kelsey says
Love love the cake. Very rich. Better than those sold in stores. Please calories 476 is for how many grams thanks
Hawa says
Hello, so I did not see where the squeezed lemon juice was used on the cake batter. Looks yummy, will definitely try this
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Haha! It’s added together with the lemon Zest . Do let me know how it works out for you.Thanks
Brittany Nguyen says
In the icing recipe it says add water although water is not in the ingredient list in the recipe. How much water do I add?
ImmaculateBites says
Add about a Tablespoon or more, adjusting as you go til you get desired thickness.
Didina Gnagnide Angorinie says
Wonderful and simple cake! Do you think I could halve the sugar to make it a breakfast cake? How sweet does it taste?
Ps: if you want to try something weird but surprisingly good, try replacing (in weight) the wheat flour with chickpea flour in cakes like this one – you can find chickpea flour as farina di ceci or besan (though besan is slightly different, but here the difference is almost irrelevant). Not only is it gluten free for people with coeliac, but it is also richer in fiber and protein and tastes damn good in sweets with lemon and coconut. I think it would go well with this cake (using some brown sugar – it goes very well with it) though it will have a different, ‘browner’ taste.
Naima says
I make my own chickpea flour by just grinding raw chickpeas. I have yet to use it in a cake it works just well in many other recipes.
ImmaculateBites says
Awesome! Thanks for sharing !!!
ImmaculateBites says
It’s fairly sweet Didi. Cutting back would make it slightly sweet and great with tea or coffee. The chickpea sounds really intriguing. It is overpowering, I want to try it real soon. Am home with five kids -doing a lot of baking
Didina Gnagnide Angorinie says
If you want to check if you like chickpea flour in sweets before – try it in a cookie (there are various recipes around). The key for working with chickpea flour in sweets is to roast it (either in the pan or naturally during baking bc of the oil in the recipe), it will lose its beany flavor and taste super good. Another recipe you might want to check is besan ladoo. They are really good but made in a pan so you might want to avoid that in the summer. One good author who has worked a lot with chickpea flour is Camille Saulsbury, she has some recipes in her blog Power Hungry (she also uses it in power bars to keep them together – it works!)
Thank you for the reply 🙂 and good luck with the kids XD