by Alexandra Heep

Created on: August 15, 2008   Last Updated: June 10, 2011

A pound cake gets its name from the weight of the ingredients. Originally, it contained one pound each of the following: sugar, flour, butter, and eggs. Now it comes in many flavors and variations. The following three lemon pound cake recipes all differ slightly, so you can find one to your liking. All three however use the same glaze and final step (see bottom of article).

Easy Lemon Pound Cake

1 1/2 cup butter
3 cups sugar
5 eggs
3 cups flour
1 cup milk
2 1/4 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/4 teaspoons lemon juice

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually add flour, milk, vanilla and lemon. Beat until smooth. Pour into greased and floured 10-inch tube pan. Do not preheat the oven. Bake at 325 degrees F for 1 hour.

Limoncello Pound Cake

2 sticks margarine
1 pound powdered sugar
4 eggs
3 cups flour
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon Limoncello (lemon liqueur)

Cream the margarine and sugar in a large bowl. Add eggs and beat well. Add sifted dry ingredients alternately with milk, beating well after each addition. Add Limoncello. Bake in 10-inch tube pan at 350 degree F for 1 hour and 5 minutes.

Lemon Loaf Pound Cake

1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
5 eggs, separated
2 cups sifted flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon lemon zest

Cream butter and sugar until very light. Add well-beaten egg yolks. Sift dry ingredients together, twice. Add a little at a time to sugar mixture, beating thoroughly after each addition. Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites and bake in greased and floured loaf pan at 350 degree F for 1 to 1 1/4 hours (until a knife inserted in the crown comes out clean).

Glaze:

1/3 cup lemon juice
1 cup confectioner's sugar

Mix together the lemon juice and confectioner's sugar. Cool pound cake for at least 10 minutes before removing from pan. Set cake on a large platter. Poke the cake with a long fork or knitting needle all over. Pour the glaze over the top and let it soak in. Cool completely before serving.

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