Bright and lemony, this Lemon Pound Cake is super moist and bursting with lemon flavor from the lemon juice and lemon zest.
This cake is made in a bundt pan and kept super moist with the addition of sour cream, buttermilk and coconut oil. Finished with a simple lemon glaze, it's rich, tender, and perfectly balanced between sweet and tangy.
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Why You'll Love This Lemon Sour Cream Pound Cake
Fresh lemon zest and juice do double duty here, so you get real, bright lemon flavor in every bite — not the muted stuff you get from bottled juice. It's baked in a bundt pan, which makes it feel a little more special without any extra effort, and it slices beautifully for a crowd.
The texture is what I keep coming back to on this one. Between the sour cream, buttermilk, and a somewhat unconventional addition — coconut oil — this lemon sour cream pound cake recipe stays moist for days, not just the first afternoon you cut into it.
The moisture trick: Coconut oil is the ingredient people are usually surprised by. Used solid (not melted), it adds richness without the greasiness butter alone can bring in a cake this dense. If you melt it, you'll end up with a greasier crumb — keep it solid going in.
Key Ingredients & Swaps
I kept this section tight — the full quantities are in the recipe card below, so here's just what's worth knowing before you start:
- Fresh lemon juice and zest: you'll need about 2 large lemons — skip the bottled stuff here, it makes a real difference in flavor.
- Coconut oil, solid (not melted): the moisture secret mentioned above. Don't sub in melted oil.
- Sour cream: full-fat is best for structure, but plain Greek yogurt works as a 1:1 swap if that's what's in your fridge.
How to Make This Moist Lemon Pound Cake Recipe
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Spray or butter and flour one large 10- or 12-cup bundt pan.
- Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Cream the butter, coconut oil, and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 3–4 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, then scrape the bowl and mix in the vanilla.
- Whisk together the buttermilk and sour cream. Add the dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk mixture, starting and ending with the flour. Mix on low just until blended after each addition, then stir in the lemon juice and zest.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Tent with foil if the top is browning too fast.
- Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Whisk the glaze ingredients together and drizzle over the cooled cake.
Don't glaze it warm: Glazing before the cake is fully cool is the #1 reason the glaze slides right off instead of setting into that classic drippy coating. Let it cool all the way on the rack first.
Pro tips
- Prepping the pan: mix equal parts melted butter, shortening, and vegetable oil in a small jar and brush it into every groove of the bundt pan — it's the most reliable release method I've found.
- Storage: wrap the still-slightly-warm cake in plastic wrap to lock in moisture. It'll keep at room temperature for 3 days, or in the fridge for up to a week.
- Freezing: slice the cooled cake, freeze slices in a single layer on a sheet tray for an hour, then transfer to a freezer-safe container or bag for up to 3 months.
- Serving idea: a spoonful of macerated berries and a dollop of vanilla whipped cream turns a slice into dessert.
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FAQs
What makes this pound cake so moist?
Buttermilk and sour cream both help, but coconut oil is the real secret ingredient — it's what keeps this one moist well past day one.
Can I make this lemon pound cake in a loaf pan?
Yes — split the batter evenly between two greased or parchment-lined loaf pans.
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Equipment
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 ⅔ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- ½ cup coconut oil solid
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- 5 large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup buttermilk
- ½ cup full-fat sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
- 4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice from about 2 large lemons
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest from about of 2 large lemons
Buttermilk Lemon Glaze
- 2 cups powdered sugar sifted
- 4 tablespoons buttermilk
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Spray or butter and flour one large 10 or 12-cup Bundt pan*.
- In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. 2 ⅔ cups all-purpose flour2 ⅔ cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or with an electric mixer, cream together butter, coconut oil and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Look for the mixture to stick to the sides of the bowl. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stop the mixer and scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl. Add vanilla and mix until incorporated. 1 cup unsalted butter1 cup unsalted butter, ½ cup coconut oil, 3 cups granulated sugar, 5 large eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- In a measuring cup, whisk together buttermilk and sour cream. Add dry ingredients in three additions to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. Stir in lemon juice and lemon zest. ½ cup buttermilk½ cup buttermilk, ½ cup full-fat sour cream , 4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, 2 tablespoons lemon zest
- Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake cake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted inserted into the cake comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Check the cake after 40 minutes or so. If the top is beginning to get very brown, tent aluminum foil over top of the cake to prevent burning or over browning.
- Remove the cake from the oven and cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Place an inverted wire cooling rack over top of the cake. Using oven mitts, grasp the sides of the bundt and the sides of the wire rack and carefully but swiftly overturn the cake onto the wire rack. Lift the bundt pan off the cake and allow the cake to cool completely.
- Prepare the glaze by whisking together all ingredients in a medium bowl. Drizzle over the cooled cake. 2 cups powdered sugar2 cups powdered sugar, 4 tablespoons buttermilk, 1 tablespoon lemon zest, 2 teaspoons lemon juice
Notes
- *The best way to prepare a bundt pan for baking is to mix equal parts melted butter, shortening and vegetable oil in a jar. Spread liberally on the pan, avoiding any pooling of the liquid in the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle liberally with all-purpose flour. Tilt the pan while tapping the sides to spread the flour over all crevices and sides of the pan. Tap any excess flour into the garbage or sink. Store leftover mixture in the fridge for next time you bake a cake.
- To store, wrap slightly warm cake in plastic wrap. This will help retain moisture in the cake and prevent the outside from drying out and getting a crust. Store cake at room temperature up to 3 days.
- Cake may be stored for up to one week in the fridge. Warm slices gently on 50% power in the microwave in 30 second increments until desired temperature. The glaze may melt into the cake when warming the cake.
- To freeze, slice cooled cake and place slices in a single layer on a sheet tray. Freeze at least one hour then place in a freezer safe container or bag for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature or place in a 350ºF (177ºC) oven for 10 minutes or until warm.
Nutrition
