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lemon cream cheese pound cake

Lemon Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Make the best lemon cream cheese pound cake, soft, tangy, rich, and never dry, Full recipe, tips, and storage tricks in one easy-to-follow guide.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Course brunch, Dessert
Cuisine American, Southern-Inspired
Servings 12 people
Calories 400 kcal

Equipment

  • Stand mixer or hand mixer for creaming butter and cream cheese
  • Bundt or tube pan greased and floured
  • Mixing bowls at least two (wet and dry)
  • Whisk for dry ingredients
  • Spatula for scraping and spreading batter
  • Cooling rack optional but helpful

Ingredients
  

For the Cake:

  • 2 sticks 226g unsalted butter, softened
  • 8 oz block full-fat cream cheese room temp
  • 3 cups 600g granulated sugar
  • 5 large eggs room temperature
  • 3 cups 342g cake flour (not self-rising)
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¼ cup 60g whole or 2% milk
  • 1 tbsp lemon extract
  • ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
  • Zest of 1 lemon

For the Glaze:

  • 1 cup confectioners' sugar
  • 1½ tsp milk add slowly to desired consistency
  • Pinch of salt
  • ½ tsp lemon extract optional

Instructions
 

For the Cake:

  • Grease and flour your bundt or tube pan thoroughly. Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C).
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and cream cheese until smooth and creamy.
  • Gradually add the sugar and beat for 3 full minutes until fluffy.
  • Add eggs one at a time, mixing until just incorporated after each.
  • In a small bowl, mix milk, lemon juice, lemon extract, and zest.
  • On low speed, alternate adding the dry ingredients and lemon mixture to the wet batter—beginning and ending with dry.
  • Spoon the thick batter into your prepared pan. Smooth the top.
  • Bake for 65–75 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
  • Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning out onto a rack.

For the Glaze:

  • Whisk together confectioners' sugar, salt, and milk until smooth.
  • Add lemon extract if desired. Adjust consistency with milk for drizzling or piping.
  • Once the cake is fully cool, drizzle or pipe glaze over the top.

Notes

  • Best served at room temp, the day after baking.
  • Freezes well (unglazed) for up to 3 months.
  • Try adding blueberries or subbing orange zest for a fun twist.