How to Make a Perfectly Moist Lemon Pound Cake:

The secret to this Lemon Pound cake is the combination of sugar and lemon zest. I highly recommend not skipping this simple step. The cake has so a delightful lemon taste evenly in every bite.

• First, in a small bowl, combine sugar and the zest of two lemons. Using your fingertips, rub the ingredients together. This will help bring out the oils in the zest, adding more flavor.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
• In a separate mixing bowl, add unsalted butter. Using a handheld mixer, whip the butter on high speed until smooth and creamy (about a minute). Make sure it is at room temperature. The butter needs to be soft.
• Next, add lemon sugar and beat on high speed for 2 minutes until the butter and sugar are combined. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl as needed while mixing.
• Continue by adding one egg at a time while still beating.
• Add the sour cream, milk, lemon juice, and vanilla extract, then beat on medium speed until combined. It’s essential not to overmix the batter to avoid a heavy, dense lemon pound cake. The mixture may look curdled as a result of the varying textures combining; don’t panic, this is normal.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly spray a 9x5-inch loaf pan with baking spray and line it with parchment paper.

Combine the wet and dry ingredients:

• Add the flour to the wet mixture and combine.
• Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pan and bake for 45-60 minutes.
• Remove the lemon cake from the oven and place it on a wire rack. Allow the cake to cool in the pan on the wire rack for 1 hour, then carefully remove the slightly warm cake from the pan.

In the meantime, let’s prepare the icing:

• in a mixing bowl, combine 1 cup of confectioner’s sugar, 3 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract, and 2 teaspoons of whole milk (optional). Whisk and set aside.
• Transfer the cake to a serving plate/platter and add the icing while the cake is still warm, or if you prefer, wait for it to cool completely. I also like to garnish with lemon zest. I like a lot of lemon flavor, and if you do too, zest your way!