Old Fashioned Lemon Pound Cake

Friday, July 12, 2024
My Mom and Grandmother only made simple plain cakes, this is one of my favorites made with fresh lemon and simple pantry ingredients.

This vintage is perfect plain or dressed up with fruits and cream and this citrusy flavor has a tangy soft textured crumb that is irresistible.

Pounds cakes are as old as the 1700s and it's no wonder that our taste buds go back in time with fond memories of the past.

If you're a pound cake lover, this one is the best and easiest to make plus you can adapt the flavors just by adding different extracts with a creative adaption.

This is a basic recipe for this vintage cake recipe, and the variations can be endless.

This makes two loaves so you'll even be able to freeze one for unexpected company or when you have a craving for something sweet.

Scroll down to our printable recipe card to get this easy pound cake recipe and let's bake a delicious old-fashioned lemon pound cake.


Lemon pound cake vintage recipe in a loaf





Why Make Old Fashioned Made-from-Scratch Lemon Pound Cake?

I can think of endless reasons you would want to make this Old Fashioned Lemon Cake Recipe:

  1. Old Fashioned lemon cake is perfect for simple fresh flavors and is great with any hot beverage or a glass of cold milk.
  2. This cake has wholesome flavors that are great plain or dressed to the nines for entertaining unexpected guests and makes two so one can be kept in the freezer.
  3. It's a delicious any time of the day snack cake
  4. This cake can be changed with any flavor extracts from lemon to orange or another alternative flavoring you like for this cake
  5. Selling your house? This is what you want to smell when you walk in that door with that freshly baked lemon cake made from scratch
  6. This cake freezes well and can be made in disposable loaf tins for a small family or a college student.
  7. The cake stays moist and covered for up to 4 days
  8. The cake served as a dessert with vanilla bean ice cream and drizzled with ice cream fruit toppings transforms plain to gourmet yet easy dessert in minutes
  9. This recipe using Greek yogurt makes it light, not dense like more coffee cakes
  10. Try our other made-from-scratch " Old Fashioned Sour Cream Coffee Cake" vintage recipe or our Almond Made from Scratch Filled Coffee Cake
  11. Now are you ready to bake some delicious cake for your family, and friends and be lucky to even get a piece? The recipe is in the printable card at the bottom of this post if you would like to avoid the ads we use to provide you free recipes.


lemon pound cake in a loaf pan cooling


Easy Step-by-Step Old Fashioned Lemon Pound Cake

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two loaf pans and set aside
  2. Prepare your pan by lining it with parchment paper for easy removal
  3. Sifting the flour with baking powder is the first step then set aside to making this delicious batter
  4. Creaming the sugar with butter and shortening is a must with an electric beater
  5. Bake at 350 degrees for around 55 minutes
  6. The full recipe with measurements and steps is in the recipe card just hit print if you don't want to read the rest of this article and do not want ad intrusions


batter for lemon pound cake


Shopping List for Old Fashioned Lemon Pound Cake

  • AP flour
  • sugar
  • eggs
  • milk
  • baking powder
  • unsalted butter
  • shortening
  • fresh lemon juice
  • fresh lemon zest
  • vanilla
  • salt
  • Serving and Topping Ideas:
  • lemon icing
  • powdered sugar
  • assorted fruits
  • whipped cream
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Note: if you would like you can add 1/2 cup coarsely chopped nuts or white chocolate chips (use pumpkin seeds if you have nut allergies)


fresh grated lemon zest


Tips for Old Fashioned Lemon Pound Cake

  1. always preheat the oven
  2. ensure you line the pan with parchment paper, this batter is very sticky and makes it easier plus it won't stick to the pan
  3. Substitution Flavoring Ideas:
  4. change this to orange with orange zest or add other flavorings
  5. add chocolate chips to a vanilla pound cake using just vanilla beans and vanilla extract
  6. add toasted almonds,  almond extract with poppy seeds adding Amaretto instead of lemon
  7. use flavored liqueur substitutions that will bake off instead of lemon pound cake
  8. do not overfill the loaf pans you may have extra batter make a smaller cake with it
  9. you can make this recipe in cupcake tins with paper liners or a 15-cup bundt pan
  10. these are heavy cakes so make sure you cool them for at least 12 minutes before flipping
  11. use a cake tester or toothpick to ensure baking is completed in the center 
  12. store cakes in the freezer for up to 6 months if not eating within 4 days
  13. Note: This is a basic recipe and can be adapted to many other ideas and flavors


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Old Fashioned Lemon Pound Terrific Dessert Cake


This cake is a super moist and delicious slice of dessert after any meal.

Our lemon pound cake is perfect for dressing up to be an awesome dessert when hosting a dinner party.

Great topped with fruits, and whipped cream served with your favorite hot beverage!


vintage cake recipes, old fashioned pound cake, pound cake recipes, lemon cake, cake recipes
pound cake recipes, lemon cake, cake recipes, scratch cakes
French, American
Yield: 20
Author: Claudia Lamascolo
Old Fashioned Lemon Pound Cake

Old Fashioned Lemon Pound Cake

This recipe is for an old-fashioned flavored lemon pound cake. Great plain with a hot beverage or topped with assorted fruits and whipped cream.
Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 55 MinTotal time: 1 H & 10 M

Ingredients

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon of salt
  • 3 cups sugar
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup shortening
  • 5 large eggs
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 5 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 grated lemon (zested)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease two large-sized loaf pans and set aside ( you may have batter left over and need to make one smaller cake depending on your pan size. I line mine with parchment paper for easy removal)
  2. In a large bowl sift the flour and baking powder together then whisk in the salt.
  3. To a clean bowl, using an electric mixer, add the butter shortening and sugar and beat this for 2 minutes.
  4. Beat in the eggs until evenly blended
  5. Add in the flour mixture beating slowly adding the milk until blended.
  6. Stir in the lemon, vanilla, and zest.
  7. Pour into the loaf pans.
  8. Bake until the cake looks dry in the center (or use the toothpick method when it comes clean it's done!)
  9. This takes around 45 to 55 minutes to bake.
  10. Cool for around 10 to 12 minutes.
  11. Take a knife and loosen the edges before flipping onto a wax paper-covered board.

Notes

Tips for Old Fashioned Lemon Pound Cake

  1. always preheat the oven
  2. ensure you line the pan with parchment paper, this batter is very sticky and makes it easier plus it won't stick to the pan
  3. Substitution Flavoring Ideas:
  4. change this to orange with orange zest or add other flavorings
  5. add chocolate chips to a vanilla pound cake using just vanilla beans and vanilla extract
  6. add toasted almonds, almond extract with poppy seeds adding Amaretto instead of lemon
  7. use flavored liqueur substitutions that will bake off instead of lemon pound cake
  8. do not overfill the loaf pans you may have extra batter make a smaller cake with it
  9. you can make this recipe in cupcake tins with paper liners or a 15-cup bundt pan
  10. these are heavy cakes so make sure you cool them for at least 12 minutes before flipping
  11. use a cake tester or toothpick to ensure baking is completed in the center 
  12. store cakes in the freezer for up to 6 months if not eating within 4 days
  13. Note: This is a basic recipe and can be adapted to many other ideas and flavors


  • Serving and Topping Ideas:
  • lemon icing
  • powdered sugar
  • assorted fruits
  • whipped cream


Nutrition Facts

Calories

339.2

Fat (grams)

16.23 g

Sat. Fat (grams)

7.76 g

Carbs (grams)

45.83 g

Fiber (grams)

0.67 g

Net carbs

45.15 g

Sugar (grams)

30.91 g

Protein (grams)

4.09 g

Sodium (milligrams)

175.52 mg

Cholesterol (grams)

72.36 mg

The default measuring system for this website is US Customary. Unit conversions are provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. While we strive to provide accurate unit conversions, please be aware that there may be some discrepancies.



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