This Lemon Sour Cream Pound Cake is rich, buttery, moist, and packed with bright lemon flavor. Sour cream gives the cake a tender crumb and extra moisture, while lemon emulsion provides bold citrus flavor that holds up beautifully during baking.

The cake is finished with a rich lemon glaze made with sweetened condensed milk and fresh lemon juice, giving you another layer of sweet and tangy lemon flavor.

If you love classic Sour Cream Pound Cake but want something bright and citrusy, this recipe is the perfect combination of the two.

Video Tutorial

Why You'll Love This Lemon Sour Cream Pound Cake

Moist and tender: Sour cream adds moisture and richness while helping create a tender crumb.
Bold lemon flavor: Lemon emulsion gives the pound cake plenty of lemon flavor without adding additional acidity to the batter.
Rich and buttery: Three sticks of butter give this cake that classic homemade pound cake flavor.
Easy to make: The recipe uses simple ingredients and the traditional creaming method.
Delicious lemon glaze: Sweetened condensed milk and fresh lemon juice create a rich, creamy glaze with plenty of citrus flavor.
Perfect for any occasion: It's a great cake for spring and summer gatherings, holidays, brunch, or whenever you're craving lemon pound cake.
Includes step-by-step photos and video tutorial to assist you with the baking process.

Recommended tools and equipment:

Bundt Pan (A 12-cup bundt pan is needed for this recipe.)
Stand Mixer or Hand Mixer
Silicone Spatula
Oven Thermometer
Cake Keeper
Measuring Cups and Measuring Spoons
Lemon Emulsio n

What Does Sour Cream Do in Pound Cake?

Sour cream is one of my favorite ingredients for making pound cake because it adds moisture, richness, and a slight tang.

Unlike thinner liquids, sour cream adds moisture without making the pound cake batter overly thin. Its richness also complements the butter and helps give this cake its soft, tender texture.

The slight tang from the sour cream also pairs especially well with lemon, balancing the sweetness of the cake while allowing that bright citrus flavor to stand out.

Why I Use Lemon Emulsion Instead of Lemon Juice in the Batter

You may notice that this recipe uses lemon emulsion in the cake batter rather than fresh lemon juice. That's intentional.

Bold lemon flavor: Lemon emulsion gives the cake a concentrated lemon flavor that remains noticeable after baking.
Consistent results: It adds plenty of flavor without adding a significant amount of liquid to the batter.
Doesn't add additional acidity: Lemon juice is acidic, which may affect a cake's chemistry depending on the other ingredients and leavening used.
Made for baking: Emulsions hold their flavor well when exposed to heat, making them a great option when you want the lemon flavor to come through in the finished cake.

I love using fresh lemon juice, but for this recipe, I prefer to use it in the glaze where its fresh, tart flavor can really shine. The cake batter gets the consistency and bold flavor of lemon emulsion, while the glaze gives us that fresh lemon flavor.

Tips for the Best Lemon Sour Cream Pound Cake

Bring your ingredients to room temperature. This helps create a smooth, evenly mixed batter.
Cream the butter and sugar thoroughly. Give them approximately five minutes to become light and fluffy.
Add the eggs one at a time. Allow each egg to incorporate before adding another.
Measure the flour carefully. Too much flour can contribute to a dry pound cake.
Don't overmix. Once you begin adding the flour, mix only until the ingredients are combined.
Use the correct pan size. This recipe is designed for a 12-cup Bundt pan.
Prepare the pan thoroughly. Make sure baking spray reaches every groove.
Watch the cake rather than only the clock. Oven temperatures vary, so begin checking toward the end of the recommended baking time.
Don't overbake. Remove the cake when a tester comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
Cool before glazing. Applying the glaze to a warm cake can cause it to melt and run off.

How to Store Lemon Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Once the cake is completely cool, store it tightly covered in a cake keeper for up to five days.

For longer storage, you can freeze the pound cake for up to three months.

To freeze individual slices, wrap them securely in plastic wrap and place them in a freezer-safe bag or container. This makes it easy to thaw one or two pieces whenever you're ready for pound cake.

Lemon Sour Cream Pound Cake

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Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: pound cake, pound cake recipe

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 1 15

Servings: people

Author: Ashley Frederick

Equipment

Bundt Pan A 12 cup pan is needed for this volume of recipe
Stand Mixer or Hand Mixer
Silicone Spatula
Oven Thermometer
Cake Keeper
Measuring Cups and Measuring Spoons
Lemon emulsion

Ingredients

Pound Cake Ingredients:
3 c All Purpose Flour
3 c Granulated Sugar
1 ½ c Salted Butter (3 sticks) - room temperature
5 Large Eggs - room temperature
1 c Sour Cream - room temperature
2 tsps Lemon Emulsion
Pound Cake Glaze Ingredients:
1 c Powdered Sugar
¼ c Unsalted Butter - room temperature
⅓ c Condensed Milk
5 tbsps Lemon Juice

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Pound Cake Instructions:
Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.
Using a hand or stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy (approximately 5 minutes).
Add in the lemon extract or emulsion.
Add the eggs to the bowl one at a time, mixing until combined before adding the next egg.
Slowly mix in the flour, alternating with sour cream, beginning and ending with the flour.
Spray a 12-cup bundt pan with baking spray. Pour the batter into the pan and spread it evenly.
Bake the cake for about an hour and 15 minutes. The cake is done once a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean/with moist crumbs.
Allow the cake to cool for 10-15 minutes before removing it from the pan. Allow the cake to cool completely before applying the glaze.
Glaze Instructions:
In a bowl, add the powdered sugar, condensed milk, butter and combine. Slowly add in the lemon juice until your desired consistency is reached. Drizzle or pour the glaze on the cake as desired.
Once the glaze has set, serve and enjoy!

Video

Notes

⇢ Use room temperature ingredients - Butter, eggs, and sour cream should be at room temperature so they blend smoothly without clumping. Set them out ahead of time.

⇢ Measure carefully – Baking is precise. Always measure each ingredient before adding it to the batter.

⇢ Cream butter and sugar well – Beat for about 5 minutes until light and fluffy.

⇢ Add eggs one at a time – Blend after each until no yellow remains before adding the next.

⇢ Don’t overmix – Once an ingredient is added, mix just until combined. Finish any streaks of flour by hand with a spoon.

⇢ Grease the bundt pan thoroughly – Use a baking spray with flour (like Baker’s Joy) or grease with oil and dust with flour for a clean release.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why Room-Temperature Ingredients Matter

Using room-temperature butter, eggs, and cream cheese is key to achieving a smooth, well-aerated batter and an evenly baked pound cake. Cold ingredients can cause the batter to curdle or become lumpy-especially cream cheese, which can form stubborn clumps that won't fully blend without overmixing.

Mixing cold ingredients also risks creating an uneven crumb or even a sunken cake. For best results, take your ingredients out at least two hours before baking to ensure they reach room temperature.

Why Your Pound Cake Cracked

That signature crack is simply pound cake character. It's not unusual for a true pound cake to crack. It's a natural result of the baking process when baking a pound cake. As the batter heats from the edges inward, the center takes longer to set. When the middle finally begins to rise, it breaks through the surface crust, creating the crack. The shape of the bundt pan is also a contributing factor.

Can I use bottled or fresh lemon juice in place of the emulsion?

Fresh lemon juice is best for flavor, but bottled works in a pinch if you want to replace the emulsion with it. It can be tricky using fresh lemon juice in a pound cake. If not used properly, it can cause gluten streaks. See my article here about using baking powder or baking soda in conjunction with acidic ingredients.

More Pound Cakes with Lemon

Want to try this pound cake cream cheese style? Try my Lemon Cream Cheese Pound Cake recipe.

Lemon + Buttermilk create a tender, delicious pound cake. Try my Lemon Buttermilk Pound Cake!

Looking for a Lemon Pound Cake made with fresh lemon juice + lemon jello for an extra lemony pound cake? Try my Cold Oven Lemon Pound Cake recipe!

Want to convert this cake to a loaf cake instead? Read my article here

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