Lemon Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Name: Lemon Cream Cheese Pound Cake
Prep time: 95 min
Total time: 95 min
Yield: 12 servings
Cuisine: desserts
Ingredients: 🧈 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened; 🧀 1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened; 🍚 2 3/4 cups granulated sugar; 🥚 6 large eggs; 🌾 3 cups all-purpose flour; 🧂 1 tsp baking powder; 🧂 1/2 tsp salt; 🍋 2 tbsp lemon zest; 🍋 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice; 🌿 1 tsp vanilla extract

10 November 2025

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10 November 2025

3.8 (36)

total time

servings

350 kcal

calories

Introduction: Why This Lemon Cream Cheese Pound Cake Works

A Lemon Cream Cheese Pound Cake takes the classic, dense, buttery pound cake and elevates it with bright citrus and a silky cream cheese addition that keeps the crumb tender and resilient. This cake balances richness and acidity: the cream cheese contributes moisture, tang, and structure, while lemon zest and juice add lift and freshness. The result is a cake that slices clean, holds up under glaze, and remains moist for days when properly stored. For bakers who love old-fashioned desserts yet want a modern touch, this recipe is ideal. It’s forgiving enough for intermediate home bakers and rewarding for more experienced bakers who want to perfect crumb, rise, and glaze adhesion. The essential technique centers on creaming: by properly creaming butter, cream cheese, and sugar, you incorporate enough air to promote rise without making the texture cakey. The flour is measured carefully, and ingredients are combined in stages to avoid overmixing which will develop gluten and toughen the cake. This introduction will also preview common variations—bundt versus loaf pans, lemon glaze versus simple dusting of powdered sugar, and addition of a light almond extract or poppy seeds for contrast. Baking time and temperature are crucial because the cake’s density means it needs lower heat and longer time to cook through. Throughout the following sections you’ll find clear ingredient measurements, step-by-step technique notes, timing and baking tips, troubleshooting advice for common problems, and suggestions for serving, storage, and small recipe variations so you can adapt the cake for brunch, celebration, or an everyday sweet treat. Whether you want a show-stopping centerpiece or a comforting slice with tea, this lemon cream cheese pound cake delivers consistent, delicious results.

Ingredients: What You Need and Why Each Item Matters

Gathering the right ingredients is the first step toward nailing texture and flavor in a Lemon Cream Cheese Pound Cake. Quality and temperature matter: bring eggs, cream cheese, and butter to room temperature to ensure smooth incorporation and even texture. Here are the key ingredients and the role each plays. Butter: Unsalted butter gives that classic pound cake richness. Using unsalted lets you control salt level; if your butter is salted, reduce added salt slightly. Cream cheese: Adds moisture, tang, and a silkier mouthfeel. Full-fat cream cheese yields the best texture. Granulated sugar: For sweetness and structure. Some recipes blend granulated and confectioners’ sugar; this version uses granulated for proper creaming and golden crust. Eggs: Provide structure and help emulsify the batter. Use large eggs at room temperature. All-purpose flour: The backbone of the cake. Spoon and level flour to avoid packing too much; too much flour yields a dense dry cake. Baking powder and a pinch of baking soda: Provide lift. Because the batter is dense and heavy, you need a small leavening lift to ensure a tender crumb without a domed cake typical of lighter cakes. Lemon zest and lemon juice: Zest carries the essential oils — concentrated lemon flavor — while juice adds acidity and brightness. For maximum lemon impact, zest before juicing. Vanilla extract and an optional pinch of salt: Vanilla balances citrus and enhances sweetness; salt sharpens flavor. Milk or sour cream (optional): A tablespoon or two of milk or sour cream can adjust batter consistency if it seems too thick. Finally, for glaze: confectioners’ sugar, lemon juice, and a bit of milk or cream make a bright, glossy glaze that complements the dense cake. Using fresh lemons and quality dairy will elevate the final product, while precise measuring and ingredient temperature will ensure steady results every bake.

Equipment & Prep: Tools and Preparations for Success

Having the right equipment and prep work done before starting will streamline the baking process and improve final outcomes. For a Lemon Cream Cheese Pound Cake you’ll need a 9x5-inch loaf pan or a 10-cup bundt pan—choose based on the cake shape you prefer. A heavy, sturdy pan promotes even browning. Grease and flour the pan or use a baking spray with flour; for sticky glazes, consider lining a loaf pan with parchment that overhangs for easy removal. A stand mixer with paddle attachment is ideal for creaming butter and cream cheese together; if you don’t own one, a handheld mixer will work, but expect a bit more arm fatigue. A reliable kitchen scale yields the most consistent results—measuring flour and sugar by weight reduces variability more than volume measures. If you use cups, spoon flour into the cup and level with a knife to avoid over-packing. Other useful tools include a microplane for zesting lemons, a fine-mesh sieve for sifting confectioners’ sugar into the glaze, a rubber spatula for folding and scraping the bowl, and an instant-read thermometer to check doneness near the center of the loaf. For timing: an oven thermometer ensures true oven temperature since many household ovens run hot or cold. Preheat the oven at least 20 minutes before baking to stabilize temperature. Room temperature ingredients—butter, cream cheese, and eggs—combine smoothly; to bring them to room temp faster, cut butter into cubes and let sit for 20–30 minutes, or microwave cream cheese in short bursts at low power, checking frequently. If you plan to add a glaze, prepare a cooling rack set over a rimmed baking sheet so excess glaze collects and the cake cools evenly once baked. Finally, plan for resting time: a dense pound cake benefits from a short cooling period in the pan before being inverted and then additional time on a rack before glazing; this prevents glaze from sliding off a hot surface and preserves crumb integrity.

Gathering Ingredients: Fresh Lemon, Quality Dairy, and Pantry Staples

Before you begin mixing, gather everything in one place. This mise en place approach saves time, prevents mistakes, and ensures accurate measuring for a consistent cake. Start with fresh lemons: their zest contains essential oils that are the most concentrated source of lemon aroma. Preferably use thin-skinned lemons for easier zesting and stronger flavor. If lemons are dull or dry, consider using a mix of lemon and a tiny splash of lemon extract to intensify the profile. Next, check your dairy: full-fat cream cheese and unsalted butter yield the best texture and flavor. Avoid low-fat cream cheese, as it can add unwanted wateriness and affect the cake’s structure. Let the cream cheese and butter soften at room temperature so they cream together smoothly. Eggs should be large and at room temperature; cold eggs can cause the batter to curdle during creaming and reduce volume. Measure flour carefully—if using cups, spoon and level rather than scooping directly into the cup, which can pack flour and lead to a dry cake. Pre-measure sugar, baking powder, and salt into small bowls, and zest and juice the lemons, keeping the zest separate. If you plan a glaze, mix confectioners’ sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl and adjust the consistency with milk or additional lemon juice to the desired drizzle thickness. Set aside a fine grater or microplane for zesting, a small sieve for sifting dry ingredients, and a rubber spatula for scraping the bowl. Having a cooling rack and baking sheet ready will let you transfer the cake directly after inverting. Finally, preheat the oven to the specified temperature about 20 minutes before baking so it’s accurate. This preparation stage is as essential as the mixing; rushing or improvising increases the risk of measurement errors and inconsistent results. Mise en place makes the process enjoyable and efficient, and it’s particularly helpful when combining denser cake batters that require quick transitions from mixing to the oven to preserve incorporated air.

Making the Batter: Step-by-Step Creaming, Mixing, and Flavoring

Creating the batter for a Lemon Cream Cheese Pound Cake centers on precise creaming and staged mixing to ensure a fine, tender crumb. Begin by creaming the room-temperature butter and cream cheese together with the granulated sugar. Use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or a handheld mixer; start on low to combine, then increase speed to medium-high and cream until the mixture is light, fluffy, and pale—this can take 3–5 minutes. Proper creaming incorporates air that promotes rise, but avoid overbeating which can cause the batter to collapse during baking. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition to maintain emulsion and incorporate air evenly. Scrape the bowl frequently to ensure uniform mixing. In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Zest the lemons finely and stir zest into the creamed mixture before adding liquid lemon juice—this disperses aromatic oils throughout the fat. Alternate adding the dry ingredients and any liquid (lemon juice and a small amount of milk or sour cream if using) to the creamed mixture in three parts: dry, liquid, dry. This method avoids overmixing and keeps the batter cohesive. Fold gently to combine until just incorporated; you should still see a slightly thick, glossy batter. Finish with vanilla extract and a tablespoon of lemon juice for brightness. If you plan to add poppy seeds or a splash of almond extract, fold them in at the end. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with a spatula. For even baking, tap the pan lightly on the counter to release large air bubbles. If baking in a bundt pan, rotate the pan to distribute batter evenly; for a loaf pan, center the batter. Wipe any excess batter from the edges to prevent uneven browning. From start to oven, the process should be efficient—long pauses can reduce the effectiveness of the creaming and the cake’s final rise. The next section covers oven temperature, bake times, and how to test for doneness to achieve a perfectly baked center and a chewy, golden crust.

Baking and Timing: Temperature, Pan Choice, and Doneness Tips

Baking a dense pound cake requires steady, moderate heat and patience. Preheat your oven to the recommended temperature—typically 325°F (163°C) for denser pound cakes—to allow the center to cook through without overbrowning the exterior. If your oven runs hot, lower the temperature by 10–15°F and bake for a slightly longer period. Use the pan size specified in the recipe: a 9x5-inch loaf pan yields a taller cake with a more pronounced crust, while a 10-cup bundt pan gives an elegant shape and more surface area for glaze. Position the pan on the center rack and, if baking multiple pans, rotate their positions halfway through baking for even browning. Check for doneness beginning around 10 minutes before the minimum bake time using a thin wooden skewer or an instant-read thermometer. A skewer should come out with a few moist crumbs but not raw batter. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should register about 200–205°F (93–96°C) for a pound cake; densers sometimes come out slightly cooler but will firm as they cool. Avoid leaving the cake in the hot pan for too long; cool for 10–15 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto a wire rack—this helps prevent steam from making the crust soggy. If the top browns too quickly, tent loosely with foil midway through baking. For bundt pans, invert onto a rack carefully and allow any steam to escape before glazing. Baking times vary with pan material; dark nonstick pans cook faster, while glass pans slow conduction slightly. Altitude can affect baking time and rise; at higher altitudes, decrease baking powder, slightly increase liquid, and monitor bake time closely. Use visual cues—a golden-brown exterior, slight spring back to gentle touch, and center setness—combined with temperature or skewer checks to judge readiness. Proper cooling before glazing is crucial: glazing a hot cake causes the glaze to slide off; wait until the cake is warm or nearly room temperature so the glaze adheres and forms a pleasant sheen.

Cooling, Glazing, and Final Presentation

How you cool and glaze the Lemon Cream Cheese Pound Cake affects both appearance and flavor balance. After the recommended pan cooling time—usually 10 to 15 minutes—invert the cake onto a wire rack. Allow it to cool until just warm, about 30–45 minutes, before applying glaze; glazing a hot cake can cause the glaze to run off and pool, while a cold cake may cause the glaze to set too quickly and crack. A classic lemon glaze is simple: whisk confectioners’ sugar with freshly squeezed lemon juice until you reach a thick but pourable consistency; add a teaspoon of milk or cream for extra shine if needed. For a silkier finish, add a small amount of softened butter to the glaze and whisk until emulsified. Drizzle the glaze down the center or pour it over the top while moving the rack to create even coverage; let excess glaze drip off. For a more decorative approach, use a piping bag with a small tip for thin zigzags or a spatula for a rustic smear. Garnish with thin lemon slices, candied lemon peel, or a light sprinkle of finely grated lemon zest for visual contrast and an aroma boost. If you prefer a less sweet finish, dust the top with a fine layer of powdered sugar instead of a full lemon glaze. For serving, slice with a sharp serrated knife using a gentle sawing motion to maintain clean edges. This cake pairs beautifully with lightly sweetened whipped cream, fresh berries, or a dollop of mascarpone for a richer presentation. The dense texture allows for neat slices that hold up well for plated desserts or buffets. For a brunch spread, serve slightly warm—about 90–100°F—so the flavors are most pronounced without melting any accompaniments. Presentation tips also include placing slices on neutral-colored plates to highlight the cake’s golden crumb and glaze, and adding a small mint sprig for color contrast. Pair with black tea, Earl Grey, or a bright white wine for a delightful tasting experience.

Storage, Serving Suggestions, and Variations

Proper storage preserves the texture and flavor of your Lemon Cream Cheese Pound Cake for several days. Because the cake contains cream cheese, refrigeration is recommended if your room temperature exceeds 70°F or if you won’t consume the cake within 24 hours. Wrap the cooled cake tightly in plastic wrap or keep it in an airtight container; this prevents the cake from drying out and keeps the glaze intact. Stored at room temperature in an airtight container, the cake will remain good for up to 2 days. Refrigerated, it will last 5 to 7 days. For longer storage, freeze slices individually on a baking sheet, then transfer to a freezer bag; this prevents freezer burn and allows easy thawing. Thaw at room temperature or gently warm slices in a low oven or microwave for a few seconds before serving. Serving suggestions extend beyond simple slices. For brunch, pair with lightly sweetened whipped cream and fresh raspberries. For an afternoon tea, serve thin slices with lemon curd on the side for spreading. Consider a small scoop of vanilla bean ice cream for dessert service, or top slices with macerated strawberries and a drizzle of balsamic reduction for an elegant twist. Variations let you customize the cake to different tastes: add 1–2 tablespoons poppy seeds to the batter for a lemon-poppy cake, stir in 1/2 cup finely chopped toasted almonds for texture, or swap part of the lemon zest for orange zest for a citrus medley. For a more intense lemon profile, fold in a tablespoon of lemon curd into the batter before baking in the center to create a ribbon of lemony jam. To make a lighter loaf, reduce cream cheese slightly and add an extra egg white, but be mindful this will alter crumb structure. For a gluten-free version, use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend tested for baking and monitor moisture—add an extra tablespoon or two of milk if the batter seems too thick. These storage and variation tips help you adapt the recipe to different occasions while keeping the essential balance of richness, tartness, and moistness that defines a successful Lemon Cream Cheese Pound Cake.