Limoncello Pound Cake Lemon (Printable)

A moist, tangy pound cake infused with Limoncello and finished with a bright lemon glaze.

# What You Need:

→ Pound Cake

01 - 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2 teaspoons baking powder
03 - ½ teaspoon salt
04 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
05 - 2 cups granulated sugar
06 - 4 large eggs, room temperature
07 - 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
08 - ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
09 - ⅓ cup Limoncello liqueur
10 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
11 - ½ cup whole milk, room temperature

→ Lemon Glaze

12 - 1 ½ cups powdered sugar, sifted
13 - 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
14 - 1 tablespoon Limoncello liqueur, optional
15 - 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

# Step-by-Step:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 10-cup Bundt pan or standard loaf pan.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, approximately 3 to 4 minutes.
04 - Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in lemon zest, lemon juice, Limoncello, and vanilla extract.
05 - Alternate adding flour mixture and milk to the batter, starting and ending with flour. Mix until just combined without overmixing.
06 - Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth the top surface.
07 - Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
08 - Cool cake in pan for 15 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.
09 - Whisk together powdered sugar, lemon juice, Limoncello if using, and zest until smooth and pourable.
10 - Drizzle glaze over cooled cake. Allow to set before slicing.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It's surprisingly moist for a pound cake, thanks to the Limoncello and milk working together to keep every bite tender and never dry.
  • The lemon glaze adds just the right amount of shine and tartness without making the cake taste like pucker—it's balanced and sophisticated.
  • You can make it ahead and it actually tastes better the next day when flavors have had time to settle.
02 -
  • Room temperature ingredients are not a suggestion—eggs and milk at room temp emulsify properly into the creamed butter and sugar, while cold ingredients can cause the batter to break and the final cake to be dense or have an unpleasant texture.
  • Do not overmix once you add the flour mixture, because stirring vigorously develops gluten and turns your tender pound cake into something tough; mix until ingredients just disappear, then stop.
03 -
  • If your Bundt pan is vintage or nonstick is worn, grease it more aggressively or use a nonstick spray—a stuck cake is a heartbreak you can prevent with 15 seconds of extra attention.
  • Make extra glaze and drizzle it over vanilla ice cream, yogurt, or use it to dress up a simple sponge cake if you're experimenting—it keeps in the refrigerator for a week.
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