Lemon Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Lemon Cream Cheese Pound Cake is moist, soft, and buttery with a bright lemon flavor that melts in your mouth. This recipe comes straight from my mother, who often baked this or a classic sour cream pound cake as her go-to dessert. For years, I thought those were the only pound cake recipes that existed—until this one became a family favorite.

Ingredients

Cake

• 2 cups (8 oz) cake flour

• ½ scant teaspoon salt

• 8 oz unsalted butter, room temperature (omit salt if using salted butter)

• 8 oz cream cheese, softened

• 2 cups (14 oz) granulated sugar

• 6 large eggs, separated, room temperature

• 2 teaspoons lemon zest and 1 teaspoon lemon oil
  (or substitute 2 tablespoons lemon zest)

• 1 ½ teaspoons poppy seeds (optional)

Glaze

• 1 teaspoon butter

• ⅔ cup powdered sugar

• 5–6 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Directions

1. Prepare the pan
   Preheat oven to 325°F (165°C). Spray a light-colored tube pan or a 12-cup (10-inch) Bundt pan with flour-added cooking spray.

2. Mix dry ingredients
   Combine cake flour and salt. If using poppy seeds, stir them into the flour mixture.

3. Cream butter and sugar
   In a stand mixer, beat the butter, cream cheese, and sugar for 5–8 minutes, scraping down the sides as needed. Add the egg yolks and beat for 2 minutes more. Mix in lemon zest and lemon oil.

4. Add dry ingredients
   Stir (do not beat) the flour mixture into the batter until just combined.

5. Beat egg whites
   In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Gently fold them into the batter.

6. Bake
   Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 60–80 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean or with moist crumbs (internal temperature should be about 210°F). Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert onto a rack to cool completely.

7. Make the glaze
   Melt the butter in a microwave-safe cup. Stir in powdered sugar, then add lemon juice a teaspoon at a time until the glaze is thin enough to drizzle. Pour over cooled cake.

Notes

• Baking time can vary depending on the pan. Darker pans bake faster, while lighter or thicker pans may take up to 90 minutes.

• If using a stand mixer with only one bowl, beat the egg whites first with the whisk attachment, transfer to another bowl, then continue the recipe with the paddle attachment.

• For extra lemon flavor, add a touch more zest to the glaze.