Lemon Pound Cake
A proper vegetarian built around unsalted butter, softened, butter for greasing the pan and cake flour — roughly 70 minutes start to finish, and rated medium to make. Scroll down for the ingredient checklist, a serving scaler and unit converter, and the method broken into 7 steps.
You'll mainly reach for oven and pan. At medium difficulty across 7 steps, it's manageable with a little attention. As written, it's meat-free.
What you'll need
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
Diet: vegetarian — no meat or fish, based on every ingredient listed below.
Contains: Gluten Dairy Egg
Allergen labels are informational and may not cover cross-contact; verify every package and consult a qualified professional for medical dietary needs. Diet labels are derived from the ingredient list on this page — how we verify diet and allergen labels.
Food-safety and allergen information is general, not medical advice. Follow current guidance from your local food-safety authority, verify product labels, and seek qualified advice for allergies or health conditions.
How to make it
- Heat the oven to 165 C (325 F) and position a rack in the centre. Grease a 23 by 13 cm loaf pan with butter, then dust it evenly with flour and tap out any excess.
- Whisk the cake flour, baking powder and salt together in a bowl and set aside.
- Beat the softened butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium-high for about 4 minutes until pale and fluffy, then beat in the lemon zest.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each and scraping down the bowl, then mix in the lemon juice and vanilla; the batter may look slightly curdled, which is fine.
- On low speed, add the flour mixture in three additions alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with flour, and mix only until just combined to keep the crumb tender.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and bake for 55 to 65 minutes until golden and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
- Cool the cake in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack and cool completely before slicing.
You'll use: Oven · Pan · Whisk · Mixer
Ingredient substitutions
- Butter
- olive oil (¾ the amount) · coconut oil · margarine
- Eggs
- ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce (baking) · 1 tbsp ground flax + 3 tbsp water per egg
- Lemon
- lime · 1 tbsp white wine vinegar per lemon
- Milk
- any unsweetened plant milk · ½ cup evaporated milk + ½ cup water
Tips & common questions
How long does Lemon Pound Cake take to make?
About 70 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 7 steps and 12 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of butter?
Try olive oil (¾ the amount). See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
Is Lemon Pound Cake vegetarian?
Its ingredients contain no meat, fish or shellfish, so it is suitable for vegetarians. Check any cheese for animal rennet if that matters to you.
Related recipes
Adapted recipe — rewritten in our own wording from an open-licensed community cookbook, not yet independently kitchen-tested by Consomee. How we source, test & correct recipes.
Lemon Pound Cake is adapted by Consomee from the Wikibooks Cookbook, rewritten in our own wording and used under CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo: Glazed lemon pound cake in basket.jpg by www.WorthTheWhisk.com, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure — how we source recipes.