Lemon Cream Cheese Pound Cake

This Lemon Cream Cheese Pound Cake is perfectly dense while still having a tender crumb. I love how the cream cheese keeps this cake moist and the lemon zest gives it a bright, citrus flavor.

Pound cake is so easy to make and it takes almost no time at all to get into the oven. You just throw the ingredients together, pour them into a bundt pan, and then bake.

This is my mother-in-law’s recipe and she makes it almost every time company comes over. When my husband and I visit her, I love waking up in the morning and eating a small piece of cake with breakfast. It’s also easy to customize the flavor based on whatever citrus fruit you have on hand. Lemon, lime, and orange taste amazing with this cake.

I have to warn you, it’s best to make this cake when you have company, so you don’t end up eating the whole thing by yourself.

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Ingredients for Lemon Cream Cheese Pound Cake

• 2 cups (292g) all-purpose flour
• 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
• 2 tsp (8g) baking powder
• ¼ tsp (1.7g) salt
• 1 package (8oz/227g) cream cheese, room temperature
• 2 sticks (226g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 6 large (303g) eggs
• 1 tsp (5g) vanilla extract
• 2 tsp (2g) lemon zest
• Approximately 1 Tbsp (14g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled (for preparing cake pan)
• 1-2 spoons of flour (for preparing cake pan)

Equipment

• Bundt cake pan
• Pastry brush

Preparing the Bundt Pan

Preheat the oven to 350°F/178°C. 

Begin by preparing the bundt pan. Use a pastry brush to cover the inside of the pan with melted butter.  I like to use slightly cooled melted butter because it sticks to the side of the pan a little better than “hot melted butter.” 

Sprinkle a spoon of flour into the pan and lightly coat the butter with flour. 

Be sure to cover all of the “nooks and crannies” of the bundt pan to ensure the cake will easily come out of the pan after baking.  Nobody wants a cake that sticks to the pan.  Place the prepared pan to the side. 

Making the Lemon Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Place butter and cream cheese into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a large bowl if using a hand mixer).  Beat on medium speed until combined.  You might need to scrape down the bowl a couple times to ensure the cream cheese is completely mixed in. 

Next, combine flour with baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.  Set the bowl aside.

Cream together the cream cheese mixture with the granulated sugar on medium speed by adding small amounts of sugar at a time until it is fully incorporated. 

Add eggs two at a time and fully incorporate before adding the next set of eggs. 

Add the flour mixture in 3 additions and mix until just incorporated.  Finish by adding the vanilla and lemon zest.  Mix to combine. 

Baking the Cake

Now, pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan and smooth with a spatula or the back of a spoon.  You can hit the pan on the counter a couple of times to get rid of any air bubbles before baking. 

Next, put the cake in the oven and bake for 50-55 minutes.  Test “doneness” by inserting a toothpick.  If it comes out clean, the cake is baked.  Take the cake out of the oven and let it cool in the pan for 5 minutes before turning it out and letting it cool completely on a wire rack. 

After it cools, put the cake on a beautiful serving plate and eat!  I love the flavor of this cake.  The lemon zest gives it a great lemon flavor and the cream cheese keeps the cake moist.  This cake is amazing on its own, or you can make a quick glaze to pour over the top. 

Store the cake at room temperature in a covered container for 3-4 days. If you add a glaze with dairy (e.g., milk or cream cheese), store in the refrigerator.

More Recipes with Cream Cheese

• Carrot Cake with Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting
• Lemon Cake with Raspberry Cream Cheese Filling
• Award Winning Pumpkin Pie
• Award Winning Pumpkin Carrot Cake
• Classic New York Style Cheesecake