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Lemon Yogurt Pound Cake | Easy and moist with lots of lemon flavor.

April 3, 2021 by admin 10 Comments

Sliced pound cake on board with lemons.

Do you catch yourself jonesing for cake in the afternoon? Sometimes, I just NEED cake and this lemon yogurt pound cake fits the bill nicely. No obscure ingredients, easy to whip up and made in a loaf pan. This sunshine-y lemon loaf cake comes out very moist thanks to the greek yogurt. I add lemon flavor two ways: with lots of zest and juice. Lemon zest is one of my favorite ingredients and I love using it in so many recipes. Because of this, my microplane is one of my most used tools (really).

To make lemon yogurt pound cake, you only need basic pantry ingredients.

Jump to Recipe
Bowl of lemons, greek yogurt in measuring cup, vanilla bottle, measuring spoons and a lemon squeezer in blue towel.

What do I usually have in my pantry for baking? All purpose flour, sugar, vanilla, baking soda/powder and salt. I always have a few lemons floating around in my fridge and I keep greek yogurt in stock, too, for breakfast and smoothies. Butter is something I buy in bulk and freeze for long term storage. I love Kerry Gold (salted) for spreading and regular, unsalted sticks for baking. You just have to remember to keep a few sticks in the fridge for immediate use.

The only part of this recipe that requires some extra thought is softening butter! If you forget to soften the butter beforehand, you can try a few methods. There are lots of “hacks” for softening butter but I like this microwave method from Sally’s Baking Addiction. Basically, all you do is heat up some water in the microwave until very hot. Then, cut the stick of butter up into smaller pieces and place the butter in the microwave. Remove the water and shut the door. Ten minutes later, your butter will be at the perfect softened stage!

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The video.

Watch me make it here!

To glaze or not to glaze? Options for add-ins.

Bowl of batter, wet ingredients and dry ingredients. Lemons on a towel.

This lemon yogurt pound cake is perfect without any glaze. But to add even more sweet and sour tartness, I’ve added a simple lemon juice syrup glaze. It soaks into the cake and adds a nice burst of lemon tartness to the top. If you’re a fan of the ubiquitous lemon juice and powdered sugar glaze, go for it! It’s just a tablespoon or so of lemon juice and about a half cup of powdered sugar whisked together. Drizzle it on after the cake has cooled.

Feel like adding your own flair to this cake? Poppyseeds are a classic addition. Two teaspoons will do the trick. Fruit could be good here too. A cup of fresh or frozen fruit like blueberries or raspberries gently folded into the batter is enough. Maybe you’d rather ice this loaf? Cream cheese icing would be very nice on top. Instead of lemon, why not try other citrus like grapefruit, blood oranges or limes? Have fun and experiment with your favorite ingredients and flavors!

Pound cake on board with bowl of lemons.
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5 from 2 votes

Lemon Yogurt Pound Cake

A moist, easy, lemony pound cake made even better with the addition of creamy greek yogurt. An easy dessert for springtime.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Servings 1 loaf

Ingredients

For the Lemon Yogurt Pound Cake

  • 4 ounces (113 g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup (200 g) sugar
  • zest of 1 large lemon (or 2 small lemons)
  • 3 large eggs (Room tempurature, if possible. See notes.)
  • ½ cup (125 g) plain greek yogurt
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1½ cups (200 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt

For the Lemon Glaze

  • 3 tablespoons (45 g) sugar
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed
  • 1 tablespoon water

Method

  • Spray or butter a standard loaf pan. Line with parchment paper, if desired. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
  • To the bowl of a stand mixer, add the butter, sugar and lemon zest. Beat at high speed with the paddle attachment until butter is pale and fluffy (about 5 minutes). Add eggs, one at a time, beating until incorporated.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together yogurt, lemon juice and vanilla. In another small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
  • Mixing by hand with a spatula or wooden spoon, add ⅓ of the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Stir until just mixed in. Now add ½ of the yogurt mixture, stirring in gently. Repeat until all the flour and yogurt has been added.
  • Pour into prepared loaf pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes until lightly golden brown and a wooden skewer or toothpick inserted into the center comes out fairly clean.
  • While cake bakes, make the lemon glaze. In a small saucepan, add the lemon juice, sugar and water. Bring to a gentle boil and simmer over low heat until slightly thickened (about 5 minutes). When cake is done, cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Remove from pan. Pour syrup over, spreading over top with a spoon and allow to cool completely.

Notes

-the lemon yogurt pound cake will keep, covered, for 2 days at room temperature. If keeping for longer, refrigerate, tightly wrapped.
-if lemon syrup glaze thickens too much, add 1/2 teaspoon of water at a time, stirring, until pourable again.
-for best results, make sure to cream butter (step #2) for the full 5 minutes. Room temperature eggs help too. Warm fridge cold eggs in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes.

Pin it.

Lemon yogurt pound cake pinterest pin.

Filed Under: Baking & Desserts, Blog Tagged With: easter baking, easter recipes, lemon desserts, lemon recipe, loaf cake, pound cake, spring baking

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Ada

    April 15, 2021 at 11:22 am

    5 stars
    Lemon desserts are my favorite!!!! I’ll make this recipe this weekend. Thank you!!!!

    Reply
    • admin

      April 15, 2021 at 3:45 pm

      You’re welcome!! I hope you like it.

      Reply
  2. chey

    April 15, 2021 at 11:30 am

    Absolutely love this cake! I buy it all the time. Now I have the recipe:). I also love it with the glaze, I find it makes it burst with flavour.

    Reply
    • admin

      April 15, 2021 at 3:46 pm

      Love the extra lemony-ness too! 🙂

      Reply
  3. Tara

    April 15, 2021 at 11:46 am

    I love all things lemon – can’t wait to try it! The Greek yogurt sounds like a great idea!

    Reply
    • admin

      April 15, 2021 at 3:46 pm

      Greek yogurt makes it really moist! I hope you try it!

      Reply
  4. Sierra

    April 15, 2021 at 7:19 pm

    Looks delicious and simple! Love the video!

    Reply
  5. Michelle

    April 16, 2021 at 2:45 pm

    5 stars
    I love that butter trick! I’m going to have to try it!! This recipe looks delicious!

    Reply
  6. SHARON McILROY

    June 1, 2021 at 5:13 am

    Have you ever substituted Lemoncello (a liqueur) rather than your lemon glaze?

    Reply
    • admin

      June 1, 2021 at 10:02 am

      Hello! No, I have not ever used limoncello but I think it sounds delicious! Definitely try it. Let me know how it turns out.

      Reply

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