Limoncello Pound Cake Lemon (Printable)

Moist pound cake infused with Limoncello and topped with a tangy lemon glaze, perfect for sweet occasions.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pound Cake

01 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
02 - 2 cups granulated sugar
03 - 4 large eggs, room temperature
04 - 1/4 cup Limoncello liqueur
05 - 1/4 cup whole milk, room temperature
06 - 2 tablespoons freshly grated lemon zest
07 - 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
08 - 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
09 - 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
10 - 1/2 teaspoon salt

→ Lemon Glaze

11 - 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
12 - 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
13 - 1 tablespoon Limoncello liqueur
14 - Extra lemon zest for topping, optional

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9x5-inch loaf pan or bundt pan.
02 - In a large bowl, cream together softened butter and granulated sugar until pale and fluffy, approximately 3 to 4 minutes.
03 - Add eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition.
04 - Stir in lemon zest, Limoncello, lemon juice, and milk until well combined.
05 - In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
06 - Gradually add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, mixing just until incorporated.
07 - Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth the top surface.
08 - Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
09 - Allow cake to cool in pan for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
10 - Whisk powdered sugar with lemon juice and Limoncello until smooth and pourable in consistency.
11 - Drizzle glaze over cooled cake and top with extra lemon zest if desired. Allow glaze to set before slicing and serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It stays moist for days because of the Limoncello, and honestly, it somehow tastes better the next morning.
  • The glaze is thin enough to soak in but still gives you that satisfying sharp-sweet coating that makes people ask for seconds.
  • You can make it without alcohol by swapping extra lemon juice, though fair warning—it loses some of its mysterious depth.
02 -
  • Overmixing the batter after adding flour is the number one mistake—you'll end up with a tough, dense cake that tastes fine but feels wrong in your mouth.
  • Room temperature ingredients really do matter here; cold eggs and milk won't emulsify properly and you'll get a grainy, separated texture no amount of mixing fixes.
03 -
  • Use a microplane zester instead of a box grater for lemon zest; you'll get fine, fluffy zest instead of wet clumps that don't distribute evenly through the batter.
  • If your kitchen is cool, let the glazed cake set at room temperature rather than rushing it into the fridge, which can make the glaze grainy and dull.
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