Iced Lemon Pound Cake

This Iced Lemon Pound Cake is sweet and tart and tender and irresistible. It's like sunshine baked in a loaf pan, and I always want another piece.

March is a fickle month around the world, but in Scotland, it can take you from beautiful, sunny days to below freezing with winds cutting to the bone in a matter of days. We can feel the promise of Spring in the air as the days grow longer and color returns to the earth. We know it's coming, we just don't know when.

So as a kitchen witch, I turn to sunny flavors like citrus to bring reliable Spring vibes into my life. We certainly can't depend on the weather, but we can depend on the bright and vibrant scent of oranges, lemons, limes, and other citrus fruits. It's the antidote to grey, windy March days.

What makes this Iced Lemon Pound Cake so awesome?

This Iced Lemon Pound Cake packs a seriously lemony punch with the flavor tart lemon coming through three ways. The tender pound cake is infused with lemon zest. It's also made with yogurt and oil, which keeps it moist for days. Then while the cake is cooling, it gets soaked in a lemon syrup to help it soak up even more sunny flavor. Finally, it's doused in a simple lemon glaze to make it truly awesome.

This cake is elegant and simple, perfect for dessert at a party or a simple afternoon treat with a pot of tea. There's basically no time I wouldn't want to eat this. And lemon is loved by so many people. Almost everyone gets excited about lemon cake. It's the perfect way to bring joyful vibes to any gathering.

Magical Properties of Lemons

Though lemons certainly make me feel sunny, they're actually most commonly associated with the moon, as well as feminine or receptive energy and the element of water. Of course, your intuitive connection is always most powerful. All citrus fruits have cleansing properties, so use lemons in spells for purification, clarity, and rejuvenation. They can also be used to call in longevity, happiness, and strength.

For more on the magical properties of the ingredients in this recipe, check the Kitchen Magick page.

Ingredients

Here's everything you'll need to make this cake. The full details are in the recipe card belowl

• Flour - all-purpose or plain
• Baking powder
• Salt - I use fine sea salt
• Yogurt - For this you want a plain yogurt, but not Greek yogurt. You want the runny stuff. The higher protein content in thicker yogurts will make your cake more tough.
• Sugar - Caster sugar or granulated sugar
• Eggs
• Lemons - You're using the zest and the juice.
• Vanilla extract
• Vegetable oil - Your preferred neutral flavored oil
• Powdered sugar - aka icing sugar or confectioner's sugar

Tips for making Iced Lemon Pound Cake

I'm happy to say that you don't need to unpack your electric mixer to make this cake. There are two bowls, but it's definitely not complicated. It's a simple method of combining dry ingredients and wet ingredients separately, then bringing the two together. This cake is made with plain yogurt. That's how we're keeping things so tender. Finally we fold in some vegetable oil, then bake.

While the cake is baking, you're going to heat up a simple lemon syrup. Once the cake is out of the oven, slowly pour this syrup over the cake. Let it seep in as the cake cools.

The literal icing on the cake is the lemon glaze on top. It's a simple mix of powdered sugar and lemon juice. You can make yours as thick or thin as you like. Just drizzle it on and let it drip. Gravity does all the work.

Sunshine is unpredictable, but Iced Lemon Pound Cake is always awesome. I hope you give it a try.

Looking for more awesome loaf cake recipes? Try this Lemon & Blackberry Pound Cake or a simple Madeira Cake.

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Recipe slightly adapted from Ina Garten.