Lemon-Curd Pound Cake
This lemon-curd pound cake is rich, buttery, and perfectly moist, with a bright swirl of tangy lemon curd baked right into the batter. Dense yet tender, it’s an easy, bakery-worthy pound cake that’s ideal for brunch, dessert, or an afternoon treat—especially in spring and summer.
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup milk or sour cream room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Zest of 1 lemon
- ½ cup lemon curd store-bought or homemade
- Powdered sugar or lemon glaze for topping (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease and flour a loaf or bundt pan.
- In a bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
- Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 3–4 minutes.
- Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- Add lemon zest and vanilla extract.
- Add dry ingredients alternately with milk or sour cream, mixing just until combined.
- Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan.
- Spoon lemon curd evenly over the batter.
- Add remaining batter and gently swirl with a knife.
- Bake 60–70 minutes, tenting loosely with foil if browning too quickly.
- Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.
- Cool completely before slicing.
- Dust with powdered sugar or drizzle with lemon glaze if desired.
Notes
- Use room-temperature ingredients for the smoothest batter.
- Avoid over-swirling the lemon curd to keep defined ribbons.
- For clean slices, let the cake cool fully before cutting.