Moist Lemon or Orange Pound Loaf, a wonderful soft and delicious cake using freshly squeezed juice and zest. Bake in a loaf or bundt pan. You choose!
This Moist Lemon or Orange pound, loaf cake is absolutely delicious!
The cake texture is not quite as dense as a regular pound cake, but a little fluffier, and the sponge is soft and moist.
For this recipe, you can make this pound/loaf cake using lemons or oranges, or even split and do a combination of lemon and orange if you prefer.
This site contains affiliate links. I may receive a commission for purchases made through these links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. For more information, check Privacy Policy.
I've used my basic Vanilla pound cake recipe and simply switched a few flavors and added the lemon or orange syrup to give it a lovely extra hit of citrus after baking.
This moist lemon or orange pound loaf cake is a perfect addition to an English Afternoon Tea, or to have a slice with a morning coffee. You can take to a picnic, or add a slice to a lunch box. I've taken this cake to my previous job several times and everyone in the office always raved about it and asked me to make it so many times. It was definitely a favorite!
We've got a huge variety of delicious pound cake recipes so be sure to check them out. There's a flavor for everyone!
Once you've tried this recipe, I am sure you will make it time and time again. After spending many years searching for a good 'pound' cake that wasn't dry, or flavorless, I decided to experiment and make my own recipe up with different flavor combinations to see if I could really get a moist cake.
Check out our handy Oven Temperature Conversion Guide!
This recipe for lemon or orange pound loaf cake uses fresh ingredients. So make sure you use fresh orange or lemon juice and zest. it really does make a difference to the flavor!
This is lovely served with some of our lemon whipped cream. It takes minutes to make and is a lovely pairing.
If you're looking for a few recipes to make for an Afternoon Tea, try our Traditional English Tea Loaf. It's always popular and really easy to make too!
If you enjoy lemon cakes, why not try our delicious Lemon Steamed Cake. It's made in the steamer or multi-cooker (like Instant pot) and so fluffy! If you wanted to make an orange flavor steamed cake, just swap the lemon ingredients for orange and you're good to go!
The recipe I am sharing is for you to make either a lemon or orange-flavored cake. So just choose the option for either from the ingredients below!
So here's the recipe, and enjoy!
Ingredients
The Cake Batter
225 g or 1 ¾ cups Plain / All purpose flour (sieved)
2 Teaspoons baking powder
¼ Teaspoon salt
175 g or ¾ cup softened butter
200 g or 1 cup regular sugar
⅔ Cup or 150 ml Milk
2 Large eggs (lightly beaten)
Grated Zest and Juice of 1 Lemon or ½ Orange
The Syrup
(The syrup is optional but gives the cake an extra hit of orange or lemon)
1 Tablespoon regular sugar (you can reduce the amount if you don't want it too sweet)
1 ½ tablespoons warm water
zest of 1 lemon (or 1 orange)
juice of 1 lemon (or ½ orange)
NOTES
Depending on how much your cake has risen and what size pan you have used, make up the whole recipe for the syrup, but be prepared you may only need half of it. The smaller your cake, the less syrup you will need.
Instructions
1. Heat oven to 170C, 325F. Grease and line your baking tin. See here for how to line a pan.
** Please note, if using a Bundt tin, be sure to grease it very well as it can be hard to get the cake out of such a shaped tin.
2. Get all your ingredients ready, i.e zest and juice the lemon/orange, sieve the flour and add the salt and baking powder to the flour etc.
3. Start with making the cake batter by creaming the butter and sugar until a pale light color.
4. Slowly add the beaten eggs to the mixer, on a low-speed setting, a bit at a time. If the mixture starts to curdle or split, add a spoonful of your sieved flour, keep on adding the eggs, and a bit of flour if necessary until all the eggs are added.
5. Add half the milk with half of the flour, keeping the mixer on a slow speed. Once combined, add the lemon/orange juice, and zest, the rest of the milk and flour.
6 Transfer the cake mixture to the greased and lined loaf tin, then place in the oven for 1 hr to 1 hr and 5 minutes, check after 1 hour.
***** Please note, if using a Bundt tin, cook time is about 45 minutes.
(In this photo below I added a handful of cranberries to the mix too!) Feel free to add some nuts, such as pecans or walnuts, dried fruit etc. You only need a handful).
7. Have a cup of tea!
8. Now make the syrup by adding all the ingredients to a small saucepan, (or use a bowl and microwave for 1 -2 minutes) heat through until the sugar is dissolved. Put aside.
9. When the cake is done, take it out of the oven and leave in the cake tin until cool. Using a skewer, prick holes all over the top of the cake, pushing the skewer through to the bottom of the cake.
Gently pour the syrup mixture all over the surface of the cake, distributing evenly. The liquid will be quickly absorbed by the cake. The syrup will keep the cake moist and also give it a nice glossy shine, with sprinklings of zest on the top.
If you think there is too much syrup for your cake, don't use all of it. Often it will depend on the size of your cake, how much it has risen, what size loaf pan you have used. I used a large loaf pan, so needed all the syrup.
Allow to cool. Store in an airtight container.
If you'd like to add a Lemon Buttercream Frosting to make this fancy, for example to make a birthday cake, we can recommend this one from The Kitchen Is My Playground.
We'd love to hear from you and what you thought of our Moist Lemon or Orange Pound, Loaf Cake recipe. Did you make any changes or add some other goodies? Let us know in the comments below. Thanks for reading and happy cooking!
Recipe Card
Moist Lemon or Orange Pound Loaf Cake
Moist Lemon or Orange Pound Loaf, a wonderful soft and delicious cake using freshly squeezed juice and zest. Bake in a loaf or bundt pan. You choose!
Ingredients
- The Cake Batter:
- 225 g or 1 ¾ cups Plain / All purpose flour (sieved)
- 2 Teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ Teaspoon salt
- 175 g or ¾ cup softened butter
- 200 g or 1 cup regular sugar
- ⅔ Cup or 150 ml Milk
- 2 Large eggs (lightly beaten)
- Grated Zest and Juice of 1 Lemon or ½ Orange
- The Syrup:
- optional but gives the cake an extra hit of orange or lemon
- 1 Tablespoons regular sugar, you can reduce amount if you don't want it too sweet
- 1 ½ tablespoons warm water
- zest of 1 lemon, or 1 orange
- juice of 1 lemon, or ½ orange
Instructions
- Heat oven to 170C, 325F. Grease and line your baking tin.
- ** Please note, if using a Bundt tin, be sure to grease it very well as it can be hard to get the cake out of such a shaped tin.
- Get all your ingredients ready, i.e zest and juice the lemon / orange, sieve the flour, and add the salt and baking powder to the flour etc.
- Start with making the cake batter by creaming the butter and sugar until a pale light colour.
- Slowly add the beaten eggs to the mixer, on a low speed setting, a bit at a time. If the mixture starts to curdle or split, add a spoonful of your sieved flour, keep on adding the eggs, and a bit of flour if necessary, until all the eggs are added.
- Add half the milk with half of the flour, keeping the mixer on a slow speed. Once combined, add the lemon / orange juice, and zest, the rest of the milk and flour.
- Transfer the cake mixture to the greased and lined loaf tin. Place in the oven for 1 hr to 1 hr and 5 minutes, check after 1 hour.
***** Please note, if using a Bundt tin, cook time is about 40 minutes.
Have a cup of tea!
8. Now make the syrup by adding all the ingredients to a small saucepan, (or use a bowl and microwave for 1 -2 minutes) heat through until the sugar is dissolved. Put aside.
9. When the cake is done, take it out of the oven and leave in the cake tin until cool. Using a skewer, prick holes all over the top of the cake, pushing the skewer through to the bottom of the cake.
Gently pour the syrup mixture all over the surface of the cake, distributing evenly.
The liquid will be quickly absorbed by the cake.
The syrup will keep the cake moist and also give it a nice glossy shine, with sprinklings of zest on the top.
If you think there is too much syrup for your cake, don't use all of it. Often it will depend on the size of your cake, how much it has risen, what size loaf pan you have used.
I used a large loaf pan, so needed all the syrup.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
-
Plastic Rectangular Bread Box with Portable Handle 13inch Translucent Cake Container Box for Dry or Fresh Foods Loaf Cake Keeper (Pink) -
Nordic Ware 90248 Citrus Blossom Loaf, One Size, Copper -
Wilton Perfect Results Non-Stick Mini Loaf Pan, 8-Cavity -
Wilton 2105-6806 Perfect Results Large Nonstick Loaf Pan, 9.25 by 5.25-Inch, Silver -
MEYKISS Cake Tester, Stainless Steel Cake Tester Probe Skewer Kitchen Baking Tools, Set of 2 -
Walfos Nonstick Silicone Bread and Loaf Pan Set of 2, BPA Free ! Without Chemical Coating，Just Pop Out! Easy release and baking mold for Homemade Cakes, Breads, Meatloaf and quiche. -
Honey-Can-Do 2592 Paper Loaf Pan, 25-Pack, 8-Inches x 2.5-Inches x 2-Inches -
KitchenAid KSM150PSER Artisan Tilt-Head Stand Mixer with Pouring Shield, 5-Quart, Empire Red -
Etekcity Digital Kitchen Scale Weight Grams and Oz for Baking and Cooking, Stainless Steel(Upgraded)
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10 Serving Size: 10 ServingsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 401Total Fat: 19gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 105mgSodium: 346mgCarbohydrates: 55gFiber: 2gSugar: 31gProtein: 6g
Loaf Cake Recipes
Here's a delicious selection of pound or loaf cake recipes for you to enjoy
Tiramisu Pound Cake, a soft and delicious pound cake with all the flavors of a Tiramisu! It's even got a mascarpone frosting. This will go fast so be sure to make two!
Peach Pound Cake with Raspberry Swirl. A delicious recipe bursting with sweet peaches and a tangy raspberry swirl running through. Soft, moist and perfect with a morning coffee or to take to friends! If you are a fan of pound cakes and peaches, then this one is for you.
A simple, easy chocolate loaf cake recipe is moist, rich and chocolatey. Perfect for new cooks and is a go to basic recipe
Caribbean Rum Cake, an easy delicious recipe! The cake is soft and moist, packed with rum infused raisins and makes for a great Christmas time cake.
Strawberry Pound Cake. A delicious recipe bursting with fresh strawberries. Soft, moist and perfect with a morning coffee or to take to friends!
Easy Lemon French Yogurt Cake. Delicious tangy lemon, soft and moist, incredibly easy made from scratch cake recipe, great as a tea time snack
Coffee Pecan Pound Cake is a lovely tasting, moist cake with a perfect combination of coffee flavor and texture from the pecans.
Coffee Walnut Sandwich Cake.
The best coffee and walnut cake, a classic British afternoon tea cake, layers of soft and fluffy coffee cake with chopped walnuts throughout, adds a great flavor and texture, frosted with coffee cream cheese frosting. Instructions to make using round or loaf pans
Easy Strawberry French Yogurt Cake.
Delicious juicy strawberries, soft and moist, incredibly easy made from scratch cake recipe, great as a tea time snack
Moist Vanilla Pound, Loaf Cake is such a wonderful tasting cake, soft, and delicious!
Easy Blueberry and Lemon Crumble Cake.
Deliciously soft & moist cake packed with blueberries and a hint of lemon. Topped with a crumble topping. Easiest simple cake recipe ever!
Easy Raspberry Pound Cake. A delicious classic pound cake recipe bursting with fresh raspberries. Soft, moist and tangy sweet. Topped with a simple chocolate topping. Easy to follow instructions
Coconut and Lime Pound Cake, a deliciously soft coconut cake with a splash of tangy lime.
Moist Coconut PoundCake Recipe. Light, soft, and oh sooooo delicious!
Blueberry Coconut Pound Cake, a deliciously soft coconut cake with a sprinkling of juicy blueberries.
Easy Cranberry and White Chocolate Pound Cake. This is a delicious soft and moist pound cake with a wonderful white chocolate flavor and added lovely cranberries. Freezer friendly and easy to make. Perfect for Thanksgiving and Christmas
Moist Pecan Almond Loaf Cake. The flavor combo is just divine!
Easy Cinnamon Swirl Loaf. A moist, soft, and delicious tasting loaf cake, perfect with a morning coffee! This is a wonderful no yeast, quick bread recipe, full of flavor, soft and fluffy, and really easy to make too.
Moist Caramel and Apple Loaf .... ABSOLUTELY Delicious!
Easy Cranberry and Orange Carrot Cake! A delicious cake made from scratch with a simple orange glaze. Fluffy, soft and bursting with the flavors! Perfect breakfast, brunch or to have with a coffee!
Blueberry Lemon Pound Cake, a delicious soft and moist loaf bursting with juicy blueberries! Perfect with a cup of tea
Moist Coffee Loaf Cake! This is an absolutely delicious soft, moist cake, easy to make and goes perfect with a lovely cup of coffee too!
Banana and Walnut Loaf Cake. A delicious, very easy and moist cake, and smells so good when it's baking too!
Lemon and Poppy Seed Loaf.
This is truly a delightful cake. The flavors are gentle, the cake is soft and moist and of course, looks so pretty with the addition of poppy seeds sprinkled throughout the cake
Moist Chocolate Almond Pound Cake. Delicious, rich chocolate cake with added melted chocolate and ground almonds to take this cake to another level of deliciousness!
Spiced Pecan Carrot Cake! This has got to be the World's best carrot cake.
Fluffy, soft and bursting with the flavors of Fall! Perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas holidays!
Dolly's Chocolate Chip Cake. Very easy recipe and a family favorite. Makes two loaves so perfect for gifts or freezing too.
Mai
says:I made this last night it tasted very nice ?
But it took less than an hour to be cooked ,
Thanks for the recipe
Alina
says:Gosh this loaf looks absolutely delicious and i am dying to give it a go. Though i was thinking of replacing milk with yoghurt as i like its taste and texture better . Can you recomment the amount of baking soda i should be adding in that case?
Lovefoodies
says:Hi Alina, Thanks for writing in. I haven’t tried this recipe using yoghurt so I’m afraid I can’t say what quantities you need for the baking soda. The milk I use does give it a good texture and moistness. So hopefully you will give it a go as per the recipe. Thanks!
Wendy
says:Love lemon anything! Is the flour measured before or after sifting?
Lovefoodies
says:Hi Wendy, the flour is always measured before sifting. Hope that helps! It’s a delicious cake so please do enjoy!
Nitsa
says:I like the dual measurements. If I see a recipe in grams I keep going,I do not have the time o convert.Your gr and cups makes it so easy.
THANKS
Diane Warren
says:What size loaf pan / bundt pan did you use? The recipe looks like it would not be enough for a bundt pan. It looks delicious and I’d like to try it but would like to use the correct pans so I don’t have a disaster. Thanks.
Lovefoodies
says:Hi Diane, the batter will fit any pan around 9 – 10 inches (including a bundt pan. The photos you see of the loaf and bundt in the recipe were done using a 9 inch loaf/9 inch bundt. Hope that helps! It is a delicious cake so please do try it soon!
katerina
says:I made it for my mother s birthday. OWESOME!!!
A big THANK YOU from Greece!
Lovefoodies
says:Yay! Hi Katerina! So glad you enjoyed the recipe and sending special Birthday Wishes to your mother too!
katerina
says:Thanks lovefoodies!
kim
says:I almost made the same mistake Beryl…..300 for gas stove and 320 degree for electric stove. Please try it again,this a great pound cake recipe !
chrissy teele
says:Made this tonight and it was the best!!!! The lemon wasn’t over bearing at all. Definitely a new family favorite!!!!
Lovefoodies
says:Hi Chrissy! Thanks for writing in! So glad you enjoyed the recipe. It’s one of our favorites!
Beryl
says:I have made this cake twice now & had two complete failures – followed the recipe to the letter but the cake stayed a gooey mess after the recommended cooking time. Is 300 deg F the correct temperature & is the flour quantity of 1 & 3/4 cups correct! It looks so good in the picture.
lovefoodies
says:Hi Beryl, I am very sorry to hear that the cake is not turning out right. I honestly do nit know why that is, since I have made this so many times, it is one of my basic pound cake recipes which is a ‘keeper’. The oven temp and measures for the ingredients are all correct, so I am wondering if perhaps it just needs to stay in your oven a little longer than stated in the recipe. The oven temperature is lower than your ‘average’ pound cake recipe, simply to keep the cake tender and soft, but of course not soggy as you describe. What I would suggest is if you are willing to have another go, keep the ingredients and temp as normal, but simply extend the cook time. I am sorry it hasn’t worked because this really is a lovely cake.
Thanks very much for your feedback.
Beryl
says:It looks so good perhaps I will give it another try!!!! I put an oven thermometer in last time to make sure the oven was correct & it was – the mixture is quite loose when I put it in the load tin – the edges are quite delicious – tried leaving it longer in the oven last time put the edges burned & the middle was soggy & heavy – perhaps it doesn’t work in Canada lol!!! Joking aside I will give it another go!!!!!
lovefoodies
says:I think you could perhaps try halving the milk quantity if you say the oven thermometer is correct, and see if that solves the problem Beryl? On another note, with the edges getting too brown, I always line my loaf pan to help protect the bake, I don’t know if you tried that also?
But anyway, please do let me know if you do get a chance to try again! and thank you for your perseverance!!
Beryl
says:I did, in fact, line my tin & it was only the top edges – anyway I will certainly try your suggestion & thank you so much for following up for me – you know the old saying “if at first you don’t succeed try, try, try again” !!!!!! I will certainly let you know how I fair.
Beryl
says:Eureka!!!!!!! Just used yoghurt instead of milk & upped the oven temperature to 325 F perfect!!!! The family said best lemon cake ever!!!!!! Thank you for the recipe & the advice – it’s a keeper
lovefoodies
says:Wooooohoooo! Oh Beryl! That is fantastic news to hear! I am so glad you were able to try the recipe again. The changes you made seemed to do the trick. I am still scratching my head as to why the original recipe wasn’t coming out right for you, but the main thing is that you were able to fix it so it worked! I am so happy to read about your cake! How wonderful! Thanks so much for persevering and also letting me know!
Maria
says:Thx for the wonderful recipe
I made it the other day for my son classroom and everybody love it
And ask for the recepie
Thanx again
lovefoodies
says:Hi Maria, I’m so happy they enjoyed the cake and wanted the recipe too!
Thanks so much for letting me know, I appreciate you taking the time to give your feedback. Have a super weekend and happy baking!
Ana Luisa Hering
says:As I’ve tried the coconut pound cake AND the vanila with amazing results, i tried this one. DELICIOUS!!! I just did something a bit different from the recipe in that I tripled the amount of syrup, let it grow thicker in the heat and poured over the individual slices for extra moisture. Divine !!! Thank you again for a fantastic recipe !!!
lovefoodies
says:Hi Ana, oh my goodness, that syrup trick sounds like a cheeky little thing to do with pouring it over the slices. I bet that must have tasted so good too!!
I’m glad you’re enjoying all the pound cake recipes. I am sure you will know there are lots of different ones I have made, There’s also a yummy lemon poppy seed one which you might like, but please do take a look here, I made a little gallery of all my pound cakes (and other cakes) so if you ever fancy trying some new ones, you are most welcome to try them all! https://lovefoodies.com/baked-cakes.html
Have a wonderful weekend and thanks very much for your feedback!
Ana Luisa Hering
says:Thank you for the link :) Unfortunately, I won’t be able to make the lemon poppy seed cake. Poppy seeds are not sold in my country for they’re considered illegal (they see them as addictive as an opiate… ) I know, stupid, specially because the amount is so minute. Nevertheless, I will have a look at the link you suggested! Now that I know pound cakes do not have to be dry blocks of cement, I’m hooked ;)
lovefoodies
says:Hi Ana, gosh, I was not aware that poppy seeds were illegal in some countries! (I say swap the seeds for some lovely sultanas!) There’s always an alternative :)
Have a great day!
Aukje
says:This was so delicious, my God. I’ve made it several times (without the syrup. I’ve made a little variation on it too, where I also added dried coconut ? Thanks for sharing this great recipe!
lovefoodies
says:Hi Aukje, thanks for your feedback. The cake certainly doesn’t ‘need’ the syrup for moistness etc, as it is nice as it is, but some do like to add a drizzle!!
If you like coconut, I also have another recipe similar to this one which I think you will find yummy, It is simply called Coconut Pound Cake, and for this one, I do recommend pouring the coconut milk at the end, it is so delicious, I hope you like it as much as I do! Here is the recipe if you’d like to take a look. https://lovefoodies.com/moist-coconut-pound–loaf-cake.html
Aukje
says:I will definitely make that one too, soon. Maybe for easter. One lemon and one coconut. ?
lovefoodies
says:oh gosh! I will come and visit if you are making both!!
Have a lovely Easter :)
Aukje
says:This was so delicious, my God. I’ve made it several times (without the syrup. I’ve made a little variation on it too, where I also added dried coconut ? Thanks for sharing this great recipe!
Laurie
says:Have you tried making this ahead of time and freezing it?
lovefoodies
says:Hi Laurie,
yes Indeed! All of my loaf cakes are freezable. As there is just 2 of us at home, I make the cakes and cut them in half and freeze by wrapping in parchment and foil. When you want to use it, simply allow to defrost at room temperature (doesn’t take long at all!) and it will still be lovely and moist. I also keep a cake in the freezer for emergencies when we have unexpected visitors pop in for coffee!!
Pamela Takeshige
says:Can I ask, when you made this cake, did you use cups or grams to measure the ingredients? I only use grams. The cake looks very good. If you converted to grams, what conversation method did you use?
lovefoodies
says:Hi Pamela, I use grams when I make this cake because I am in Europe, however, I also added US cup measures in the recipe for our friends who prefer to use that measure. (many have made this using both measure units!)
The conversion I use is here, and it is the most precise I can find, where it converts specific ingredients due to volume. http://www.onlineconversion.com/weight_volume_cooking.htm
I hope this helps!
Pamela Takeshige
says:I’m an American living in Japan for almost 50 years. I LOVE gram recipes as they are so much more useful!! Thank you for your quick reply.
I find American cups for flour impossible to do correctly.
Your pound cake looks soooo good. I love lemon and orange in pound cakes. Yours does look so moist. I agree with you. I’m tired of dry pound cakes!
lovefoodies
says:Ahhh, that explains why you want to use grams! I am originally from Hong Kong and England, so I am used to using metric measures, but you need not worry, if you ever see any conversions on Lovefoodies, I try and be as accurate as I can be, as you mentioned, cup sizes are not always accurate enough when you are doing precise baking, I hope you will enjoy the pound cake, (please do take a look at all my other pound cakes when you have a moment, they have all had great feedback ! https://lovefoodies.com/baked-cakes.html ) Happy Baking in Japan Pamela!