My Meyer Lemon Pound Cake Recipe is adapted from a friend's recipe. It is a moist cake thanks to the extra egg yolk, sour cream and full fat Greek Yogurt. With the juice of two lemons and the zest of one, it is a lemon lovers dream come true.
I have an obsession with Meyer Lemons. I live in a senior community with a lemon tree on every block. I often come home with as many lemons as I can carry. We are between seasons for lemons right now, but I picked up a bag of Meyer lemons at the Whole Foods grocery store today.
Ingredients
For the full recipe with quantities, see the recipe card at the end of the post.
Ingredient Notes
For the pound cake:
- Flour - I use all-purpose flour but if I have it, I like to use half cake flour and half AP flour.
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt - use kosher salt
- Butter - no need for fancy butter here, but it should be real butter. I use regular butter with salt.
- Sugar
- Eggs
- Meyer lemon juice - you can use regular lemons like Eureka lemons, but you might need to add a little extra sugar, maybe a couple of tablespoons.
- Meyer lemon zest - same here
- Sour cream - use regular sour cream, not light sour cream.
- Greek Yogurt - use full-fat plain Greek yogurt.
For the glaze:
- Powdered sugar
- Meyer lemon juice
- Milk
- Vanilla extract - (optional, but some recipes call for a splash of vanilla extract in the glaze) I will try it next time.
Step by Step Instructions
Grease and flour or use baking spray on standard loaf pan or 12 cup Bundt pan.
Add baking powder, baking soda and salt to the flour for dry ingredients.
Juice and zest Meyer lemons until you have ¼ cup juice & 2 teaspoons zest.
Add sugar and butter to the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment.
Cream until smooth, then add the eggs and extra yolk. Mix well on low speed.
Add the Greek yogurt and sour cream and mix on medium speed.
Add the juice and Meyer lemon zest and mix until incorporated.
Add the flour a bit at a time, beating in between additions. Do not over mix.
When the batter is completely mixed and free of lumps, it is ready to bake.
Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan or Bundt pan. Tap to get air bubbles out.
Bake in a 350 degree oven. Baking time approximately 45-55 minutes.
Allow cake to cool completely on a cooling rack.
Let cake cool while you make the glaze. Mix the lemon juice, powdered sugar and milk in a small bowl.
When the cake is completely cooled, drizzle the glaze over the top, allowing it to run down the sides.
FAQ's
The Meyer lemon owes its presence in the United States to a USDA agricultural explorer named Frank Meyer, who discovered it in 1908 during one of his expeditions to Asia to collect new plant species.
Yes, but the flavor profile of a Meyer lemon is a bit different. It is almost as sweet as a regular lemon is sour. In savory dishes you won't notice a difference, but in sweet uses you may want to add a little bit more sugar and a splash of orange juice. I changes the taste to be similiar a Meyer lemon.
Equipment
- Loaf Pan (recipe makes a large pound cake, so get out one of the big loaf pans!)
- Stand Mixer (optional but so nice)
- Paddle attachment for stand mixer
- Rubber spatula
- Baking pan
- Micro-planer for zesting
Looking for More Meyer Lemon Recipes?
You might like my lovely Meyer Lemon Tart or or my divine Lemon Marmalade.
Equipment
- 9x5 loaf pan
- Stand Mixer (optional but so nice)
- Paddle attachment for stand mixer
- Rubber spatula
- Bundt pan if not using loaf pan
- Micro-planer for zesting
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup butter at room temperature
- 1 ¼ cups sugar
- 2 large eggs + 1 egg yolk at room temperature
- ¼ cup lemon juice 4 tablespoons of juice
- 2 teaspoon lemon zest
- ¾ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup Greek Yogurt
For the glaze:
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1-2 teaspoon milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour or use baking spray on a 9X5 inch loaf pan. (the loaf pan I use is a really large one) Set prepared pans aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time. Beat in the lemon juice and zest.
- Add the sour cream and yogurt and mix well.
- On low speed, add the flour mixture a bit at a time until it is all well incorporated.
- Bake the cake for 45-55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove the cake from the pan and let cool completely on wire rack.
- Make lemon glaze. In a small bowl, combine the ingredients to make a smooth glaze until confectioner's sugar dissolves. Drizzle over pound cake. Garnish with lemon slices.
Amy Liu Dong says
Such an easy and delicious cake to make.
I am sure my guests will love this.
James says
I am looking forward to trying this.
Peter says
Recipe was delicious. The greek yogurt made the cake moist and not dry like some recipes. Flavor was spot on!
Tina says
This lemon cake is so good! My whole family enjoyed it.
Andrea says
this lemon cake turned out delicious! so sweet, fluffy, and tasty!
The Sudden Cook says
This cake looks amazing! My kids would really love this. I have some regular lemons and plan to try them out this weekend:)
Melissa says
This looks really good. Now I will have to see where I can find Meyer lemons!
Mary says
Try Whole Foods!
Alexandra says
Meyer lemons are my favourite, and I have a dear friend who has the most amazing tree. The lemons are perfect for this delicious pound cake. The cake is so moist and I adore that glaze!