This lemon sour cream cake is a classic dessert that combines the goodness of lemons and sour cream.
It’s the perfect end to any meal.
You guys, pound cake has never tasted this good!
Where some cakes are too sweet, this one is perfectly flavored. Sure, there’s a lot of sugar in it, but the sweetness is counterbalanced by the lemons.
The sour cream also plays a huge role, in that it makes the cake unbelievably moist!
It’s dense, moist, and loaded with lemon flavor. This cake will be your new favorite breakfast, dessert, and midnight snack.
Lemon Sour Cream Cake
Lemon sour cream cake is a pound cake that’s flavored with lemon and infused with sour cream.
It’s topped with a sweet and tangy lemon sugar glaze, too! Not only does it add flavor and texture, but it covers up flaws in the cake as well.
It’s not as quick as most cakes I’ve featured here, but with detailed recipe instructions and a bunch of tips, I’m sure you’ll nail this cake on the first try.
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- All-Purpose Flour – It forms the base of the cake.
- Baking Powder – The leavening agent that makes the cake rise.
- Butter – To give the cake richness. Use unsalted butter so that you can control the amount of salt that goes into your cake.
- Granulated Sugar – Two cups will give the cake just the right amount of sweetness.
- Eggs – They bind the ingredients together, giving the cake structure.
- Sour Cream – The secret ingredient that will make your cake ultra-light, moist, and addictive! Stick to full-fat sour cream for maximum flavor.
- Lemon Zest – The bright, tangy flavor that makes this cake insanely good.
For the Glaze:
A combination of lemon juice, powdered sugar, and melted butter yields a well-balanced glaze.
Tips for the Best Lemon Sour Cream Cake
- Grease the bundt pan well. The key is to be generous with the butter, vegetable shortening, or oil. You can also dust it with flour after for good measure.
- Use room temperature butter, not melted. This will make creaming the butter and sugar a breeze.
- Cream the butter and sugar well. That means beating the two ingredients until the mixture is light and fluffy. Do not skip out this step! This will trap air into the butter, helping the batter rise.
- Scrape the sides of the bowl as you are beating. This will ensure the ingredients are evenly mixed.
- Monitor the cake as it bakes. The suggested time is 55 to 60 minutes. But it’s best to check after 45 minutes.
- The toothpick test: insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. It should come out clean. If not, continue baking and check again in 5 minutes.
- Cover the cake with foil. If the surface is browning too much, loosely cover the pan with aluminum foil.
To store: transfer the baked, cold cake to an air-tight container and let it sit at room temperature.
You can also place it back in the bundt pan and cover it with plastic wrap. The cake will keep well for up to 3 days.
Another option is to keep it in the firdge. Be sure it’s in an air-tight container to prevent it from drying out. The refrigerated lemon sour cream cake will last for a week.
Can you freeze sour cream lemon cake? Yes!
Double-wrap the cake slices in plastic wrap and foil. Then place them in freezer-safe containers and freeze for up to 2 months.
Thaw at room temperature until soft.
How to Buy Good Lemons
You’re making a lemon cake, after all, so you’ll want to be sure you’re getting good quality lemons.
It’s easy – just give them a good squeeze! They should have a bit of give when you squeeze them, and they shouldn’t be too firm or squishy.
Such lemons have thinner skin, making them easy to peel. More importantly, they will give you more juice.
Why Add Sour Cream to a Cake?
Aside from sour cream cake, you’ve probably seen tons of cake recipes that call for sour cream in the batter. Here’s why.
Sour cream is high in fat, which makes cakes incredibly light, moist, and tender.
While milk and buttercream serve the same purpose, sour cream is thicker and contains more fat, giving your cake a significantly better flavor and texture.
You’ll also need the acidity from the sour cream to activate the baking soda. Without it, your cake won’t rise.
Sour cream is best for making this cake, but in a pinch, you can use either Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, or creme fraiche instead.
Lemon Sour Cream Cake
12
servings20
minutes55
minutes437
kcalIngredients
- For The Cake
2 cups 2 all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons 2 baking powder
1 teaspoon 1 salt
1 cup 1 butter, room temperature
2 cups 2 granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 cup 1 sour cream
- For The Glaze
3 teaspoons 3 lemon juice, plus zest from the lemon
1/2 cup 1/2 powdered sugar
2 tablespoons 2 butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Generously grease a bundt or tube pan with butter, vegetable shortening, or oil, and coat with flour.
- In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a separate, large bowl, add the butter and sugar. Beat with an electric mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Add in the eggs, one at a time. Beat the batter well after every addition.
- Add the flour mixture and sour cream, alternatingly, in 3 batches. Beat the batter briefly after every addition. Stir in half of the lemon zest.
- Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan.
- Bake for 55 to 60 minutes. To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, it’s done baking.
- Let the cake cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Loosen the edges of the cake with a knife. Flip the pan over onto a serving platter. Let it cool completely, about 1 hour.
- To make the glaze, add the lemon juice, powdered sugar, and butter to a bowl. Stir together until a thick glaze forms. Pour the glaze over the cooled cake. Slice and enjoy!
the lemon sour creme cake is delicious!! i have made it 3 times in the past couple of months. I do add a little more lemon juice and zest as i love lemons and I make it with gluten free flour and it comes out amazing every time. thanks !!