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Lemon Cream Cheese Pound Cake

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This Lemon Cream Cheese Pound Cake bakes up incredibly moist, dense, and velvety with a bright lemon flavor in every bite. Cream cheese and butter create a smooth, rich crumb while a full tablespoon of lemon extract and plenty of zest make the citrus shine. Baked low and slow for the perfect golden exterior, this bundt also slices beautifully - showing off a tight, gorgeous pound-cake texture.

A single slice of bundt cake with white icing sits on a small white plate next to a fork. The cake has a moist, dense texture and a golden brown edge. The background shows part of the whole bundt cake and some lemons.

This Lemon Cream Cheese Pound Cake recipe is one of my favorite bakes when I want something bright and buttery that works for any season. If you love citrus-forward bakes, check out all of my Lemon Recipes. And if you enjoy rich, buttery cakes with a tender crumb, try my marble loaf cake - it has the same velvety pound-cake texture with a totally different flavor twist.

Pound Cake Ingredients

  • Base Mix - cream cheese, butter, oil, and sugar whip into an airy but rich foundation for a tight, velvety crumb.
  • Flavor - Something we learned in testing was that lemon zest and extracts provide bold citrus flavor without thinning the batter.
  • Structure - eggs and cake flour create a smooth, even batter that bakes up dense yet tender in true pound cake style. Don't miss my sour cream chocolate chip bundt cake recipe too!
A baking tray holds bowls of flour, sugar, lemon zest, eggs, oil, vanilla, lemon juice, salt, and two sticks of butter, arranged neatly on a marble surface.
Ingredients laid out for cake.

For ingredient quantities please reference the recipe card below. On the recipe card there is a button for US or M (Metric) measurements.

Baking the Pound Cake

A metal mixing bowl contains two sticks of butter and a block of cream cheese on a light marble countertop, with a green cloth partially visible on the side.
Mix softened butter and cream cheese together.
A metal mixing bowl containing partially creamed butter and sugar, with some liquid vanilla extract in the center. The bowl sits on a marble surface next to a folded cloth.
Once light and fluffy mix in oil.
A metal mixing bowl containing butter, granulated sugar, and orange zest on a marble surface with a green cloth beside it.
Add sugar and lemon zest.
A metal mixing bowl filled with smooth, creamy cake batter sits on a marble surface, with a light green kitchen towel partially visible beside it.
Mix for a few minutes, until very light and fluffy.
A metal mixing bowl contains creamy batter with three raw eggs and a splash of vanilla extract on top, resting on a light marble countertop with a gray cloth nearby.
Add two eggs at a time and add vanilla.
A metal mixing bowl containing creamed butter and sugar mixture sits on a light marble countertop with a green cloth partially visible underneath.
Scrape the bowl to make sure everything is evenly combined.
A metal mixing bowl containing flour on top of a creamy batter, set on a marble surface with a light green cloth partially underneath.
Add flour to the batter.
A metal mixing bowl filled with smooth, creamy cake batter sits on a marble surface, partially wrapped with a light green cloth.
Mix the flour until just combined, no flour streaks remain.
A round bundt pan filled with smooth, unbaked cake batter sits on a marble surface with a light green kitchen towel partially under the pan.
Pour cake batter into the pan and bake.
A golden-brown Bundt cake cools on a round wire rack, set on a light marble surface.
Invert cake out of the pan and cool on a wire rack.
A lemon cream cheese pound cake sits on a round wire rack atop a marble surface, surrounded by whole lemons and a light gray cloth napkin. The bundt cake is topped with a thick layer of white icing.
Make a simple lemon glaze and drizzle over the cake.

Tips for Recipe Success

  • We've learned from baking many, many cakes over the years that room temperature ingredients ensure the best result. Don't skip on room temperature! You can put eggs in a bowl of warm water to quickly bring them to room temp!
  • With any bundt pan your cake is more likely to stick due to the crevices in them, make sure to spray with non-stick baking spray thoroughly!
  • To ensure the perfectly structured cake I always suggest using a scale to weigh your ingredients. Too little sugar and the cake won't set up right, too much flour and you end up with a dry cake- you get the picture!

★★★★★ Please let me know if you make this recipe by leaving a star rating and comment below!

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Recipe Card

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A close-up of a slice of lemon cream cheese bundt cake with a light glaze on top, served on a white plate. The texture of the cake looks moist and dense, and part of the whole cake is visible in the background.

Lemon Cream Cheese Pound Cake

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This Lemon Cream Cheese Pound Cake bakes up incredibly moist, dense, and velvety with a bright lemon flavor in every bite. Cream cheese and butter create a smooth, rich crumb while a full tablespoon of lemon extract and plenty of zest make the citrus shine. Baked low and slow for the perfect golden exterior, this bundt also slices beautifully - showing off a tight, gorgeous pound-cake texture.

  • Total Time: 1 Hour 40 Minutes
  • Yield: 10-12 Slices 1x

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 8oz Cream Cheese, softened to room temperature
  • 10oz (1 ¼ Cups) Unsalted Butter, softend to room temperature
  • 1oz (2 Tablespoons) Vegetable Oil
  • 550 grams (2 ¾ Cup) Granulated/ Caster Sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons Lemon Zest
  • 2 Teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract
  • 1 Tablespoon Pure Lemon Extract
  • 6 Large Eggs, at room temperature
  • 345 grams (3 Cups) Cake Flour
  • ½ Teaspoon Salt

Optional Toppings

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 300F/149C and heavily grease a 10-cup bundt pan, set aside while you prepare the filling. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer or large mixing bowl with a handheld electric mixer beat the cream cheese and butter togther for two minutes. Once the mixture is light and fluffy add the vegetable oil, making sure to scrape down the side of the bowl so everything is fully combined. Mix the vegetable oil into the batter for a minute or two, until fully combined.
  2. Add the sugar and lemon zest and beat for 4-6 minutes, this is not a typo, the butter and sugar need to cream for a long time, don't skip this step. Add the lemon extract, vanilla extract and the first egg and mix until no yolk remains. Repeat until all eggs have been added, the mixture may look curdled, that is fine.
  3. Add half of the flour and salt and use a spatula to gently fold in, then add remaining cake flour. Do not over mix the cake batter, you don't want to over develop the gluten.
  4. Pour into the prepared cake pan and use an offset spatula to spread the batter into an even layer. Bake for 80-90 minutes, the internal temperature of the cake should be 210F/99C. Let the cake cool in the pan for 20 minutes then flip on to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve with desired toppings and store leftovers in an air-tight container on the counter for up to 4 days.

Equipment

Notes

Freezing:You can freeze individual slices or the whole cake. Once the cake is fully baked and fully cooled wrap it in plastic wrap, tightly, twice then once in aluminum foil this helps ensure no freezer burn. Freeze for up to three months, thaw at room temperature. 

  • Author: Elizabeth Waterson
  • Prep Time: 10 Minutes
  • Cook Time: 90 Minutes
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Bake
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If you love this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐ star rating ⭐ when you post a comment. Star ratings help people discover my recipes online. I am incredibly grateful for your support! —xx Liz

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