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Lemon Cream Cheese Pound Cake: A Rich, Lemony Dessert You’ll Want to Make Again and Again


  • Author: WAFA LI

Ingredients

Cake Base:
• 1½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• ¾ cup granulated sugar (or monk fruit blend for lower sugar)
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• ½ cup whole milk
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tbsp lemon zest

Cream Cheese Swirl:
• 4 oz full-fat cream cheese, softened
• ¼ cup granulated sugar (or powdered erythritol)
• 1 large egg yolk
• ½ tsp vanilla extract

Lemon Glaze (optional but recommended):
• ½ cup powdered sugar
• 1–2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• ½ tsp lemon zest


Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 325°F (165°C). Grease and flour a 9×5″ loaf pan (or line with parchment).
  2. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy (~3 mins). Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each.
  4. Mix in lemon juice and zest. Alternate adding dry ingredients and milk, beginning and ending with flour. Mix until just combined.
  5. Swirl: In a small bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla until smooth.
  6. Spread half the cake batter into pan. Dollop half the cream cheese mixture over top; swirl gently with a knife. Repeat layers.
  7. Bake 55–65 mins—until golden and a toothpick comes out clean (center may look slightly underdone but will firm as it cools).
  8. Cool in pan 15 mins, then transfer to a wire rack.
  9. Once completely cool, whisk glaze ingredients until smooth; drizzle over top. Let set 10 mins before slicing.

PREP TIME & NUTRITION :
Prep Time: 20 mins, Cook Time: 60 mins, Total Time: 1 hr 20 mins (+ cooling), Servings: 10
Calories: 260, Net Carbs: 32g, Fats: 13g, Protein: 5g
Lower-sugar option: Use sugar substitutes in cake and swirl—net carbs drop to ~6g/slice.