Lemon Pound Cake with Coconut Icing

This incredibly dense Lemon Pound Cake with Coconut Icing is so moist and delicious. It’s a great weekend baking recipe perfect for spring! 

Y’all, the first day of spring is this Sunday (YAY) which means lots of yummy spring recipes to come. Right now, I’m on this citrus kick hence the Lemon Pound Cake recipe. I’m also currently obsessed with coconut, not even sure how that happened but here we are. Just get ready for more coconut recipes, haha. This pound cake recipe is super moist, full of lemon flavor, and will stay nice and moist for days as long as it’s stored correctly. This Lemon Pound Cake with Coconut Icing recipe is honestly much easier than you would think! 

HOW TO EASILY REMOVE A CAKE FROM A CAKE PAN

Remove the cake from the oven and let cool for 15-20ish minutes in the pan. Remove the cake from the pan and let it cool completely on a baking rack.

WHAT’S THE SECRET TO A MOIST POUND CAKE?

​​Adding buttermilk, whole milk, or sour cream adds more moisture and flavor to the cake.

WHAT IS LEMON EXTRACT?

Pure lemon extract is a lemon-flavored liquid made by soaking lemon peels in alcohol or oil. The alcohol absorbs the essential oils of the lemon peels, resulting in a lemon flavor without the bitterness. You can typically find lemon extract in the baking aisle. I love using lemon extract because it adds such a bright lemon flavor without making the final dish super tart or causing the dairy ingredients to curdle with the acid from pure lemon juice.

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LEMON EXTRACT AND LEMON JUICE?

Lemon extract and lemon juice both come from lemons but have a few key differences to point out:

• Acid content: Since lemon extract has an alcohol base rather than a lemon juice base, its acid content is relatively low, and it won’t curdle dairy products in recipes that combine the two; however, lemon juice is highly acidic and may curdle dairy products. 
• Flavor: The flavor of lemon extract is strongly lemony without much tartness or bitterness, while lemon juice is milder and with a strong tartness.

So, since lemon extract has a strong lemon flavor without the bitterness or acid, it’s a popular ingredient in lemon-flavored desserts or dairy recipes that must omit acid because it can curdle the ingredients. On the other hand, lemon juice is a popular ingredient in recipes that require a tart lemon flavor, like savory dishes, or salad dressings.

HOW SHOULD I STORE THE CAKE?

I usually set my cake in a cake server or a stand with a cover then store it at room temperature on the counter because it usually never lasts long in this house! If you’re storing at room temperature, the cake should be good for about 3-4 days.

QUICK TIP

• Do not eyeball ingredients. Baking is a science, I learned that in culinary school when I was trying to finesse in my Baking and Pastry class, don’t be like me back then haha. If ingredients aren’t precisely measured it can drastically affect the outcome. For most of the dry ingredients I spooned in my ingredients then leveled off with the back of a butter knife.
• Make sure you test your cake for doneness. You don’t want to make the mistake of taking the cake out too early and the center of the cake sinks a little in the center and is gooey. You also don’t want to be opening the oven too often. Leave the oven door shut and let the cake cook.
• Use a toothpick to poke into the center of the cake, it should come out free of batter. If you have a little crumb or two stuck on that’s fine.
• Wait and let cool completely before frosting the cake or it will melt and that will absolutely suck!
• Make sure your eggs and butter are at room temperature. I recommend taking them out of the fridge about an hour before you get started.
• Sift your powdered sugar to avoid lumpy icing.

Looking for more cake recipes?

• Sweet Potato Bundt Cake with Maple Frosting
• Strawberry Lemonade Sheet Cake
• Easy Chocolate Cake
• Carrot Sheet Cake with Dulce de Leche Cream Cheese Frosting

Questions about the Lemon Pound Cake with Coconut Icing? Did you make this recipe? Let me know in the comments below! Tag me #chefelizabethreese on Instagram, I’d love to see your creations!

Lemon Pound Cake with Coconut Icing

This incredibly dense Lemon Pound Cake with Coconut Icing is so moist and delicious. It’s a great weekend baking recipe perfect for spring!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 1 hr 30 mins

Servings 12

Ingredients

  

For the Lemon Pound Cake Cake

• 2 Sticks Room Temperature Butter
• ½ Cup Canola Oil
• 2½ Cup Granulated Sugar
• 5 Eggs
• 3 Cups All Purpose Flour
• 1 Cup Whole Milk
• ½ Teaspoon Baking Powder
• 2 Tablespoons Lemon Extract

For the Coconut Icing

• 1 Cup Powdered Sugar
• ½ Cup Heavy Cream (Start with ½ Cup (little at a time) then slowly add more as needed until you reach your desired consistency
• ½ Teaspoon Lemon Juice
• ⅓ Cup Sweetened Shredded, Coconut

Instructions

 

For the Lemon Pound Cake Cake

• Preheat the oven to 325°F.
• Spray a bundt pan with non-sticking cooking spray.
• In a large bowl with a hand mixer. Cream together the butter and granulated sugar until combined. 
• Add eggs, one at a time while mixing. Add oil, then milk until well incorporated. 
• In another bowl whisk the flour and baking powder. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix in the lemon extract.
• Evenly pour the batter into the bundt pan and bake for about an hour and a half or until a toothpick comes out clean. (Do not adjust the temperature of the oven, you want your bundt cake to cook at a lower temperature so that the outside doesn’t brown/ harden quicker than the inside). Allow the bundt cake to cool for about 15-20-sh  minutes before flipping it out of the pan. 
• While the cake is cooling, in a medium bowl, mix together all of the icing ingredients!
• Once the bundt cake has cooled completely, cover with Coconut Icing and top with more shredded coconut if you’d like. Enjoy!