Moist Sour Cream Lemon Cake (without Buttermilk)

This sour cream lemon cake is a truly delectable, citrus-infused indulgence. With it's vibrant citrusy flavor and a moist and fluffy texture, this cake is definitely not to be missed.

Pound cakes typically do not contain sour cream and most of my pound cake recipes (like this butter pound cake, banana pound cake, pandan pound cake, marble pound cake and matcha pound cake) on my blog are without sour cream.

This lemon pound cake recipe is a slight variation from the typical version in that I have included sour cream in it. The difference lies solely in the use of sour cream as an additional ingredient in this recipe and it gives this buttery pound cake a lovely tender crumb and moist texture. If you want a lemon pound cake without sour cream, check out this lemon pound cake recipe.

Jump to:

• ❤️Why you will love this recipe
• 📋Ingredients
• 🧾Substitution and variations
• 👩🏻‍🍳How to make
• 🍽️Serving & storage
• 💡Expert tips
• 💭FAQs
• ❤️More recipes you will love ❤️
• 📖Recipe

❤️Why you will love this recipe

• It is easy to make, requires only simple and basic ingredients and makes a perfect sweet treat with amazing lemon flavor.
• The cake has a lovely moist texture and stays moist for days.
• Baked into a loaf cake, this cake is easy to cut and serve.
• Can be used to make a birthday cake or celebration cake by baking it in round tins and frosting with icing of your choice.
• Makes a buttery pound cake with bright lemon flavor, perfect for lemon lovers.
• Served with a scoop of ice cream, this lemon loaf cake makes a perfect dessert recipe.

📋Ingredients

Cake

• Self-raising flour + baking powder + salt - mix these and sift them into the batter.
• Granulated sugar (caster sugar) - works best for this recipe. Coarse sugar will leave visible sugar specks on the surface of the cake after baking.
• Butter - I use salted butter. If using unsalted butter, add an extra small pinch of salt to the recipe.
• Eggs - Use large eggs (large sized).
• Sour Cream - the star ingredient of this recipe and contributes to the moist texture of the cake.
• Milk - use whole milk for a rich cake.
• Lemon Zest (grated) - adds flavor to the cake. Use fresh lemons for best results.
• Fresh lemon Juice - also use juice from fresh lemons, and strain the seeds and pulp away.

Topping

• Icing sugar (powdered sugar / confectioners sugar) - sift this onto the cake so that it covers the cake in a light layer and there are no lumps.

*Refer to the recipe card below for full list of ingredients and exact quantities. For best results, use a digital kitchen scale where applicable*

🧾Substitution and variations

• Self raising flour can be substituted with all purpose flour and baking powder. For every 225g of all purpose flour, add one and half teaspoons of baking powder. Mix well and sift 3 times before using. To make 180g of self raising flour, use 180g of all purpose flour and add one teaspoon plus another one fifth teaspoon of baking powder.
• If using unsalted butter, add an extra small pinch of salt in the recipe.
• Whole milk can be substituted with skimmed milk or you can make your own milk from powdered milk.
• Lemon juice and zest can be substituted with lemon extract. Use one teaspoon in place of the juice and zest.
• To make a round cake, double the recipe and bake in two 7 inches round cake pans. Fill and frost with icing or frosting of your choice. The cake will work well with cream cheese frosting and buttercream.
• To make a lemon sour cream bundt cake or tube cake, double the recipe and bake in a bundt pan or tube pan with a capacity of 6 cups of batter. You may need to adjust the baking time.
• For the topping, instead of plain powdered sugar dredge, you can add a simple drizzle of lemon curd like in this Earl Grey pound cake recipe, or easy lemon glaze or lemon icing like in this lime pound cake recipe.

This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you do try, please let me know in the comments section below!

👩🏻‍🍳How to make

Mixing the ingredients

• Start by grating the lemon zest and juicing the lemon. Set it aside.

1. In a large bowl, add the sugar and softened butter.
2. Cream both until they turn light and fluffy on medium speed. This should take approximately 2 minutes on a electric mixer (with a paddle attachment if using stand mixer). Scrape the sides of the bowl at one minute interval.
3. Add in the eggs into the creamed sugar and butter mixture. Do this one at a time. Each time, beat until the traces of the egg are no longer visible.
4. Next, add the sour cream and beat again until it is well incorporated into the creamed mixture.

Mixing the flour and baking the cake

1. In a separate bowl, sift together the self-raising flour, salt, and baking powder. Fold in these sifted dry ingredients (flour mixture) into the creamed mixture in 3 batches.
2. Alternate the first and second batch of dry ingredients with lemon juice. Alternate the second and third batch of the dry ingredients with milk. Scrape the sides of the bowl.
3. Finally, add the grated lemon rind and mix it well.
4. Pour batter into a well-greased and floured 8 inches by 4 inches loaf tin. Level the top and bake at 165 degrees Celsius for 50 to 55 minutes. Test the sour cream lemon cake at 50 minutes by inserting a skewer or cake tester in the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, the cake is ready and can be removed from the oven. You can also test by pressing the top of the cake lightly with your finger. If the cake springs back when you release the pressure, it is baked.
5. Let the cake rest in the tin for about 5 minutes. Use a jam knife to loosen the sides of the baked lemon cake against the sides of the cake tin. Transfer the lemon pound cake onto a cooling rack or wire rack (with the top facing up) and let the cake cool completely.
6. Once the cake is completely cool, dredge the top with icing sugar. To do this, place the icing sugar is a sifter and sift it all over the top of the lemon cake.

🍽️Serving & storage

• This sour cream lemon cake can last at room temperature for a good 4 to 5 days provided it is handled without moisture. Keep it covered in an airtight container.
• If you wish to keep it longer, it is best to refrigerate it. Keep covered in an airtight container. Consume with one week.
• If you do not intend to serve the lemon cake on the day is it baked, wrap it in cling wrap (plastic wrap) while is it still warm and refrigerate. Bring the lemon cake to room temperature (with the wrap still on, to avoid condensation) and dredge the top with icing sugar before cutting and serving.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container.

💡Expert tips

• Grate the lemon zest before juicing the lemon.
  • This sour cream lemon cake recipe requires both lemon zest and fresh lemon juice. It is best to use fresh lemons.
  • The best way to handle lemons when you need to grate the zest and juice the fruit is by grating it first. A full plump lemon will be much easier to hold and grate as compared to one that is no longer plump after juicing.
  • Therefore, when grating the lemon zest, it is always easier to do it before juicing the fruit.
• Tips for a moist cake
  • Do not overbake the cake. Check for doneness at least 5 to 10 minutes before baking time is up by inserting a skewer in the center of the cake. If it comes out without any wet batter, it is done.
  • When cooling the cake, keep it covered with a kitchen towel.
  • Once the cake turns warm, wrap it with plastic wrap and refrigerate until it cools downs completely. This helps to retain moisture in the cake.

💭FAQs

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