Sour cream lemon pound cake combines rich, buttery pound cake with vanilla, lemon, and a tart blackberry glaze. The perfect, simple, summery cake for BBQs and parties!

A side image of a bundt cake topped with pink glaze and white blossoms on a marble cake stand placed on a grey background next to sliced lemons.
A closeup side image of a slice of cake with pink glaze on a white plate placed on a grey table next to a fork, halved lemons, and white flower blossoms.

Wowowow it’s been a minute since I posted on here! But, I was busy working on some other projects, and ICYMI, Marc and I got married sooo. We were a little busy! But, it all worked out because I basically got to skip over a large chunk of spring, which if we’re being honest, is my least favorite time of the year for recipe development. Like yes, I love the produce that sprouts up around May, but early spring is honestly just late winter, and once the blood oranges go out of season, I’m over it. But, I just got word that asparagus, berries, and rhubarb are hitting the markets so I feel revived. I guess that’s kind of the point of spring after all.

Anyways, I’m kicking off late spring/early summer with this little number because nothing says “summer” to me like berries + citrus. Also, I’ve seen a spike on my cakes page recently, so I’m really just giving the people what they want. This sour cream lemon pound cake has an absurd amount of lemon zest for a cake that almost…tastes like fake lemon? But also not, because it’s real lemon? I promise it’s out-of-this-world good. And the sour cream gives it a little tang which I live for. Then, we have the blackberry glaze which is not only stunning but super tasty. This cake is going to be my go-to for BBQs and dinner parties this summer now that, you know, we can have those again. 💃

The ingredient list

An overhead image of ingredients for sour cream lemon pound cake in various white and grey bowls on a white speckled table next to a bowl of blackberries, lemons, and a pink linen.

Pound cake is supes basic, and traditionally, is made up of only one pound each of flour, sugar, butter, and eggs. But, we’ll still need a few special things to make it extra delicious. Plus, we don’t want to skip out on the blackberry glaze because it is just too good!

  • The basics – flour, Kosher salt, baking soda, sugar, vanilla extract, and eggs.
  • Unsalted butter – go for a higher quality butter if you can. This cake is very buttery and you’ll taste a difference for sure!
  • Lemons – we’ll want the zest of 2 lemons, but don’t throw away the fruit! You can use the juice for salad dressing, marinades, or in a glass of water.
  • Sour cream – this will act as our acid to activate the baking soda. Plus, it makes the cake slightly tart and perfectly tender!
  • Blackberries – for the glaze and decorating. We’re going to juice them, but don’t run away! It’s super easy.
  • Powdered sugar – this will make up the bulk of our glaze. Make sure to sift it to remove any lumps.
  • Whole milk or cream – optional, but great for thinning out the glaze.

Let’s Bake a Bundt

Three overhead images on a grey table on how to make sour cream lemon pound cake. On the left, a white bowl is filled with butter, sugar and eggs surrounded by baking ingredients. In the middle, a white bowl of cake batter surrounded by used ingredients. On the right, a black Bundt pan filled with batter next to a couple of lemons and a bowl of blackberries.

This cake is very straight-forward and honestly hard to mess up! Luckily for us, sour cream lemon pound cake is very forgiving, although I do have a few tricks for making sure it comes out perfect!

Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350°F for high altitude baking or 325°F for sea level. Grease a 12 cup Bundt cake pan and then whisk together the flour, Kosher salt, and baking soda. Set aside.

Step 2: Cream your butter and sugar until it starts to come together, about 4 minutes. The mixture may be a little sandy, but that’s ok. Add the lemon zest and vanilla extract. Then, add the eggs one at a time. This ensures that the eggs actually mix with the butter/sugar and not just with each other.

Step 3: Next alternate between mixing in the flour mixture and sour cream in 2 batches. Don’t overmix or the cake will come out dense and dry! A few lumps are ok.

Step 4: Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and smooth. Bake, checking for doneness at 1 hour. If you live at high altitude like me, your cake may be done closer to an hour. If you live at sea level, it could take up to 1 hour and 25 minutes.

Step 5: Let the cake cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes. Then, remove the cake from the pan and let it cool completely on a rack.

How to make blackberry glaze

Two side images; on the left, a cream bowl filled with pink-purple glaze on a grey counter next to a pink linen, lemons, and white flowers. On the right, a woman wearing a white dress is pouring the glaze over a cake on a white marble cake stand.

Step 1: If you’re using frozen berries, make sure to thaw them completely! You can do this by setting them on the counter for an hour or so. Or, heat the blackberries in a pan on the stove over medium heat until completely thawed.

Step 2: Place the berries in a food processor or blender, and process until completely smooth. Strain them through a fine-mesh sieve, reserving the juice. Discard the leftover seeds and pulp.

Step 3: Combine the powdered sugar with some of your blackberry juice until you get a glaze the consistency of honey. You can add some whole milk or cream to thin it out a bit if necessary.

Step 4: Pour the glaze over the cooled sour cream lemon pound cake.

Step 5: Decorate with flowers, berries, sprinkles, etc.! Then, let the glaze set for at least 20-30 minutes. Cut, serve, and enjoy!

A side image of a woman wearing a white dress pouring blackberry glaze over sour cream lemon pound cake, placed on a marble cake stand next to lemons, a pink linen, and green blossoms with a grey background.

Serving the cake

This cake is uber foolproof so you have options here! Mix it up with other types of citrus and berries to make it your own! Or, you can always go sans-glaze and serve the cake with whipped cream and berries. I also have tried it with citrus curd and whipped cream which is absolutely delicious!

Storing the leftovers

To store this cake, simply place it on a cake plate with a cover. Or cut it up and store it in an airtight container. Let it sit at room temperature for up to 3 days. (The cake will dry out the longer it sits but it’s still good for about 2-3 days). Avoid storing it in the fridge, because the moisture in the fridge will dry the cake out quickly!

Decorating

I chose to top the cake with some blackberries and blossoms from my backyard. But, you can decorate this cake however you like! Here are a few ideas:

  • Sprinkles instead of flowers would be super cute!
  • Fill the center with berries and/or flowers.
  • Try topping slices of cake with strawberry compote or coulis.
  • Or, if you want to go glaze-free, just dust the whole sour cream lemon pound cake with a little powdered sugar.

Tips & Tricks

  • Please note that this is a high-altitude recipe. Refer to the “Recipe Notes” for sea-level instructions!
  • Grease the pan very well to prevent the cake from sticking.
  • Bring the eggs and sour cream to room-temperature (about 20-30 minutes on the counter) to ensure the ingredients incorporate properly.
  • This cake overbakes easily. Start checking for doneness at around 1 hour. The cake is ready when an inserted toothpick has a few moist crumbs attached.
  • If the bottom of the starts to brown too much in the oven, tent the cake with some tinfoil to prevent it from burning.
  • Let the cake cool for at least 10-20 minutes before flipping it out of the pan. If you flip it while the cake is still very hot, it may fall apart.
A closeup side image of a sour cream lemon pound cake with blackberry glaze on a marble plate next to some sliced lemons on a grey table.

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A side image of a pound cake with pink glaze on a marble cake stand with a grey background and lemons to the side.
4.72 from 7 votes

Sour Cream Lemon Pound Cake with Blackberry Glaze

Yield: 12 slices
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
Soft, tender, lemony pound cake topped with a tart blackberry glaze. Perfect for BBQs, holidays, and summer get-togethers!
*Please note this is a high-altitude recipe. Refer to the recipe notes for sea-level instructions.*

Ingredients

Sour Cream Lemon Pound Cake

  • 3 c all-purpose flour, sifted
  • 3/4 tsp Kosher salt
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda*
  • 1 c unsalted butter, softened
  • 3 c sugar
  • 2 lemons, zested
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 6 eggs, room temperature
  • 1 c sour cream

Blackberry Glaze

  • 1 c blackberries, fresh or frozen
  • 2 c powdered sugar
  • 2 Tbs whole milk or heavy cream, plus more if needed
  • Blackberries, sprinkles, etc., for decorating

Equipment

  • 12 cup Bundt cake pan

Instructions 

Sour Cream Lemon Pound Cake

  • Preheat oven to 350°F**. Grease a Bundt cake pan with cooking spray or neutral oil. Then, whisk together the flour, Kosher salt, and baking soda in a small bowl. Set aside.
  • In a medium mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until incorporated, about 4 minutes. (The mixture may be a little sandy). Add the lemon zest and vanilla. Then, mix in the eggs one at a time until incorporated.
  • Add half of the flour mixture, followed by half of the sour cream. Repeat with the remaining flour mixture and sour cream, just until mixed. A few lumps are ok! Pour the batter into the Bundt cake pan until smooth.
  • Bake for 60-75 minutes*** until an inserted toothpick comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Let cool in the pan for about 15 minutes, and then let cool completely on a cooling rack.

Blackberry Glaze

  • Place a fine-mesh sieve over a small bowl and set aside. If you are using frozen blackberries, let them thaw completely on the counter or heat them in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until completely thawed.
  • Pour the blackberries in a food processor (or blender) and puree the berries until they are completely smooth. Strain the blackberry puree through the fine-mesh sieve, pressing with a wooden spoon to get out as much juice as possible. Discard the leftover seeds and pulp.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and 1/4 cup of blackberry juice until a thick glaze forms. Thin the glaze with milk (or blackberry juice) 1 Tablespoon at a time until your glaze is thick but pourable. It should be the consistency of honey.
  • Pour the blackberry glaze over the cooled sour cream lemon pound cake. Decorate as desired. Let the glaze set at room temperature for at least 20 minutes before serving.

Notes

This recipe is high altitude. If you live at sea-level:
* Increase baking soda to 1/2 teaspoon.
**Decrease oven temperature to 325°F.
***Start checking for doneness around 1 hour. Your cake may take up to 1 hour and 25 minutes to bake completely.
Avoid overbaking the cake or it will end up dry. When you insert a toothpick, a few moist crumbs should stick to the toothpick. It will continue baking as it cools!
If the bottom of the cake starts to brown too quickly in the oven, tent it with tin foil.
Try using another citrus (lime, orange, grapefruit) for the cake and other berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries) for the glaze.
Cuisine: American
Course: Dessert
Serving: 1slice, Calories: 591kcal, Carbohydrates: 95.5g, Protein: 6.8g, Fat: 21.3g, Saturated Fat: 14g, Cholesterol: 131mg, Sodium: 218mg, Potassium: 105mg, Fiber: 1.2g, Sugar: 70.4g, Calcium: 44mg, Iron: 2mg
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xo Sara Lynn

*Song of the day: Fancy Shoes by The Walters