Moist and rich, Limoncello Pound Cake Recipe has limoncello liqueur in the batter and is drizzled with a limoncello lemon zest glaze.
I took inspiration from my Kentucky Butter Sauce Pound Cake and my new bottle of Limoncello liqueur for the latest in my Pound Cake Review Series. It’s def one you’ll want to try!
I actually have other lemon-flavored pound cake recipes in my Pound Cakes Review Series. However, I’ve found out for the intense lemon flavor, there’s nothing quite like limoncello. It really packs a punch!
Now, you may be thinking ‘but lemon is a spring and summer fruit and treat.’ Yeah, you’re correct. But, I love lemon all year and once I thought about creating a Limoncello Pound Cake I had to make it pronto!
LIMONCELLO POUND CAKE RECIPE
Of course, you know I love my tube pan for pound cakes. You can use a bundt pan if that’s what you have. It just needs to be at least a 12 cup bundt pan.
If you do not have a 12-cup bundt, there’s a work-around. You can use your smaller bundt, but do not fill it more than 2/3 full. If you have extra batter, make a small loaf or cupcake depending on how much extra batter you have. Of course, you’ll need to adjust the cooking time. You’ll just need to watch it closely.
Speaking of baking times, there are a variety of elements that affect baking times. For instance, baking times can be altered if you use a light or dark tube pan and if you set the tube pan on a sheet pan or cookie sheet to bake. Most commonly over or under baking is caused by an un-calibrated oven. This just means the oven temperature is not actually what the dial says it is. You can easily learn how to calibrate your oven here.
HOW DO YOU MAKE A POUND CAKE?
- All your cold ingredients need to be at room temperature. Room temperature ingredients are a must for a fluffy cake.
- Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. The color will a pale yellow. You must use real butter. Margarine will not have the same results.
- Next, mix in the room temperature eggs one at a time until they disappear into the batter.
- If your recipe has baking powder and salt, sift it in with flour.
- The next step is to add the room temperature whipping cream alternately with the flour until mixed together and smooth.
- Next, add any flavoring to the batter.
- Pour the batter into a well-greased baking pan. I prefer using a solid vegetable shortening to grease my tube pan followed with a sprinkle of granulated sugar. You can also use Wilton Cake Release.
- Finally, bake until cooked through. You can test for doneness by inserting a wooden pick into the thickest part of the cake. The cake is done with no crumbs or dry crumbs remaining on the pick.
SUBSTITUTIONS
- It’s recommended to use unsalted butter when baking but if you prefer salted, you can use it. You can also use solid vegetable shortening instead of butter in pound cakes.
- As well, you can substitute all-purpose flour instead of cake flour in the recipe. Substitute using this formula.
How to Make Cake Flour Out of All-Purpose Flour
- For every cup of cake flour called for in a recipe, measure out 1 level cup all-purpose flour.
- Remove 2 tablespoons flour from that measurement. (Return those 2 tablespoons to the bag of flour, you don’t need them.)
- Add 2 tablespoons cornstarch to the (1 cup minus 2 tablespoons) measured flour.
- Whisk to combine.
- Sift flour and cornstarch mixture. (source)
HOW DO YOU STORE LEFTOVER LIMONCELLO POUND CAKE
I recommend storing leftover pound cake on the counter at room temperature in an airtight container. Therefore, I wrap it in plastic wrap or cut it into slices and keep it in a covered cake plate. Furthermore, it will last anywhere from 3 to 4 days at room temperature or 5 to 7 days in the refrigerator.
CAN I FREEZE POUND CAKE?
You can freeze a pound cake with great success. Wrap it up tightly with aluminum foil or plastic freezer wrap and store it in the freezer for 4 to 6 months.
HERE ARE SOME OF MY POPULAR POUND CAKE RECIPES.
- Fig Preserve Pound Cake
- Key Lime Marbled Pound Cake
- Old Fashioned Blue Ribbon Pound Cake
- Strawberry & Cream Pound Cake
- Amaretto Peach Upside Down Pound Cake
- Fresh Strawberry Pound Cake
- Butterbeer Pound Cake
- Tiramisu Pound Cake
- Orange Creamsicle Pound Cake
- Citrus Pound Cake
- Woodford Reserve Bourbon Cake
- Fig Preserve Pound Cake
- Hummingbird Cake Pound Cake
LIMONCELLO POUND CAKE RECIPE
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Save To Your Recipe BoxIngredients
FOR THE POUND CAKE
- 1 cup butter unsalted, softened
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- 6 large eggs at room temp
- 3 cups cake flour see notes in post for subs, sifted then measured
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons limoncello liqueur or fresh lemon juice, I used this limoncello
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream at room temperature
FOR THE BUTTER SAUCE
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 4 tablespoons butter salted or unsalted, you preference
- ¼ cup limoncello liqueur
- 2 tablespoons water
FOR THE GLAZE
- ¼ cup limoncello liqueur or fresh lemon juice
- 2 cups powdered sugar sifted
Instructions
FOR THE POUND CAKE
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Grease a (10-inch, 12 cups) bundt or tube pan with solid vegetable shortening and sprinkle with sugar (or you can use flour). Alternately, you can use Wilton Cake Release. Position the oven rack in the center of the oven.
- Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl. Whisk to combine.
- In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, beat the butter at medium speed, for about 3 minutes, until very creamy.
- Add the sugar and beat for about 3 more minutes.
- Beat in the eggs one at a time, beating for 30 seconds after each addition. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
- At low speed, beat in the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating it with the whipping cream and limoncello liqueur. Begin and end with the flour mixture.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl thoroughly after each addition.
- Stop the mixer and scrape the batter. Mix again then evenly spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 75 to 85 minutes, or until a pick comes out clean or with dry crumbs. (You know your oven, bake accordingly, 80 minutes worked for me.
- Cool the cake in the pan on a rack for 20 minutes. Carefully, loosen from the pan and invert on a cake pan.
FOR THE BUTTER SAUCE
- Combine the sugar, butter, and water in a small saucepan and place over medium heat. Stir until the sugar melts, about 5 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the Limoncello. Poke holes in the warm cake and spoon the hot syrup over the surface of the cake and let it soak into the cake.
FOR THE GLAZE
- In a medium bowl, whisk the limoncello and powdered sugar. (Add more limoncello or powdered sugar until you reach the consistency you desire.)
- Let the cake cool completely and drizzle the glaze over the top.
- Store cake in an airtight cake taker in the refrigerator or counter.
Nutrition
Mia says
Made this for Easter and my guests ask if they can take a slice home for breakfast. Everyone loved this cake!
Chester Taylor says
Good evening, Paula! I just open an e:mail from you about Limoncello pound cake and would like to know where /what type of Limoncello to buy it was not posted in the recipe as you usually do. I always try to buy the recommended ingredients for the cakes I have so much now, to say the least. the Kentucky pound cake with butter sauce is “AWESOME”! Will you please e: mail me the type to use in the recipe.
God bless, Happy Thanksgiving!!
Paula says
Thanks, I’ll go back and put that in the post. I used Caravella Limoncello like this>> https://bit.ly/3DvuPUO
laura says
What an AMAZING pound cake this makes!!
Jaclyn says
As a limoncello-lover I was excited to find this recipe… and I will tell you that I was not dissapointed! It is incredible!
Paula says
Yay!!! I had never had limoncello until about 6 months ago. I’m a lemon lover so I knew I’d like it but I didn’t expect it to be as strong with alcohol. I took a big shot of it and was like whoa 😳 hahahahaha.