This dairy free lemon pound cake will swoon you and anyone you make it for. An easy to make pound cake, made with simple, real food ingredients. I promise that it will leave your dessert loving bellies very very happy. Each time I make this cake, I make it with all of my heart, adding extra love, just like my grandma did for us.
My grandma's thing was lemon cake. Wow, it feels weird to write grandma or really even say it because my brother and I called her Magra since we could speak. Magra always made it for my cousins, it was their favorite request. It wasn't a bad lemon cake by any means. It was actually mouth watering delicious and it was really hard to stop eating because the flavor was just that good. You know when you're so full, but you just don't want the flavor to end? It was that kind of delicious. 
I later found out that all this time she was using a Duncan Hines box mix lemon loaf. But, it didn't matter because Magra's love was one of the best kinds of love and she made that box mix taste DAMN GOOD with her added love.
So, this recipe is for my Magra.
Not from a box mix, but totally inspired by the Duncan Hines box mix. I tested this recipe a total of 5 times. Playing with different flours, sugar ratios and different forms of fat. I needed it to be perfect and I would not stop testing until it was. Hard job, I know, but someone has to do it¯\_(ツ)_/¯
After so many tests and tinkering, I think it is finally perfect. A tight crumbed, yet delicate pound cake bursting to the brim with bright and fresh lemon flavors. It truly is soul soothing, to say the least. So, I hope you make this lemon pound cake and remember someone you love, loved or lost. And that you make it with a little extra love.
Freezing Instructions
The cake (without the icing) can be frozen for up to 3 months. Once you make the cake and pour the lemon syrup over it, let the cake cool completely. Once fully cooled, tightly wrap the whole loaf in a double layer of plastic wrap and then foil. I also like to wrap in individual slices. Once cooled, slice the cake and wrap each slice with double plastic wrap. Place wrapped slices in a freezer safe bag and seal. To thaw the cake, unwrap it and put it on a wire rack and leave at room temperature for 3 to 4 hours (slices will only take about an hour). Once thawed store in an airtight container on a cool place for up to 3 days, but best eaten within the same day, which is why I prefer freezing in slices!
OTHER SUMMERY TREATS YOU MIGHT LIKE:
- Lemon Linzer cookies with Raspberry Chia Jam
- Paleo Lemon Blueberry Basil Scones
- No Bake Brownies with Chocolate Ganache and Strawberries
- Salted Almond Butter Raspberry Chocolate Chunk Cookies
If you make this Lemon Pound Cake recipe please let me know by leaving a rating/review below! And make sure to sign up for emails so you never miss a new recipe and follow along on my Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook for more About to Sprout goodness!
Magra's Lemon Pound Cake (Dairy Free)
Ingredients
Lemon Loaf
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour sifted
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup full fat coconut milk + squeeze of lemon or ¾ cup buttermilk with no added lemon
- 1 cup sugar or coconut sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 lemons zested
- ½ cup avocado oil or flavorless oil
Lemon Syrup
- ⅓ cup sugar
- ⅓ cup lemon juice
Lemon Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar sifted
- 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice adjust based on thickness preference
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and line an 8x5 loaf pan with parchment paper
- In a small bowl, sift your flour, baking powder, and salt
- In another bowl, whisk together coconut milk + lemon mixture, 1 cup sugar, eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla
- Slowly add dry ingredients into wet and whisk together until just combined
- With a rubber spatula, fold the avocado oil into the batter until totally combined
- Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and bake 40-50 minutes until tester comes out clean and it is slightly golden
- Meanwhile, make your lemon syrup. In a small sauce pan on low heat add your sugar and lemon juice and stir to combine until sugar dissolves. Once dissolved, remove from heat to let it thicken up just slightly
- Remove baked loaf from oven and let cool in pan 10 minutes. Remove from pan and poke really tiny holes all over the top of the loaf then spoon the lemon syrup all over the top of the loaf
- Let loaf finishing cooling completely and make your glaze by whisking the powdered sugar and lemon juice together
- Glaze once the loaf is completely cool
Hands down best lemon pound cake I’ve ever made! I usually use yogurt in my pound cake recipes, but loved using coconut milk in place. You would never know it’s dairy free!
Hey Casey! That is so sweet! I'm glad you loved using the coconut milk, my secret weapon 🙂
I made this lemon cake the other day and it turned out perfect. I love everything lemon and I probably made dozens of variations of lemon cakes and this recipe is definitely a keeper! Super easy to make and dairy free, which was a big plus for me and I even had almost all the ingredients on hand (except for flavorless oil but olive oil worked just fine). Thank you for sharing it!
Hey Natalia! I am so glad you loved the lemon cake and that olive oil worked perfectly for you! I bet the olive oil gave it a really beautiful flavor!
this pound cake was SERIOUSLY delicious!! the texture was so so perfect and my whole family and i loved how lemony and fresh it tastes! truly a new favorite in our house. thanks for the recipe!
Hey Kelli! I am so glad you loved it! Thank you for the kind review!
Would it work to use flax egg to make it vegan? Thanks!
Hi Diane! Because it uses 3 eggs, I wouldn’t suggest flax eggs. I personally haven’t tried it. I’m just not sure it would hold the structure of the bread. I think maybe an egg replacer could work for that amount!
If you do try it, please let me know!!
Fabulous recipe, definitely becoming my go to option for lemon cakes. Do you know if this cake can be frozen and if so, for how it lasts? Thank you!
Hi Laura! The cake (without the icing) can be frozen for up to 3 months. Once you make the cake and pour the lemon syrup over it, let the cake cool completely. Once fully cooled, tightly wrap the whole loaf in a double layer of plastic wrap and then foil. I also like to wrap in individual slices. Once cooled, slice the cake and wrap each slice with double plastic wrap. Place wrapped slices in a freezer safe bag and seal. To thaw the cake, unwrap it and put it on a wire rack and leave at room temperature for 3 to 4 hours (slices will only take about an hour). Once thawed store in an airtight container on a cool place for up to 3 days, but best eaten within the same day, which is why i like freezing in slices.
I'm so glad you loved the recipe as much as I do! It is a family favorite and a super special recipe! Thank you for making it 🙂
This was great! Any idea how it works with gluten free flour? Want to share it with my daughter who needs gf.
Hi Marianne! I have made it use the bobs red mill 1-1 gf flour before and it worked well! The texture of course is a bit different, but was still delicious!