Tangy Mini Lemon Cream Cheese Pound Cake
This melt-in-your-mouth mini lemon cream cheese pound cake is half the size of my original lemon pound cake recipe, but…
- Prep
- 20 mins
- Cook
- 1 hr 10 mins
- Cooling Time
- 2 hrs
- Total
- 3 hrs 30 mins
- Makes
- 8 servings
This melt-in-your-mouth Small Lemon Cream Cheese Pound Cake is half the size of my original lemon pound cake recipe, yet just as delicious! Baked in a 6-cup bundt pan, this tart, tangy, ultra-moist cake is buttery soft and made with cream cheese, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Dust it with powdered sugar or top it with a simple lemon glaze for a fun treat any time of year!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It's baked in a 6-cup bundt cake pan.
- Enjoy this small lemon cream cheese pound cake plain, with a dusting of powdered sugar, or with a simple lemon glaze.
- Tart and tangy: the tartness comes from fresh lemon juice and zest, and the tang comes from the cream cheese.
- A super moist, tender lemon bundt cake that practically melts in your mouth!
- A wonderful dessert that serves 4-6 people.
- The texture, taste, and aroma are simply wonderful!
What You'll Need
Gather the following ingredients to make this small lemon cream cheese pound cake.
- Cake Flour. I used Swan's Down Cake Flour. I don't recommend all-purpose flour here.
- Salt. 1/4 teaspoon.
- Eggs. You'll need 3 large eggs in total. Room temperature works best.
- Lemons. You'll need 2-3 medium lemons for the juice and zest.
- Extracts. 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract and 1/2 teaspoon of lemon extract. The lemon extract is optional, but it gives this cake an extra punch of lemon flavor.
- Unsalted Butter. You'll need 3/4 cup or 1 1/2 sticks (for U.S. bakers without a food scale). The butter should be at room temperature for the best results in this lemon cream cheese pound cake.
- Cream Cheese. You'll need 4 ounces, softened to room temperature. It blends much more easily with the butter and other ingredients this way.
- Granulated Sugar. You'll need 1 1/2 cups in total.
- Powdered Sugar. Used for the simple lemon glaze, or sprinkled on as a standalone garnish.
Let's Make the Recipe
Here's a brief overview of how to make this small lemon cream cheese bundt cake. For the full recipe card with US customary and metric measurements, scroll to the bottom.
- Blend the butter and cream cheese together. Mix for a good 2-3 minutes, until they're smooth and well combined.
- Add in the granulated sugar and lemon zest. Whisk for another 3-4 minutes, until the mixture is light and fluffy. The more air you whip in at this stage, the better the cake will rise in the oven.
- Add in the lemon juice and extracts, and blend thoroughly.
- Add in the eggs. This step matters: add them one at a time, making sure each one is fully blended into the batter. Don't dump them in all at once or rush it.
- Add in the cake flour and salt. Blend just until the flour disappears. Don't overmix this batter.
- Bake at 300ºF for 60-70 minutes. For reference, my small lemon cream cheese pound cake was ready at 70 minutes.
Recipe Questions
What size bundt cake pan did you use?I used this 6-cup bundt pan from Nordic Ware.
Can I use all-purpose flour instead of cake flour?For this recipe and my original lemon cream cheese pound cake recipe, cake flour is the way to go, since it's lighter than all-purpose.
My lemon cream cheese bundt cake is a nice golden brown on the outside but has streaks of cake that looked underbaked.Those streaks you're seeing are simply the baked-in parts of the cake. According to King Arthur Flour, they happen when the butter and sugar are creamed too fast in the mixer. Cream at medium speed at most, and mix the eggs and dry ingredients in on the lowest speed.
What’s the best way to store lemon cream cheese pound cake?The pound cake keeps in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can also freeze it, double-wrapped in plastic wrap with an aluminum foil cover, for up to 1 month. Let it come to room temperature before serving.
More Lemon Treats to Enjoy!
Tangy Mini Lemon Cream Cheese Pound Cake
This melt-in-your-mouth mini lemon cream cheese pound cake is half the size of my original lemon pound cake, yet just as delicious! Baked in a 6-cup bundt pan, it's tart, tangy, ultra-moist, and tender, with a buttery crumb made with cream cheese, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Dust it with powdered sugar or add a simple lemon glaze for a fun treat any time of year!
- Prep
- 20 mins
- Cook
- 1 hr 10 mins
- Cooling Time
- 2 hrs
- Total
- 3 hrs 30 mins
- Makes
- 8 servings
Ingredients
Small Lemon Cream Cheese Pound Cake
- 3/4 cup Unsalted Butter, room temperature
- 4 oz Cream Cheese, softened
- 1 1/2 cups Granulated Sugar
- 1 tbsp Lemon Zest
- 2 tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice
- 1/2 tsp Lemon Extract, optional
- 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 3 Large Eggs, room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups Cake Flour
- 1/4 tsp Salt
Lemon Glaze
- 1 cup Powdered Sugar
- 2-3 tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice
Method
- Set an oven rack to the middle or center position, place a jelly roll pan or baking sheet on it, and preheat the oven to 300ºF. Generously spray a 6-cup bundt pan with a flour-based baking spray (like Baker's Joy). Set it aside. You can also butter and flour the inside of the pan instead.
- Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the unsalted butter and cream cheese together on medium speed for 2-3 minutes, until well blended and smooth.
- Add the granulated sugar and lemon zest and mix for another 3-4 minutes on medium speed, until the batter is light in color and fluffy. Mix in the lemon juice, lemon extract (optional), and vanilla extract until smooth.
- Add the eggs one at a time on low speed, mixing until each one is fully incorporated. Don't rush this part.
- Add the cake flour and salt and blend on low speed until just combined. Be careful not to overmix. You can also fold in the flour mixture with a spatula instead. The batter should be on the thick side, smooth, and light in color.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared 6-cup bundt pan, then tap the pan on the counter 2-3 times to release any air bubbles.
- Set the pan on the preheated jelly roll pan or baking sheet and bake for 60-70 minutes at 300ºF, rotating it halfway through. The outside of the cake should be a medium golden brown with slightly darker edges that pull away from the pan. When lightly pressed, the cake should spring back. The most reliable test is a cake tester inserted into the middle: if any batter clings to it, keep baking. To prevent a very dark exterior, you can lay a sheet of aluminum foil over the top with 15-20 minutes left to bake.
- Let the cake cool on a wire rack for 15-20 minutes, then carefully invert it onto the rack, remove the pan, and let it cool completely (about 2 hours).
- In a medium bowl, whisk the powdered sugar and fresh lemon juice together, then pour it evenly over the top of the cooled cake. You can also add the glaze after slicing. For a thinner glaze, add more lemon juice. For a thicker one, add more powdered sugar. If you'd rather skip the glaze, a light dusting of powdered sugar or plain is just as nice.
Baker’s notes
- This lemon cream cheese pound cake keeps in an airtight container at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. It can also be frozen, double-wrapped in plastic wrap with an aluminum foil cover, for up to 1 month. For the lemon juice and zest in the cake and glaze, I used between 2-3 medium lemons. Store any extra lemon juice in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator. This recipe was adapted from my original Lemon Cream Cheese Pound Cake recipe.
