1920’s Famous Ritz-Carlton Lemon Pound Cake Recipe

The only from-scratch recipe to make is this Ritz Carlton Lemon Pound Cake. Loaded with lemony flavors and the softest texture.

This homemade pound cake from start to finish is a simple and elegant restaurant-level dessert that will be a huge hit at your next party or potluck. Using just a few pantry staples and lemons, you can make an old-fashioned pound cake without any baking skills.

My secret trick to reach the desired texture for this pound cake is to use both shortening and butter, and stick to all-purpose flour to keep the cake from being too dense and tough to chew.

Save this recipe to make for your family this April for Easter or during summer break! If you love pound cakes, try my peach cobbler pound cake, raspberry white chocolate pound cake, or stick to citrus flavors with this orange pound cake recipe.

What Is The Ritz-Carlton’s Famous Cake?

The Ritz-Carlton is well-known for its lemon pound cake all over the world, and now on the Internet too. This famous lemon pound cake recipe dates back to the 1920s.

This cake is special because it has a rich buttery taste, combined with a moist texture and elegant simplicity.

The secret to its deliciousness lies in the use of fresh lemon juice and lemon zest, which give it a fresh, citrusy, summer flavor. The cake is made with basic ingredients like flour, sugar, butter, eggs, and milk, and is easy to make at home!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• One of the simplest pound cake recipes you will find!
• Looks and tastes delicious with its warm golden crust and light lemon aroma.
• A bit fancy, let’s be honest, if you tell your guests you’re making cakes just as good as the Ritz Carlton, you will be the best entertainer ever.
• Affordable and freezer-friendly, so it will be perfect to make ahead, as the bundt pan makes a large cake!
• Bouncy and quite addictive. Perfect for breakfast and brunch!

Ingredients Notes          

• Flour mixture: all-purpose flour and baking powder to help the cake rise and become fluffy and soft.
• Granulated sugar. White sugar is an easy sweetener and a moist trap for cake recipes.
• Unsalted butter softened at room temperature (take it out of the fridge around 45 minutes before cooking). I use unsalted butter and don’t add any salt at all to my batter.
• Shortening. Yes, for the best results and that signature old-school taste and texture, we need to use both shortening and butter. Shortening makes a denser cake and also adds a brown color to the top.
• Eggs build up the texture of a nice, high cake in the bundt pan.
• Whole milk is the best option for the fluffy and rich texture and cake flavor.
• Lemon juice. You can use both store-bought and freshly squeezed juice. If possible, I always opt for fresh juice to make sure it has all-natural flavoring only in my homemade cake.
• Lemon zest. Pick organic lemons to avoid pesticides and other chemicals that can be found on fruit skin. Zest the lemons just before baking in a separate bowl, and try not to zest too much of the white soft skin, as it often tastes bitter.

Kitchen Equipment

• 15-cup bundt or pound cake pan (sometimes called a tube pan)
• Mixing bowl
• Medium Bowl
• Stand mixer

How To Make Lemon Pound Cake Ritz Carlton Style

1: Prepare Lemon Pound Cake Batter

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Liberally grease a 15-cup bundt or pound cake pan with shortening or baker’s release. Make sure to cover all the nooks and crannies. Set aside.
3. Combine dry ingredients: the flour and baking powder in a mixing bowl. Whisk. Set aside.
4. Cream the butter, shortening, sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest in the bowl of a stand mixer until light and fluffy.
5. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing at a lower speed.
6. Slowly add dry ingredients and milk to the butter mixture – mixing until it just comes together. Don’t over-mix (it is a common problem in pound cakes!)

2: Bake Lemon Pound Cake

1. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan.
2. Bake for 55-60 minutes or until the toothpick test comes out clean.
3. Remove and let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes.
4. Invert the pan and carefully release the cake onto the wire rack. Let the cake continue to cool to room temperature before decorating or serving.

Storage

Store lemon pound cake leftovers refrigerated for up to 3 days in a sealed container.

Freezing. You can either freeze the whole cake or individual slices for convenience. Let the cake cool completely, wrap it in two layers (plastic wrap and heavy-duty foil), and store it in a freezer-safe bag for up to 2-3 months.

Substitutions & Variations

• Add simple icing and decorate with spring flowers (edible or not), mint leaves, and lemon slices.
• Add vanilla extract to the cake batter or icing for more flavor.
• Skip icing and simply dust the baked cake with some powdered sugar.
• Serving ideas. Serve a slice of warm cake with ice cream. During the holiday season, some sugared cranberries are a great addition too.
• Use cake flour for a denser and thicker pound cake with less gluten.
• For an extra bold lemon taste, you can add a bit of lemon extract.
• This iconic dessert was made using a large bundt pan; it has not been tested using loaf pans.
• This cake with the bright lemon flavor can be served with vanilla ice cream or just a cup of tea.

Expert Tips To Make The Best Ritz-Carlton Lemon Pound Cake

• The spring-back test isn’t as accurate when working with such a thick cake – so stick with the toothpick test for this one.
• Make sure to scrape the sides of the bowl when mixing, mix on low speed, pour batter evenly, and keep an eye on the baking time.
• Do not fill the pan till the very top; leave some space for the cake to rise while baking
• Know your oven. Baking times vary from under an hour to 70 minutes.
• Take your time with greasing the bundt pan. Due to its shape, the cake sticks to it, and when you try to release it, some parts will stay in the pan. It will ruin the looks.
• Let the cake cool before flipping, and be patient. A cooler cake is easier to remove from the pan!

Popular Questions

What Makes A Pound Cake Different From A Regular Cake?

Pound cakes are unique because they traditionally use a pound of each of the four main ingredients: flour, sugar, butter, and eggs. This gives them a dense, rich texture compared to regular cakes, which might use different proportions and additional ingredients like baking powder for a lighter, fluffier texture.

How To Make Your Pound Cake More Moist?

To make your pound cake more moist, add ingredients that bring moisture like whipped cream, whole milk, buttermilk (homemade or store-bought), sour cream, or yogurt. Baking at the right temperature and not over-baking is also key to keeping the cakes moist.

Why Is My Lemon Pound Cake Dry?

If your lemon pound cake is dry, it might be because it’s over-baked or the batter was over-mixed. Follow the recipe steps as instructed.

If you love this pound cake recipe, you’re going to love these other pound cake recipes, too. Please click each link below to find the easy, printable recipe!

More Great Lemon Cake Recipes

Lemon Poppy Seed Mini Loaf Cakes

Easy Lemon Cake Recipe

Lemon Poke Cake

Lemon Ricotta Cake

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