This lemon cream cheese pound cake is rich, dense, and ultra-moist with a perfectly golden, crusty top. Made with a lemon cake mix, it’s easy to bake in a loaf pan or bundt pan. Top it with an optional powdered sugar lemon glaze for an easy weeknight dessert.
If you’ve made my cake mix cream cheese pound cake in a loaf pan, you already know how a simple block of cream cheese transforms a boxed yellow cake mix into a velvety soft bakery-style loaf. This version uses that exact same method, but infuses fresh lemon zest into a lemon cake mix for a bright, citrusy twist.
Why You’ll Love This Lemon Cream Cheese Pound Cake With Cake Mix
- Bakery-Style Texture: Adding a full block of cream cheese enriches the boxed cake mix and creates a dense, tender crumb and a velvety soft texture that tastes scratch-made.
- Real Citrus Flavor: Rubbing fresh lemon zest directly into the sugar adds a bright citrus punch without tasting artificial. This is the key to making it taste like a lemon pound cake and not just a regular cake.
- Effortless Prep: Takes just 15 minutes of hands-on prep time and basic staple ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry.
- Pan Versatility: Bake it in a 9×5 loaf pan or scale it up to fill a bundt pan! A standard 9×5 holds about half the volume of a 10 to 12-cup bundt pan, so simply double the ingredients to fill a classic bundt pan.
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
- Cream Cheese – A block of full-fat cream cheese adds much-needed richness and moisture to a cake mix pound cake. Be sure to set it out a little while to soften before making this recipe. You can substitute with equal amounts Greek yogurt or sour cream for very similar results (although it won’t be quite the same).
- Lemon Zest – Fresh lemon zest adds real lemon flavor to this pound cake. Rubbing it into the sugar releases citrusy oils that make it taste like lemon pound cake and not regular cake.
- Granulated Sugar – Pure cane sugar or standard granulated sugar works great here.
- Lemon Cake Mix – Using a lemon cake mix adds the perfect lemon-flavored base.
- Canola Oil – Many traditional pound cake recipes call for butter, but I recommend using canola oil or vegetable oil instead. Oil gives pound cake a more tender crumb, and it will stay moist for a little longer.
- Hot Water – Use hot tap water, about 110ºF-120ºF. Hot water helps to prevent lumpy pound cake batter because it evenly breaks up and disperses the fats (like the cream cheese) into the batter.
- Whole Eggs – Be sure to set your whole eggs out on the counter when you set out the cream cheese. It’s best to let them warm up to room temperature before mixing up your pound cake, so everything blends together more smoothly.
- Lemon Glaze (Optional) – To make the optional lemon glaze, you’ll need powdered sugar and lemon juice.
How to Make Cream Cheese Lemon Pound Cake
Before getting started, preheat your oven to 350ºF. Use a citrus zester or a small cheese grater to zest 2 lemons into a small bowl (you want a couple tablespoons of lemon zest). Then grease a 9×5 loaf pan or bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray.
Making Lemon Cream Cheese Pound Cake With Cake Mix
- Beat the softened cream cheese by itself in a large bowl, and set aside. I use an electric hand mixer for this.
- Rub the lemon zest into the sugar with your fingertips ’til well combined.
- Add the cake mix and the whipped cream cheese into that lemon sugar mixture, mixing well.
- Mix in the oil, hot water, and eggs until you have a smooth, creamy batter.
How to Bake Lemon Cream Cheese Pound Cake
- Pour the batter into your prepped loaf pan.
- Bake for about 45 to 55 minutes at 350ºF. You can tell that it’s done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Because of the larger volume, your bake time may be longer if you use a bundt pan.
If you decide to add the glaze, you will want to do it while the cake is still warm and in the pan. If you don’t make the glaze, let the cake cool for 10 minutes, and then remove it from the pan to cool completely on a wire rack or towel. Slice and serve with whipped cream.
How to Make a Lemon Glaze for Pound Cake (Optional)
You will want to do this while the cake is still warm and in the pan. Otherwise, it will just run off the sides and not really soak in.
- Add 2 tablespoons lemon juice to 1 cup of powdered sugar in a small mixing bowl.
- Whisk together ’til smooth.
Use a fork to poke holes all over the top of the cake, and then pour your powdered sugar lemon glaze all over the top while it’s still warm and in the pan. Let it cool another 5-10 minutes before removing it from the pan to cool completely on a wire rack or towel.
Expert Tips & Recipe FAQs
Yes, I actually have a gluten-free lemon cream cheese pound cake recipe. You’ll just need a gluten-free lemon cake mix.
The batter is lumpy because the cream cheese didn’t mix evenly. It helps to use hot water (110-120ºF) to evenly disperse those fats and to prevent the cream cheese from lumping up.
Yes, you can make this lemon cream cheese pound cake in a bundt pan. Since a standard 10 to 12-cup bundt pan holds about twice the volume of a 9×5 loaf pan, you’ll want to double the ingredients for this recipe to fill it. Also keep in mind that it may require an extra 10-15 minutes of bake time because of the larger volume.
To keep it moist, store it in an airtight container or plastic bag. Stored this way, it should last up to 3-5 days at room temperature. It will last longer in the fridge.
Yes, you can freeze it. Store it in an airtight container, or wrap it tightly in cling wrap and store it in a freezer bag so it doesn’t get freezer-burnt. It’ll stay good for 3 months this way.
More Easy Lemon Desserts
- Lemon Poke Cake With Jello
- Lemon Meringue Pie Bars
- Lemon Blueberry Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting
- Lemon Texas Sheet Cake
- Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
Lemon Cream Cheese Pound Cake
Equipment
- 9×5 Loaf Pan or bundt pan*
- wire cooling rack or towel
Ingredients
Cake:
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest
- 1/4 cup pure cane sugar
- 1 lemon cake mix
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 1/4 cup hot water
- 4 large eggs
Optional Lemon Glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice
Instructions
- Pre-heat your oven to 350°F, and grease a 9×5 loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- Beat the cream cheese by itself and set aside.
- Mix together the lemon zest and sugar in a large mixing bowl.
- Then add the cake mix and cream cheese into the lemon sugar mixture, mixing well.
- Next add the canola oil, hot water, and eggs, mixing everything together 'til you have a smooth, creamy batter.
- Pour the cake batter into the pan you prepped in the first step.
- Bake at 350° for about 45-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- If you're not making the lemon glaze, let the cake cool for about 10 minutes or so in the pan before removing it to cool completely on a wire rack. If you're going to add the glaze, you'll want to make it while the cake is still warm and in the pan.
How to Make Lemon Glaze for Pound Cake (Optional)
- Add 2 tablespoons lemon juice to 1 cup of powdered sugar in a small mixing bowl, whisking together 'til smooth.
- Use a fork to poke holes all over the top of the cake
- Pour your powdered sugar lemon glaze all over the top while it’s still warm and in the pan.
- Let it cool another 5-10 minutes before removing it from the pan to cool completely on a wire rack.
- Slice and serve with whipped cream!
