A lemon coconut pound cake topped with a lemon glaze that is light and airy to celebrate Mother's Day or just because! Learn how to achieve a less dense pound cake.
Happy Mother's Day to all you moms out there! You make our lives sunny and bright.
That is why we'll be celebrating this important date with a beautiful and delicious Lighter, Airy Lemon Coconut Pound Cake this year.
Definitely, not the pound cake you may be used to. It's something special... for the extraordinary women in our lives.
Table of Contents
INGREDIENTS AND sUBSTITUTIONS
For the Lemon Coconut Pound Cake
- 1 ¼ cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 3 cups white granulated sugar
- 5 large eggs, at room temperature (separate yolks from whites)
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon table salt
- 1 cup canned coconut milk, full-fat
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice (or lime juice for making a lime coconut pound cake)
- 2 teaspoons lemon extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest, optional (or lime zest for a lime pound cake)
- ¼ cup unsweetened coconut flakes, optional
For the Lemon Glaze
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (or just enough to whisk the sugar and become a thick glaze) -- or lime juice if making a lime cake
- Lemon zest, Optional (to garnish the top of the cake)
Lemon Coconut Pound Cake RECIPE
The classic pound cake traditionally incorporates a pound of each of four ingredients: flour, butter, eggs, and sugar, resulting in a dense cake -- so popular in the Southern United States.
Ours, however, is less dense!
Here is how to make a pound cake less dense:
- Our coconut pound cake recipe with lemon uses baking powder to induce leavening during baking, which results in a less dense cake.
- Cornstarch is used in combination with flour to soften the harsh proteins of the flour, resulting in a more tender cake.
- The egg whites are separated from the yolks in our cake. By beating the whites separately and incorporating them at the end of preparing the batter, it makes the cake airy.
All these factors contribute toward a lighter, airy pound cake. Do you see?
The process is quite simple!
How to Make a Lighter, Airy Lemon Coconut Pound Cake
1. PREPARE THE CAKE BATTER: Preheat the oven to 350°F (180° C). Grease and flour an 8-inch bundt pan. Make sure to remove excess flour.
2. Combine butter and sugar in a stand mixer bowl, and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolks, one at a time, just until lightly pale.
3. In a separate bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt, and then sift the mixture twice.
4. Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, beating just until combined. Do not overbeat!
5. Beat in coconut milk, lemon juice, and lemon extract. Add the lemon zest and coconut flakes if desired.
6. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff and then fold it in the cake batter.
7. BAKE: Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 50-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
8. LET IT COOL: Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the cake cool for about 20 minutes, run a butter knife around the edges to loosen the cake, and then carefully unmold the cake onto a serving plate. Prepare the lemon glaze and pour it over the cake. Let it set and garnish the top with lemon zest. Enjoy!
9. FOR LEMON GLAZE: During those first 20 minutes while the cake is cooling, prepare the lemon glaze. In a bowl, whisk sugar and lemon juice together until obtaining a homogeneous, lump-free mixture. TIP: Start with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and add the second tablespoon of the juice slowly - just enough to whisk the mixture and turn it into a thick glaze.
10. When cool, serve the cake either by itself or with your favorite ice cream. I am telling you, it is a cake fit for a queen! 😉 Try also our strawberry pound cake!
NOTE:
FOR A LOAF CAKE: The cake batter also makes 2 standard loaf pans. Baking time: 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
How to store COCONUT POUND cake
Store cake covered at room temp for up to 3 days. Freeze for up to a month. For this, wrap in parchment paper and then plastic wrap. Thaw before slicing!
OTHER CAKE RECIPES TO ENJOY
I was absolutely delighted! I hope your Mom, Grandma, or that motherly figure in your life enjoys this Coconut Pound Cake as much as I did...
Here are a few other fruit cake recipes to make and enjoy:
- Lemon pudding cake recipe
- Key lime cake
- Passion fruit cake
- Mango upside down cake
- Banana upside down cake
- Apple almond cake
- Berry cake
From one mom to another (with much love), I wish you a HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!
PIN & ENJOY!
Lemon Coconut Pound Cake (Lighter and Airy)
Equipment
- 1 mixer
- 1 oven
- 3 Mixing bowls
- 1 bundt pan 8-inch diameter
- 1 Rubber Spatula
Ingredients
For the Lemon Coconut Pound Cake
- 1 ¼ cups unsalted butter at room temperature
- 3 cups white granulated sugar
- 5 large eggs at room temperature (separate yolks from whites)
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon table salt
- 1 cup canned coconut milk full-fat
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons lemon extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest optional
- ¼ cup unsweetened coconut flakes optional
For the Lemon Glaze
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice or just enough to whisk the sugar and become a thick glaze
- Lemon zest Optional (to garnish the top of the cake)
Instructions
- PREPARE THE CAKE BATTER: Preheat the oven to 350°F (180° C). Grease and flour an 8-inch bundt pan. Make sure to remove excess flour.
- Combine butter and sugar in a stand mixer bowl, and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolks, one at a time, just until lightly pale.
- In a separate bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt and then sift the mixture twice.
- Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, beating just until combined. Do not overbeat!
- Beat in coconut milk, lemon juice, and lemon extract. Add the lemon zest and coconut flakes if desired.
- In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff and then fold it in the cake batter.
- BAKE: Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 50-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- LET IT COOL: Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the cake cool for about 20 minutes, run a butter knife around the edges to loosen the cake, and then carefully unmold the cake onto a serving plate. Prepare the lemon glaze and pour it over the cake. Let it set and garnish the top with lemon zest. Enjoy!
- LEMON GLAZE: During those first 20 minutes while the cake is cooling, prepare the lemon glaze. In a bowl, whisk sugar and lemon juice together until obtaining a homogeneous, lump-free mixture. TIP: Start with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and add the second tablespoon of the juice slowly - just enough to whisk the mixture and turn it into a thick glaze.
Recipe Notes
- The cake batter also makes 2 standard loaf pans. Baking time: 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- This lemon coconut pound cake can be served by itself or with your favorite ice cream.
Nutrition
** Nutrition labels on easyanddelish.com are for educational purposes only. This info is provided as a courtesy and is only an estimate, since the nutrition content of recipes can vary based on ingredient brand or source, portion sizes, recipe changes/variations, and other factors. We suggest making your own calculations using your preferred calculator, based on which ingredients you use, or consulting with a registered dietitian to determine nutritional values more precisely.
Please note that health-focused and diet information provided on easyanddelish.com is for educational purposes and does not constitute medical advice, nor is it intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. Consult with your doctor or other qualified health professional prior to initiating any significant change in your diet or exercise regimen, or for any other issue necessitating medical advice.
Dianna says
Hi, Denise, this cake recipe looks wonderful! Can I sub out the cornstarch for either potato starch, tapioca flour or arrowroot flour? Thank you!
Denise Browning says
Hi Dianna! Yes you can replace the cornstarch with arrowroot flour (same amount).
Silvia Martinez says
I love pound cakes and coconut, a great combo!
Karen (Back Road Journal) says
There is something about pound cake and summer that seem to go together so well. Thank you for such a lovely recipe.
Ale says
That dessert is beautiful and looks delicious! Love it!
Enriqueta Lemoine says
What a beautiful dessert! I can't wait to bake it myself! Best!
mae. says
Lemon is a great addition to pound cake. I like the dense texture of the traditional version -- which is discussed in the recent book "Baking Powder Wars" where the whole development of baking powder is shown to have caused a revolution in the kitchen a couple centuries ago.
best... mae
John / Kitchen Riffs says
Lemon? I'm in! Love the stuff. And it works so well in a pound cake. This looks terrific -- thanks.
Deb|EastofEdenCooking says
I've never met a pound cake I didn't like! This lighter version sounds fabulous. And perfect with just in-season strawberries. Happy Mother's Day Denise!