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Lemon Pound Cake Bars

This easy lemon pound cake recipe keeps things simple by baking in a 9×13 pan. These Lemon Pound Cake Bars make preparation, serving, and transporting a breeze!

slice of Lemon Pound Cake Bars on a yellow plate

Lemon Pound Cake Bars may seem like a confusing title for a recipe, but I assure you it’s accurate. They are, indeed, a little bit cake and a little bit bar. You can easily slice them up and serve on little plates for a lovely dessert. Or you can just grab one and eat it out of hand when you’re craving a sweet snack.

The cake is a bit less dense than a traditional pound cake, yet it’s still solid enough to work as a handheld treat. See? It’s cake and bar at the same time. The best of both worlds!

overhead view of Lemon Pound Cake Bars in a white baking pan

There is plenty of lemon flavor here, with the juice and zest of two lemons getting mixed into the batter. If you’re a big, big fan of lemon, go ahead and use lemon juice instead of milk in the glaze. As much as I adore all things lemon, I prefer the simpler, non-lemon glaze. The sweetness of the glaze is a wonderful complement to the big lemon flavor of the cake.

Besides the lovely lemon flavor, I really love that these bars are so simple to make. You’ll just need a saucepan and a little bit of stirring to get the cake ready to bake. Leave the electric mixer unplugged for this one. A mixing spoon is all you’ll need. This one is officially on my list of quick-and-easy, last-minute desserts!

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Lemon Pound Cake Bars

Yield 24 large or 48 small bars
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Lemon Pound Cake Bars are a zesty pound cake in a shareable bar form. Such an easy lemon pound cake recipe!

Lemon Pound Cake Bars topped with a sweet, simple glaze

Ingredients

For the bars

  • 2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter
  • 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
  • 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • zest of 2 medium lemons (about 2 tablespoons)
  • juice of 2 medium lemons (about 1/3 cup)

For the glaze:

  • 1 cup (110g) confectioners' sugar, sifted
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons milk

Instructions

To make the bars:

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 9"x 13" baking pan.
  2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  3. Place the butter in a large saucepan.* Melt over medium heat. Remove from heat.
  4. Stir in the sugar, followed by the eggs, mixing well after each addition. Then add the flour mixture, and finally the zest and juice, mixing just until combined.
  5. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, and spread it evenly.
  6. Bake 35 to 45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a pick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack.

To make the glaze:

  1. In a small bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar and 2 tablespoons of milk until smooth. If necessary, add more milk (about a teaspoonful at at time) until the glaze is the desired consistency. Drizzle the glaze over the bars.
  2. Allow the bars to cool completely before cutting into bars.

Notes

*A 3-quart saucepan like the one linked below works well for the volume of the batter.

Recipe slightly adapted from Betty Crocker.

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    20 Comments on “Lemon Pound Cake Bars”

  1. Wowza. These sound amazing. Wold anything need to be adjusted to use Meyer lemons while they are available? I can’t wait to try this one.

  2. Oh, dear! I’m really going to be in trouble with this one. . . three of my favorite things in one treat. I can’t wait to try them.

  3. This looks amazing. I love anything lemon and this is a must make for me! Thanks for sharing!

  4. I LOVE LEMON. And pound cake. And dessert bars. I’m clearly already in love with this recipe.

  5. I guess I can see how calling something a cake bar could be confusing, but when you put lemon in front of it, I won’t ask any questions! Looks so good!

  6. I’m with everyone else: this recipe – no matter what it’s called – looks and sounds delicious! I’m wondering how well the cake bars would freeze – any suggestions? Many thanks and happy baking…

  7. How can this recipe be changed for a diabetic?

  8. Hi Jennifer,

    the recipe is so simple would definitely try out Thanks a lot

  9. I’ve made this recipe 3 times now. They are a huge hit with everyone in our house & do not last long. They are amazing!! I do put lemon juice instead of milk in the glaze for even more lemon 🙂

    Thanks for the recipe, we love it!!

  10. Absolutely delicious! I halved the recipe and added 2 Oz of cream cheese to the batter. No icing or glaze needed. This was perfect 

  11. Can you make these ahead and keep in the refrigerator?

    • Hi, Glenda! Leftovers will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for a few days. The refrigerator tends to make cake dry, so I generally don’t recommend that. For longer storage, I would freeze the cake.

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