Lemon Ginger Pound Cake with Raisins is deliciously spicy and fragrant, studded with plump raisins and lightly glazed. A lovely addition to an afternoon tea, it also makes a great snack or dessert.
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Updated June 2026.
The Story Behind My Lemon Ginger Pound Cake Recipe
My Lemon Ginger Pound Cake with Raisins was inspired by my Triple Ginger Pound Cake and a raisin-studded lemon cheesecake which my husband remembered fondly from Marks & Spencer (now sadly discontinued). I added some lemon rind and a fresh lemon glaze to brighten the ginger flavours and then added some raisins to my original recipe.
Pound cakes are not really that common here in the UK (although I am doing my best to change that). A recipe with a history, the earliest cookbook references to pound cakes date back as far as the 1700’s. Over the years the recipe has evolved and different cultures have made it their own.
From the luscious pecan and bourbon laced pound cakes in Savannah, Georgia to New York City’s deeply chocolatey pound cakes, classic French Quatre-Quarts (four parts) cake in Paris and the plainer vanilla, lemon and sour cream pound cakes I grew up eating, there really is something for everyone. Here in the UK, you are more likely to find Madeira Cake than pound cake, although it is quite similar.
Pound cakes keep well in a sealed container at room temperature for 3 to 5 days depending on the recipe. You can also freeze them. I like to cut the cakes in slices first so I do not have to thaw a whole cake at once.
Recipe Variations
Leave out the raisins if you do not like them, or replace them with sultanas or chopped dried apricots. You could also use mixed dried fruit.
Serving Suggestions
Perfect with a cup of tea or coffee or even a glass of milk any time of day, my Lemon Ginger Pound Cake with Raisins is a lovely cake to have on hand. It also makes a wonderful dessert served with a scoop of ice cream.
Lemon Ginger Pound Cake – Printable Recipe
Lemon Ginger Pound Cake
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose (plain) flour
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- generous pinch of salt
- ½ cup finely chopped crystallised ginger
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup butter, softened I use unsalted butter, but salted butter is fine too.
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger root
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- grated rind of l lemon
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup juicy raisins or sultanas
- For the lemon glaze
- ⅓ cup butter softened
- 2 cups icing sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 to 2 tablespoons hot water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (170°C – 160°C for a fan oven).
- Grease and flour or line two – 2 pound loaf pans.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, ginger, baking powder and salt.
- Gently stir the chopped crystallised ginger through the flour mixture so it doesn’t stick together. Set aside.
- Put the sugar, butter, ginger root, vanilla, eggs and lemon rind in the large bowl of an electric mixer.
- Blend these ingredients together on low. Then turn the mixer to high and beat together for about 3 to 4 minutes. Scrape the bowl occasionally.
- Using a low speed, beat the flour mixture into the sugar and egg mixture alternately with the buttermilk.
- Fold in the raisins.
- Pour into the prepared pans. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre of the cakes comes out clean.
- Cool for 20 minutes, before removing from the pans and allowing to cool completely on a rack. Serve sprinkled with icing sugar or drizzled with lemon glaze.
- If glazing the cakes, make the lemon glaze:
- Blend the butter and the icing sugar together in an electric mixer.
- Add the lemon juice.
- If necessary, gradually add the hot water, a bit at time, until a drizzle-able consistency is reached.
- When the cakes are completely cool, drizzle the glaze over top.
Notes
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Make sure to tag #apriljharris on Instagram and follow @apriljharris for more.
If you are looking for more recipes like this, don’t miss my collection of Easy Loaf Cake Recipes.
Comments & Reviews
April, this cake is so beautiful and I do love that there are raisins in it!
Thank you, Patty 🙂
This is a really beautiful cake April. I adore the flavor profile and it just looks so deliciously moist and light. Great recipe!
Thank you, Nicole 🙂 It really is one of our favourites!
This looks so awesome! I love this recipe.
Thank you so much, Rini 🙂
Delicious lemon ginger pound cake. I love it.
Thank you, Swathi!
And no matter what you do…a pound cake that looks this good deserves to be savored over a steaming mug of tea or coffee:) Thanks for linking up last week at #FoodieFridays! Hope to see you this week! I am pinning this one!
Thank you, Christine and thank you for pinning too!
That looks SO delicious! I like pound cake too, and I love the idea of the lemon ginger flavor, because those are two of my favorites. I will definitely have to try this! Pinning and stumbling! I’m so glad you shared it with us at Foodie Fridays! I hope you will be joining us again this week!
I’d looooooooooove a big slice 🙂
Lemon and ginger go great together (I drink lemon-ginger tea) and your cake looks super inviting
Thank you, Winnie! I love lemon-ginger tea too 🙂
I wish I could grab a piece of this gorgeous cake, April! It looks so good!
Thank you, Hadia! It is one of my favourites 🙂