Why You’ll Love this Recipe
Perfectly moist and buttery – This cake has an incredibly soft, velvety crumb with a rich buttery flavor in every bite.
Beautiful caramelized edges – The golden edges create the perfect contrast to the tender center and add so much flavor.
Slow baking – Baking in an 8×4” loaf pan at 350°F will cook the lemon cake evenly, with a moist center and a nice crack in the middle during rising.
The icing is key – To make this a real Lemon Loaf recipe, the icing needs to be thick and lemony. You’ll need real lemon juice and zest for this extra punch of flavor.
Key Ingredients
This lemon pound cake comes together with just 9 simple ingredients, but each one plays an important role in creating the perfect texture and flavor. Since the ingredient list is short, I recommend following the recipe closely for the best bakery-style result.
All-purpose flour – I find all-purpose flour works great for this recipe and gives you a tender and moist cake.
Baking powder – Baking powder is essential for this loaf. It provides the rise needed and lightens up the crumb.
Sour Cream– The sour cream adds moisture to the loaf.
Lemon Juice – Always use fresh lemons for the best flavor! You’ll need around 2 large lemons for this recipe.
Vanilla Extract– The vanilla adds warmth to the lemon loaf.
Granulated Sugar – Adds sweetness and perfectly balances the bright, tangy flavor of the fresh lemon juice.
Unsalted Butter – Softened at room temperature
Fresh Lemon Zest – For best results, zest fresh lemons with a microplane grater. Don’t forget to wash the lemons beforehand!
Eggs – They need to be at room temperature.
Powdered Sugar- This is the most important ingredient you’ll need for the icing. Combined with lemon juice, you will have a frosting for your Lemon Loaf.
How to make Lemon Loaf
Here’s how to make the perfect homemade lemon loaf step by step with simple ingredients and easy techniques:
Prepare the oven and loaf pan. Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and line an 8×4-inch loaf pan with parchment paper or grease well. Set aside.
Make the cake: Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside. In a stand mixer, beat the butter on high speed for 2 minutes until creamy. With the mixer running on low speed, add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well between each addition. Add the sour cream, vanilla extract, milk, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Mix well to combine. (The mixture may appear slightly curdled at this stage due to the different textures blending. Don’t worry — this is completely normal, and the batter will smooth out once the dry ingredients are added in the next step.)
Add the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt to the bowl. Gently mix until the dry ingredients are fully incorporated and the batter becomes smooth and evenly combined, with no visible streaks of flour or lumps remaining. Be careful not to overmix, as this can make the final texture dense instead of soft and tender.
Bake the loaf. Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan and spread it evenly. Bake at 350°F (177°C) for 45 minutes to 55 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
Let the loaf cool. Once baked, remove the cake from the oven and place the loaf pan on a wire rack. Let the cake cool in the pan for about 1 hour to allow it to set properly. Then carefully lift the slightly warm cake out of the pan and transfer it to a wire rack or serving platter to cool completely.
Make the glaze. Combine all the ingredients for the lemon icing in a bowl and whisk together. If the glaze seems too thick, add a teaspoon of milk until it reaches the desired consistency. Allow the glaze to set for a few minutes before slicing the cake and serving.
How To Know When The Lemon Loaf Is Done
Start checking the loaf after about 45 minutes of baking. Lightly press the top of the cake- it should spring back slightly and no longer feel wet or soft in the center. Then insert a toothpick into the middle of the loaf. A few moist crumbs are perfect, but there shouldn’t be any raw batter.
Keep in mind that the loaf will continue baking slightly as it cools in the pan, so avoid overbaking it until the toothpick comes out completely dry.
Tip: If the top starts getting too dark before the center is baked through, loosely cover the loaf with aluminum foil and continue baking until done.
How to Store Lemon Loaf Leftovers
To keep your lemon loaf fresh, place it in an airtight container and store it at room temperature for up to 3 days. If you want it to last longer, refrigerate it—there it will stay good for about 5 days.
From my Kitchen (Chef’s Notes)
The secret to a thick lemon glaze – Add the lemon juice slowly! Start with about 1 tablespoon of lemon juice mixed into the powdered sugar, then continue adding a little more — about 1 teaspoon at a time — until the glaze becomes smooth and spreadable without being too runny.
Room temperature Ingredients – Room temperature butter and eggs blend much more smoothly into the batter, creating a soft, even texture and helping the cake stay tender and moist instead of dense or greasy.
Let the loaf cool completely – Make sure the lemon loaf is fully cooled before adding the glaze. If the cake is still warm, the icing will become too thin and slide right off instead of setting nicely on top.
More Bread & Dessert Recipes to try
Lemon Loaf Recipe
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and line an 8×4-inch loaf pan with parchment paper or grease well. Set aside.
- Make the cake: Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer, beat the butter on high speed for 2 minutes until creamy. With the mixer running on low speed, add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well between each addition.
- Add the sour cream, vanilla extract, milk, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Mix well to combine.
- Add the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt to the bowl. Gently mix until the dry ingredients are fully incorporated and the batter becomes smooth and evenly combined, with no visible streaks of flour or lumps remaining. Be careful not to overmix, as this can make the final texture dense instead of soft and tender.
- Bake the loaf. Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan and spread it evenly. Bake at 350°F (177°C) for 45 minutes to 55 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let the loaf cool. Once baked, remove the cake from the oven and place the loaf pan on a wire rack. Let the cake cool in the pan for about 1 hour to allow it to set properly. Then carefully lift the slightly warm cake out of the pan and transfer it to a wire rack or serving platter to cool completely.
- Make the glaze. Combine all the ingredients for the lemon icing in a bowl and whisk together. If the glaze seems too thick, add a teaspoon of milk until it reaches the desired consistency.
- Allow the glaze to set for a few minutes before slicing the cake and serving.
Notes
