This Easy Glazed Lemon Loaf Cake with icing is better than Starbucks. Made with real lemon juice and zest, this lemon loaf cake boasts a superior crumb with natural lemon flavor and is topped with the perfect lemon glaze.
Featured Review
"What a lovely lemon loaf.Good flavor and moist. This recipe is a keeper."
(Karen)
The lemon glaze or lemon icing is delicious and melts in your mouth. You will make a Starbucks-style extra-moist lemon cake or a simple homemade lemon loaf with bold flavors. This one-bowl lemon recipe will be your go-to, just like this super-moist lemon bundt cake. It’s the kind of cake you’ll want to slice for brunch, enjoy with afternoon tea, or serve as a light dessert after dinner.
Unlike dry lemon cakes, this recipe holds beautifully, no mixer needed, just simple pantry ingredients like this orange poppy seed cake. Topped with a homemade lemon icing that gently soaks into the top, the glaze adds extra brightness and that signature look you expect from a well-glazed lemon loaf. It’s a bakery-style loaf you can make at home in under an hour.
If you love citrus desserts, this easy orange cake recipe is so soft and zesty. For a tropical twist? Try this easy coconut cake recipe.
Why You'll Love This Lemon Loaf Cake
- Super moist crumb from the heavy cream or sour cream.
- It uses real lemon and lemon zest for a bright, authentic lemon flavor.
- The simple lemon icing adds shine, tag, and sweetness.
- Better than any boxed lemon cake.
- It tastes better than Starbucks. Yes, it does!
- No stand mixer or mixer needed.
- Perfect for tea time, brunch, or dessert
Jump to:
Ingredients
- All-Purpose Flour: Ensure the flour is well measured, as it's one of the biggest culprits of cake problems.
- Baking Powder and Baking Soda: Leavening agents that help shape the lemon cake.
- Butter
- Eggs
- Lemon zest and lemon juice: The oils from the zest combine with the sugar, creating a perfect lemon flavor for the lemon loaf.
- Half and Half Cream or Heavy Cream: Locks in moisture in the cake. Can substitute it with Sour cream.
Refer to the recipe card for precise measurements.
Substitutions and Variations
Substitutions:
- Flour: Use gluten-free or almond flour for dietary needs.
- Sugar: Swap with coconut sugar, honey, or maple syrup.
- Butter: Use coconut oil or olive oil for dairy-free options.
- Eggs: Replace with flax or chia eggs, or applesauce, for vegan options.
- Dairy: Use non-dairy yogurt or make your own buttermilk substitute.
- Glaze: Try a berry or orange glaze for a twist.
Variations:
- Lemon Poppy Seed: Add 1-2 tablespoon poppy seeds.
- Blueberry Lemon: Fold in 1 cup of blueberries with a bit of flour.
- Lemon Coconut: Add shredded coconut.
- Lemon Zucchini: Add 1 cup grated zucchini for moisture.
- Lemon Carrot: Incorporate ½ cup grated carrots.
How to Make Lemon Loaf Cake with Icing
To make the lemon loaf cake, preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan.
- Whisk the eggs, sugar, cream, melted butter, and lemon juice till well combined..
- Add flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and lemon zest. Mix until just combined.
- Add the lemon zest and gently fold.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan.
- For the lemon icing, mix powdered sugar, lemon juice, and milk till well combined.
- Drizzle all over the cake while the cake is still warm. You can rub lemon syrup on the cake before pouring the lemon icing. (optional)
Recipe Tips
- Use Room-Temperature Ingredients: For a smooth, evenly mixed batter, ensure your eggs, butter, and any dairy products (such as yogurt or sour cream) are at room temperature. This helps create a light, fluffy loaf.
- Carefully Zest the Lemon: avoid the bitter white pith when zesting your lemon. Use a microplane or fine grater to achieve a finely grated zest, ensuring a smooth texture in the loaf.
- Don't Overmix the Batter: Mix your wet and dry ingredients until combined. Overmixing can cause the loaf to be dense and tough, rather than light and airy.
- Check for Doneness: Ovens vary, so start checking your lemon loaf at around 50 minutes with a toothpick. It should come out clean or with just a few moist crumbs attached, but not wet batter.
- Let It Cool Before Glazing: Allow the loaf to cool completely before adding the lemon glaze. This prevents the glaze from melting into the cake, ensuring a shiny, perfect finish.
- Add a bit of lemon extract to the batter or mix some lemon zest into the glaze.
- Use fresh lemon juice for the best flavor. Bottled lemon juice may have a different taste and can be less tangy.
- Avoid Overbaking: Keep a close eye on the loaf as it bakes to prevent dryness. If you notice the top getting too brown, cover it with foil during the last 10 minutes of baking.
Top Tip
Don’t Overmix the Batter! Overmixing can lead to a dense, tough loaf. Mix the wet and dry ingredients until just combined, and stop as soon as there are no visible streaks of flour. This ensures your lemon loaf will come out light, fluffy, and perfectly textured.
Lemon Loaf Cake FAQs
Yes, you can. They add richness to the batter.
Yes, lemon loaf freezes well! Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, then cover it with foil, or place it in an airtight container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for a few hours before serving.
Overmixing the batter, underbaking, opening the oven door too early, and using too much baking powder or baking soda.
This can happen if the loaf is overbaked or the batter was not mixed thoroughly enough. Be sure to check the loaf’s doneness at the 50-minute mark, and mix the ingredients only until they are combined to avoid overworking the batter.
Yes, you can! If you prefer a less sweet loaf, you can skip the glaze or substitute it with a dusting of powdered sugar. The loaf will still be delicious without it.
A cake is lighter and fluffier, while a pound cake is dense, moist, and more decadent, using a pound of butter, sugar, and flour.
More Dessert Recipes to Try
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
If you tried these lemon cake or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Easy and Moist Lemon Loaf Cake
Ingredients
- 1½ cup All Purpose Flour
- 3 Large Eggs at room temperature
- 1 cup Granulated sugar
- ½ cup Melted Butter
- 1 cup Half and Half Cream or sour cream, or heavy cream
- 2 tbsp Lemon Juice
- Zest from 1 Whole Lemon
- 1½ tsp Baking Powder
- ½ tsp Baking Soda
- ½ tsp Salt
For the Glaze
- 1 cup Powdered sugar (icing sugar)
- 2 tablespoon Lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon MIlk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 x 5" baking pan and set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, add the eggs, sugar, cream, melted butter, and lemon juice, and mix using a hand whisk or electric whisk till well combined.
- Add flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and lemon zest. Mix until just combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and tap on the working surface gently to release some air bubbles.
- Bake for 55 minutes, till the center is fully set or a toothpick inserted comes out clean or crumb free.
- Remove from oven and let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove from the pan. Let it finish cooling on a wire rack.
- For the glaze. In a bowl or cup, mix powdered sugar, lemon juice, and milk till well combines. Pour all over the cake while the cake is still warm.
- Let the glaze set or harden, then cut the cake and serve.
Video
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Nutrition
Shelia says
Would adding a little lemon zest to the icing be too much? Starbucks has the best lemon loaf. It has zest in the icing. Has a nice zing to it. Your recipe sounds wonderful but I don't want to overload the loaf.
Yes a little zest on it will do amazing
Susan Armstrong says
Really lovely, lemony (added lemon extract) and moist. I will definitely make it again!
Bilikis says
Thans for the recipe ma
Lex says
Any idea why mine overflowed all over the bottom of my oven? Followed directions word for word. Any help or ideas would be appreciated so that this doesn't happen again.
I think your baking pan was too small.
Shirley Rosser says
Made it four times. First two were over beaten & not the best. Last two were smashing. Added blueberries. Tummy!
Marion Fehr says
I tweaked a few things on this recipe and added 1/2 c of lemon juice. I also rubbed the lemon zest into the sugar and after it came out of the oven I poked holes in to loaf and made a runny icing using icing sugar and fresh lemon juice. My husband loves it as do my neighbours. Thank you for a easy recipe. MF
Shelia says
Sounds Devine!
Danielle says
The cake is very good and moist but it does not taste like lemon at all and have put all the zest from my big lemon. A bit desapointing
Sorry about that but too much juice will not be good
Karen says
What a lovely lemon loaf.Good flavor and moist.This recipe is a keeper.
Bilikis says
This looks so delicious.Thanks for the recipe ma
Devin says
Hello, I am excited to make your lemon poundcake recipe. However, I watched your video and can you tell me what the two long white things were that you placed directly into the batter after pouring the batter into the pan? I’ve read your directions twice and I don’t see what those are or why they are used. I am excited to make this recipe, but I don’t want to mess it up. I am a good baker however I have tried a couple of recipes off of Pinterest that have been complete fails. I’m always sure to make sure that all of my ingredients are fresh And then I’m using the proper ingredients at the proper temperature and the proper prepared pans. I’m on a fixed income so I don’t like wasting money having to throw out cakes. Can you please just tell me what those two white things were that looks like fingers that you placed Directly on top of the batter
Hi, it just slices of butter for it to have a beautiful crack at the top. Its' optional and has nothing to do with the recipe. Just for aesthetics.
It is butter for it to have a beautiful crack at the top