Lemon Loaf Cake
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This is the only lemon loaf cake recipe you’ll need! It’s moist and full of bright natural lemon flavor, then topped with a zesty lemon icing to finish it off. It’s also easy to make and uses simple ingredients!
This iced lemon loaf cake is similar to the Starbucks lemon loaf cake – but in my opinion, way better! Just like my lemon raspberry loaf, this recipe is made using only real lemons – no artificial extracts or flavors necessary.
Why You’ll Love My Lemon Loaf Cake
- This zesty lemon loaf is made using oil which keeps the texture super moist.
- It’s super freezer friendly, either freeze in slices or the entire loaf!
- I’ve tested this recipe with both dairy free ingredients, and regular dairy ingredients. Both ways work beautifully!
Ingredient Notes
- Lemon Juice and Lemon Zest: My recommendation is always to actually juice a real lemon rather than use bottled lemon juice because the flavor is stronger from a real lemon. That being said, if you need to use bottled that will still work fine.
- Oil: Be sure to use a neutral oil like grapeseed, vegetable, or canola. I tested this with olive oil just for fun and the olive oil flavor will come through in the loaf if you use a stronger tasting oil like that!
- Milk: I’ve tested this recipe with dairy milk and with dairy free milks like oat and soy. You can use whichever you prefer!
Step by Step Instructions
Preheat the oven then mix all the wet ingredients together!
Add in those dry ingredients.
Batter goes into the pan then we bake!
Prepare the lemon glaze then pour it over the cooled loaf.
Recipe Developer Tips
- Properly measure your flour – always! My preference is to use a kitchen scale for this. It is far too easy to overmeasure your flour which can make the lemon loaf dry.
- When zesting the lemons, be sure to not zest the white part directly underneath the skin (called the pith). It’s very bitter and as a result will make the lemon loaf cake very bitter! I made this mistake when in the process of testing my soft lemon cookie bars, and they turned out very bitter!
- Use an oven thermometre to make sure your oven is actual as hot as you need it to be. You’d be surprised how many ovens are totally off on their temperature, either too hot or not hot enough!
More Lemon Recipes You’ll Love
If you make this recipe, let me know how it went in the comments below, I’d love to hear from you! You can also tag me on Instagram or Facebook so I can check it out!
Lemon Loaf Cake
This is the only lemon loaf cake recipe you'll need! It's moist and full of bright natural lemon flavor, then topped with a zesty lemon icing to finish it off. It's also easy to make and uses simple ingredients!
Ingredients
Lemon Loaf Cake
- ½ cup (108 ml) sunflower oil, canola oil, or grapeseed oil
- ¾ cup (150 g) white sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1½ Tbsp lemon zest
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- ½ cup (125 ml) milk of choice, (regular or dairy free)
- 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1⅔ cup (208 g) all-purpose flour
- 1¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Lemon Glaze
- 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar (icing sugar)
- 1½ Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 2 tsp milk of choice, (regular or dairy free)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line a 1 lb loaf pan (8.5 x 4.5) with parchment paper. If you leave some hanging over the sides, it will make it easier to remove the loaf later.
- In a large mixing bowl, use a whisk or a handheld mixer to combine oil, white sugar, and lemon zest. Mix in the eggs, milk, lemon juice, and vanilla extract.
- In another bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the bowl of wet ingredients and mix until combined. Pour the batter into the loaf pan.
- Bake for 50-70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the loaf comes out clean. Let the loaf cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Lemon Glaze
- Add all the glaze ingredients to a bowl (powdered sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and milk). Whisk until a glaze forms, then pour over the cooled loaf.
- Let the glaze set then slice and enjoy.
Equipment
Notes
Measuring Flour: Properly measure your flour using either a kitchen scale or the scoop and level method.
Storage and Freezing Instructions:
Store the loaf in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
To freeze, let the loaf cool completely (preferably not iced, as iced can be messy). Then wrap tightly in plastic wrap and then tin foil. Optionally, put it in a plastic freezer bag and then freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature and then make the icing if the loaf wasn’t iced yet.
Calories: 189kcal, Carbohydrates: 27g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 0.03g, Cholesterol: 31mg, Sodium: 129mg, Potassium: 31mg, Fiber: 0.5g, Sugar: 17g, Vitamin A: 45IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 36mg, Iron: 1mg
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The calorie information provided for this recipe is an estimate. The accuracy of the calories listed is not guaranteed.
Photography by: Kelly at Bake & Bacon