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This iced lemon loaf cake is perfect to serve as a dessert or enjoy as a mid-afternoon snack with a cup of tea or coffee. Easy to make, this cake gets its bright, fresh flavor from lemon juice and lemon zest. Once baked, I drizzle the loaf with a sweet-tart lemon syrup that soaks into the crumb, making every bite moist and flavorful, then I frost it with a sweet, creamy icing for the perfect finishing touch.
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“This lemon cake is amazing! It’s the perfect blend of sweet and tart, super moist and has a ton of flavor. Perfect for any lemon lover.” – Pam
A Simple Loaf Bursting with Flavor
I love how quick and easy it is to put this loaf cake together, and I love how it adds a touch of brightness to my day when it’s grey and cold outside.
There’s nothing complicated about this recipe; every time I make it, it turns out perfectly. I use a few simple pantry ingredients to create a moist and light lemon-infused cake that’s full of fresh and tangy flavor. Once baked, it’s covered in lemon and sugar drizzle, and then I frost it with the sweet, creamy icing. Talk about layers of flavors! I bake this cake in a 9×5″ loaf tin, so it makes enough to easily feed a crowd.
Tips for Beginners
- Fresh lemon juice is best. Sure, jarred will work, but you won’t get the same fresh, tart flavor.
- Allocate the proper amount of time. This cake does take about 60 minutes to bake, so I usually plan to make it on a quiet weekday or weekend afternoon.
- Room temperature ingredients. Take all the fridge items out before you begin to prepare the cake so they can come to room temperature. This ensures they blend more easily.
- Zest before juicing. It is much easier to zest a lemon before you juice it.
Iced Lemon Loaf Recipe
Ingredients
- 2¼ cups all-purpose flour 306g
- 1¼ cup granulated sugar 250g, divided
- 1 tsp baking powder 4g
- ½ tsp baking soda 3g
- ½ tsp kosher salt 2g
- ½ cup vegetable oil 100g
- 2 large eggs 100g
- ⅔ cup sour cream 151g
- 2 tbsp lemon extract 24g
- 1 tbsp lemon zest 6g, from 1 lemon
- ¼ cup lemon juice 57g, from 2 lemons
For the Icing
- 1 cup powdered sugar 113g
- 1 tbsp sour cream 14g
- 1½ tsp lemon juice 7g, plus more if needed
Video
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line a 9×5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving overheang on the sides so that you can remove the bread once baked (see video).
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, stir the flour, 1 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together on low until just combined.2¼ cups all-purpose flour, 1¼ cup granulated sugar, 1 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp baking soda, ½ tsp kosher salt
- Add the vegetable oil and mix until fully combined.½ cup vegetable oil
- Add the eggs, one at a time. Scrape the bowl if needed.2 large eggs
- Add the sour cream, lemon extract, and lemon zest and continue to mix until well combined.⅔ cup sour cream, 2 tbsp lemon extract, 1 tbsp lemon zest
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
- Bake for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
- Allow the bread to cool for 15 minutes in the pan.
- While the bread is cooling, heat the remaining ¼ cup sugar and ¼ cup lemon juice in a small saucepan, stirring until the sugar is fully dissolved.¼ cup lemon juice
- Once bread has cooled 15 minutes, remove from the loaf pan and transfer to a parchment lined cooling rack.
- Spoon the lemon/sugar syrup over the bread, allowing it to soak in.
- Allow the bread to cool completely.
- Stir together the powdered sugar, sour cream, and lemon juice until smooth. Add more lemon juice if you need to make the mixture thinner.1 cup powdered sugar, 1 tbsp sour cream, 1½ tsp lemon juice
- Once bread is fully cooled, drizzle completely with the icing. Place in the fridge until set. Slice and serve!
Equipment
- Kitchen Scale
- 9×5-inch loaf pan
- Stand Mixer
Becky’s Tips
- Use fresh lemon juice for the best flavor.
- Make sure you have the time, as this cake takes 60 minutes to bake.
- Bring the ingredients to room temperature for easy blending.
- Zest the lemons before juicing.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did you make this? Leave a comment!
How to Store
Once the cake has been baked and iced, and cooled in the fridge, transfer it to an airtight container or cover with plastic wrap and foil. It will keep well in the fridge for about 3-4 days.
Freeze
Freeze leftovers for up to 3 months and thaw at room temperature before enjoying again.
Serving Suggestions
I like to serve this iced lemon loaf cake with a steaming hot mug of banana bread latte or a flat white. For the kids, I’ll serve them a glass of Red Robin strawberry lemonade that comes together with just 3 ingredients. This iced lemon loaf works well on my weekend brunch buffet table, as an after-dinner sweet treat, or a midday snack. I can usually get about 12 slices from this loaf so it’s great for serving a crowd.
More Lemon Desserts To Try
- This Lemon Meringue Pie is wonderfully fresh and full of vibrant flavors.
- These Gluten Free Lemon Bars have a buttery shortbread crust topped with a smooth and tangy lemon filling.
- This Lemon Curd is sweet and tangy, perfect for all my lemon desserts.
In the steps, the adding of the flour is missing. Also you have 1 cup sugar and 1/4 cup granulated sugar.
Doesn’t make sense.
It should be in the first step! Thanks for bringing that up to me!
This lemon cake is amazing! It’s the perfect blend of sweet and tart, super moist and has a ton of flavor. Perfect for any lemon lover.
I’m glad you enjoyed it so much!!
Where is the recipe for the lemon cake? Please?
Near the top of the page should be a link that says “Jump to Recipe” that will take you right to it!
In the recipe directions you forget to mention putting in the lemon juice and flour into the batter… pretty key ingredients. I caught the flour, obviously but missed the lemon juice ugh very annoying
In step 5 you add the lemon zest!