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    Home » Recipes » Recipes

    Glazed Lemon Loaf Cake

    Published: Apr 29, 2019 · Modified: Jan 23, 2023 by Krista · Leave a Comment

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    This is a recipe for and impossibly soft and fluffy homemade Lemon Loaf Cake and it is so quick and easy to make! I can’t stop myself from running and grabbing another slice of this deliciously lemony Lemon Cake. And one more slice. And one very last slice – the one which I enjoy the most.

    slices of lemon loaf cake on 3 white flowered plates on wooden surface viewed from above

    Made from scratch with old-fashioned ingredients like buttermilk, butter, eggs, real lemon zest and freshly squeezed lemon juice, this is the best spring or Easter Lemon Loaf Cake, whether for breakfast, brunch, dessert or coffee.

    After a visit to Starbuck’s last summer, my 12-year-old daughter was interested in baking a copycat Lemon Loaf Cake and was looking at recipes. I suggested this simple Lemon Blueberry Bread recipe from the blog. She made it without the blueberries and it turned out so amazing.

    slices of lemon loaf cake on vintage white flowered plates on wooden surface

    My daughter is really good at following recipes and can bake completely on her own as long as the steps of the recipe are clearly stated. She is the perfect recipe tester for me. When she makes this Lemon Loaf Cake, it is ridiculously awesome. I don’t watch her make it so I don’t know what she does differently than I do, but hers is always the best! So soft and moist.

    Try this recipe – I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

    **UPDATE 1/2023: Due to readers' feedback that their cakes were sinking, I did some research and found that the lemon juice was likely the culprit. Although the cakes tasted great, the acid in the lemon juice was reacting with the baking powder and altering the overall consistency of the cake. This has not happened in our kitchen and I love the punchy lemon flavor. However, to be on the safe side, I have reduced the lemon juice in the cake batter from the juice of 2 lemons to the juice of ½ lemon.

    slices of lemon loaf cake on white plates on wooden surface
    Print Pin
    4 from 2 votes

    Glazed Lemon Loaf Cake

    Prep Time 20 minutes
    Cook Time 55 minutes
    Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
    Servings 16
    Calories 302kcal

    Ingredients

    Lemon Cake

    • 1 cup (225 g) butter room temperature
    • 1 ¾ cup (350 g) granulated sugar
    • Zest 2 organic lemons
    • 3 eggs room temperature
    • ¾ cup (180 ml) buttermilk
    • Freshly squeezed juice of ½ lemon 1-2 tablespoons
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 2 ½ cups (350 g) all-purpose flour
    • 2 teaspoons baking powder
    • 1 teaspoon salt

    Lemon Glaze

    • 1 cup (100 g) sifted powdered sugar
    • 3-4 tablespoons lemon juice
    • 1 tablespoon milk or water

    Instructions

    • Grease and flour one large loaf pan (12x5 inches and 3 ½ inches high or 30x13 cm and 9 cm high) or two small pans. Preheat oven to 350°F (170°C).
    • In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add lemon zest and beat in eggs, one at a time, until incorporated and scraping bowl between additions.
    • In a measuring cup, add lemon juice and vanilla extract to the buttermilk.
    • In another large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.
    • Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk mixture to the butter mixture, beating until incorporated and scraping bowl between additions.
    • Pour batter into prepared pan(s) and bake for 55 minutes*, or until toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
    • Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Run a long, sharp knife along the inside of the pan to release cake from sides. Tip cake out of pan and cool completely on a wire rack.
    • Whisk the glaze ingredients together and pour over top of warm or cooled cake. Store covered at room temperature for up to three days.

    Notes

    *If using small loaf pans, decrease baking time by 15 mins.
    UPDATE 1/2023: Due to readers' feedback that their cakes were sinking, I did some research and found that the lemon juice was likely the culprit. Although the cakes tasted great, the acid in the lemon juice was reacting with the baking powder and altering the overall consistency of the cake. This has not happened in our kitchen and I love the punchy lemon flavor. However, to be on the safe side, I have reduced the lemon juice in the cake batter recipe above from the juice of 2 lemons to the juice of ½ lemon. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 302kcal
    Lemon Blueberry Bread
    Lemon Olive Oil Cake with Berries
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    Hi, I'm Krista, an American living and baking in Austria for over 25 years. Here you'll find everything I've painstakingly figured out so you can just enjoy baking.

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