Classic Iced Lemon Loaf Recipe
Based on my grandmother’s recipe, this classic lemon loaf is the epitome of summertime (but with an elevated twist)! Bursting with fresh lemon flavor, the pound cake features a plush and buttery crumb, a moist simple syrup soak, and a tart lemon glaze that makes it miles better than anything at Starbucks!
This recipe is one that’s truly near and dear to my heart and holds a lot of nostalgia for me. Whenever my extended family visited during the holidays, my grandmother would come armed with a homemade lemon pound cake, and it always managed to mysteriously disappear within a couple of days. When I got older, I finally got my hands on the recipe, which was handwritten on a yellowed, stained notecard (as all of the best family recipes are).
Since then, I’ve probably made her lemon pound cake more times than I can count, but I’ve also made some tweaks of my own to slightly elevate the recipe. For today’s version, I’ve adapted the original cake to fit in a loaf pan, and I’ve also included some additions like fresh lemon zest and a lemon simple syrup to enhance the fresh lemon flavor!
Ingredients in a Lemon Loaf
Fortunately, this lemon loaf only takes 10 ingredients to make (most of which you probably have on hand)!
- Unsalted butter. Especially for pound cakes that use a high ratio of butter, I recommend using a good-quality brand (you’ll taste the difference)!
- Granulated sugar and fresh lemon zest. In this recipe, you’ll rub the sugar and zest together before mixing with the butter. This will extract all of the fragrant oils in the lemon rind for a more intense lemon flavor!
- Vegetable oil. A combination of butter and oil will create a buttery crumb and moist texture.
- Lemon extract. Instead of lemon juice, we’ll use lemon extract in the cake for a more pronounced lemon flavor.
- Eggs. For the best results, make sure they’re at room temperature.
- All-purpose flour. To thicken the batter and provide structure.
- Baking powder. To leaven the cake.
- Kosher salt. To enhance the flavor.
- Buttermilk. Because of it’s acidity, buttermilk will act as a tenderizer for the cake to produce a soft crumb.
- Sugar and lemon juice. For the (optional) lemon glaze and simple syrup.
Best Baking Tips and Tricks
- Don’t overmeasure your flour. This is one of the easiest pitfalls when it comes to baking, and it will result in a dense and dry cake. If you pack the flour into your measuring cup, you’ll end up with a much more concentrated (and thus mismeasured) amount of dry ingredient. To properly measure everything, spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it off before adding to the bowl.
- Using fresh lemon juice and zest. It truly makes a difference than the bottled lemon juice and has tons more flavor!
- Don’t overbake. Otherwise, the cake will come out dry. You’ll know when the cake is done if a toothpick inserted in the middle of the loaf comes out clean or with only a few moist crumbs. If the cake is still not done but the top is browning too quickly, simply cover the pan with a sheet of aluminum foil as it finishes baking.
- Allow to fully cool before adding the glaze. If you add the glaze while the cake is still warm, it will melt and make a mess!
How to Store Leftover Lemon Loaf Cake
If stored in an airtight container at room temperature, the cake will keep for a few days. One of the best parts about this recipe, though, is that it freezes beautifully! If you want to store the cake in the freezer, I recommend skipping both the glaze and simple syrup (they’ll make the cake icy, then soggy when thawed), then wrap the cooled cake in a layer of plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months, then when you’re ready to serve, let it thaw at room temperature for around 8 hours and add the glaze!
Still hungry? Check out these other quick bread recipes!
- The BEST Banana Bread
- Carrot Cake Loaf with Brown Butter Frosting
- Perfect Pumpkin Bread
- Homemade Zucchini Bread
Hope you enjoy the recipe—leave any questions, comments, or ratings down below!
Classic Iced Lemon Loaf
Ingredients
For the lemon pound cake
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons freshly grated lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons lemon extract
- A dash of vanilla extract (optional)
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup buttermilk, at room temperature
For the lemon simple syrup (optional)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup lemon juice
For the lemon glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice, plus more if needed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan with butter, then sprinkle over a layer of sugar to coat and tap out the excess (you could also use butter and parchment paper to line the loaf pan).
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt, then set aside.
- Place the granulated sugar and lemon zest in a large bowl, then use your hands or a spoon to rub them together until the sugar clumps and becomes fragrant, around 1 minute.
- Add the softened butter to the bowl and, using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip until light and fluffy, around 3 minutes.
- Stream in the vegetable oil and whip for 1 minute more. Once combined, add in the eggs, one at a time, followed by the lemon extract and vanilla extract.
- Add in around ⅓ of the dry ingredients to the creamed sugar mixture, mixing until just combined, followed by about ½ of the buttermilk. Continue alternating the dry and wet ingredients, ending with the remaining ⅓ of the flour and folding until just combined.
- Using a silicone spatula, scrape the batter into the prepared loaf tin and smooth the top. Bake for 50 minutes to an hour, until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. If making the syrup, use a small toothpick or cake tester to prick 1 to 2 inch deep holes all over the surface of the cake once out of the oven.
- Allow the cake to cool for 10 minutes before lifting out of the tin and cooling completely on a wire rack.
- In the meantime, prepare the lemon syrup (optional). In a small saucepan, combine the lemon juice and sugar. Heat the mixture over medium-high heat and simmer until the sugar dissolves, around 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
- Once the loaf has cooled, brush it all over with the syrup (you don't have to use all of it).
- To make the glaze, mix together the powdered sugar with around a tablespoon of lemon juice, stirring and adding more lemon juice as necessary until a runny consistency is reached. Spread the glaze over the top of the cake and allow to fully set before slicing and serving.
