Moist & Tangy Lemon Loaf Cake

Published: March 31, 2019 · Modified: May, 13, 2023

This Lemon Loaf Cake is a lemon lover’s dream.  It’s moist and tangy and packed full of fresh lemon flavor and it gets drizzled with a tart lemony glaze.  It’s undeniably delicious!

Each and every bite of this moist Lemon Loaf Cake is simply bursting with fresh lemon flavor, including the lemon glaze. This cake has the perfect amount of fresh lemon juice and zest. It’s delicious!

Back when I originally posted this recipe, I added a simple lemon syrup to the recipe. The warm cake was poked full of holes, and the simply syrup was poured over it. When I decided to update my post with some new pictures, I decided to omit the simple syrup and add some extra lemon flavor in the recipe. I adjusted the lemon zest and lemon juice. It turned out perfect. No need for that extra step.

How To Make Lemon Loaf Cake

1. Mix the flour, salt, and baking powder together in a medium bowl and set aside.
2. Add the wet ingredients and sugar together in the bowl of a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment. Add the dry ingredients and the lemon zest and mix just to incorporate. Do not over mix.
3. Pour batter into the greased loaf pan.
4. Bake for approximately 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out with fine moist crumbs on it.
5. Cool for five minutes. Run a sharp knife around the inside edges of the pan. Gently shake the pan to loosen the cake from the bottom of the pan. Transfer the cake to a wire rack to cool completely.

Did you buy too many lemons?

Wondering what to do with extra lemons? No worries, I’ve got you covered. I have lots of lemon recipes. Here’s a few you can check out for using up those lemons, lemon curd, vintage lemon angel pie, lemon cake custard, lemon blueberry layer cake, lemon chiffon layer cake, lemon bars, lemon lush. There are plenty more lemon recipes here on my website.

PRO TIPS FOR MAKING LEMON LOAF CAKE

• Make sure your eggs are at room temperature. If they are not, place them in a small bowl of very warm water for about 4 to 5 minutes.
• Don’t over mix the batter. Over mixing results in a tough cake.
• Always zest your lemons first before juicing them. It’s hard to zest a juiced lemon.
• Don’t over measure your flour. If you simply scoop the flour up with your measuring cup, you’ll end up with packed flour, (too much flour). If you don’t have a kitchen scale, use a fork to aerate the flour in your container. Then spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it off with the edge of a knife.

Lemon Glaze

The lemon glaze takes 2 minutes to make, and it’s 3 simple ingredients…

• 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Simply whisk them together and drizzle over the cooled cake.

Frequently asked questions

Can I freeze this bread?

Certainly. You can freeze it with or without the glaze. Wrap it in plastic wrap, then wrap with foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw to room temperature before eating. Don’t thaw in the microwave. It will dry out the cake. You can also freeze individual slices. Wrap each one individually, then place them in a freezer bag.

How long will this bread stay fresh?

This bread will stay fresh for up to 3 days if placed in an airtight container on a counter top. There’s no need to refrigerate.

If you make this recipe please rate it below and leave a comment on how you liked it. I love getting your feedback! 🙂

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Moist & Tangy Lemon Loaf Cake

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 2 reviews

• Author: Cindy Gibbs @ My Country Table
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 60 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
• Yield: 1 loaf 1x
• Category: cake
• Method: baked
• Cuisine: American

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Description

This lemon loaf cake is a lemon lover’s dream.  It’s tangy & moist and packed full of fresh lemon flavor and it gets drizzled with a tart/sweet lemony glaze.  It’s undeniably delicious!

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

CAKE

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 1/2 teaspoon pure lemon extract
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

LEMON GLAZE

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

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Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease the bottom of a 9″ x 5″ loaf pan.  Cut and place a piece of parchment paper in the bottom of the pan.  Grease and flour the insides of the pan, including the parchment paper, and set aside.

CAKE

1. Mix the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder together in a medium bowl and set aside.
2. Add the wet ingredients and sugar together in the bowl of a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment. Add the dry ingredients and the lemon zest and mix just to incorporate. Do not over mix.
3. Pour batter into the greased loaf pan.
4. Bake for approximately 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out with fine moist crumbs on it.
5. Cool for five minutes. Run a sharp knife around the inside edges of the pan. Gently shake the pan to loosen the cake from the bottom of the pan. Transfer the cake to a wire rack to cool completely.

LEMON GLAZE

1. Sift the powdered sugar into a small mixing bowl.
2. Add the lemon zest and lemon juice. Add additional powdered sugar if needed.
3. Drizzle the glaze over the top of the cake, allowing it to run down the sides.
4. Let cake sit until the glaze has time to set up. Store cake in an airtight container.

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Notes

• This cake will stay fresh for up to 3 days if placed in an airtight container.