Glazed Lemon Loaf

Bright, tangy, and wonderfully moist, this glazed lemon loaf is the perfect bake for lemon lovers. Made with a blend of buttermilk, sour cream, and butter, the crumb is tender and rich while still light enough to let the citrus shine. Fresh lemon juice and zest infuse the batter with sunny flavor, and once baked, the warm loaf is topped with a lemon glaze for extra sweetness and zing. Best of all, it comes together quickly—just whisk, pour, bake, and glaze for a loaf that’s as effortless as it is irresistible. Perfect for afternoon tea, brunch, or whenever you need a bright burst of flavor.

I’ve tried quite a few lemon loaf recipes over the years as my family loves this kind of cake. I can confidently say this recipe is my favorite. It has super tender and moist cake and thanks to a good amount of lemon juice and zest, plus my secret ingredient True Lemon, the lemon flavor truly sings.

This cake takes about 15 minutes to prep and about 45 min to bake, so in a mostly passive hour, you can have a sweet and tasty treat. For the best result, have your sour cream, eggs and buttermilk at room temp. Didn’t plan ahead, that is ok! Place your eggs and small container of sour cream into hot tap water for about 5 minutes, and they will lose the chill. Buttermilk can be briefly microwaved to remove the chill, just don’t overdo it or it will curdle.

Check out some of my other great cake and dessert recipes here!

Glazed Lemon Loaf

moist and delicious lemon cake with glaze

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Course Breakfast, Dessert

Servings 8 servings

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 1/2 cup AP flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp lemon zest
• 4 packets true lemon
• 1 stick unsalted butter room temp
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs room temp
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/4 cup sour cream room temp
• 1/4 cup buttermilk room temp

For the glaze:

• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• powdered sugar about 2 cups give or take to make a thick icing

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 350 and grease and flour a 9×5 plan or line with parchment and grease that. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, lemon zest and true lemon in a bowl.
• In a stand mixer, beat the butter until light and fluffy with a paddle attachment. Add the vanilla and lemon juice and sugar and whip until smooth, scraping down the sides. Add the eggs on at a time on medium speed and beat until well mixed, scraping the bowl again.
• Add in 1/2 of the flour, along with the buttermilk and sour cream and mix on low until fully combined, scraping down the bowl as needed.
• Add the other 1/2 flour mixture and mix on low until just combined. Give a mix by hand to make sure it is all well mixed.
• Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes, then rotate the pan 180 and bake another 20 minutes. Start checking for doneness by making sure the center is fully set and a toothpick comes out clean. If the center is still raw, continue baking another 5-10 minutes. The cake should be golden brown and fully set.
• Cool in the pan for 30 minutes, then remove from the pan and cool fully. Mix the glaze to a thick consistency and spread over the cake. Allow to dry, then slice. Store in an airtight container at room temp. It won't last long once you taste it.

Keyword Breakfast, Cake, Dessert, Snack

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