Here’s a classic, moist Lemon Loaf Cake recipe with a bright citrus flavor and optional glaze.
Lemon Loaf Cake
Ingredients
Cake:
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¾ cup sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¾ cup plain yogurt or sour cream
- Zest of 2 lemons
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Optional Lemon Glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2–3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven & prep pan:
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Grease and flour a 9×5-inch loaf pan, or line with parchment paper.
- Mix dry ingredients:
- In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Cream butter and sugar:
- In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each.
- Add yogurt and lemon:
- Stir in yogurt (or sour cream), lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla until combined.
- Combine wet and dry ingredients:
- Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until just combined. Avoid overmixing.
- Bake:
- Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan.
- Bake 50–60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool & glaze:
- Let cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
- For glaze, whisk powdered sugar and lemon juice and drizzle over the cooled loaf.
Tips
- For extra lemon flavor, add a teaspoon of lemon extract in addition to the juice and zest.
- Store covered at room temperature for 2–3 days, or refrigerate for up to a week.
- Optional: sprinkle poppy seeds into the batter for a classic lemon-poppy loaf variation.
If you want, I can also share a super-moist version using a buttermilk trick that keeps the loaf extra tender for days. Do you want me to include that version?
