Best Lemon Loaf Cake Recipe
Lovely balance of sweet and tangy makes this Lemon Loaf the only recipe you will EVER want for a Lemon Cake. Enjoy with or without the blueberries!
Servings: 12 servings
Equipment
Ingredients
Lemon Cake
- 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
- 2 lemons zest and juice
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 cup whole-milk plain Greek yogurt
- ½ cup neutral oil or melted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- Optional: 1 ½ cups blueberries lightly tossed in flour
Lemon Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice about ½ lemon
- ½ tablespoon lemon zest about ½ lemon
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
Instructions
Lemon Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9×5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the long sides. Lightly spray with nonstick spray.
- In a large bowl, combine the sugar and lemon zest. Rub together with your fingers until fragrant and slightly moist.
- Using an electric mixer, beat in the eggs until pale and thick, about 4–5 minutes. Add the lemon juice, Greek yogurt, oil (or butter), vanilla extract, and lemon extract. Whisk until smooth.
- Place a fine-mesh sieve over the bowl and sift in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Gently fold just until combined. Do not overmix. If using blueberries, gently fold them in.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Use a knife to make a shallow line down the center of the loaf.
- Bake for 50–60 minutes, or until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then lift out and transfer to a wire rack. Cool completely, about 45 minutes, before glazing.
Lemon Glaze
- Whisk together the powdered sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and heavy cream until smooth and thick. Too thin? Add more powdered sugar. Too thick? Add a few drops of cream or milk.
- Pour the glaze over the cooled loaf, letting it drip down the sides. Slice and enjoy 🍋
Notes
- Rub the lemon zest into the sugar before mixing to release the natural oils and boost citrus flavor throughout the loaf.
- Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt directly into the wet ingredients to keep the batter light and prevent pockets of unmixed flour.
- Stir just until no dry streaks remain once the flour is added. Overmixing can create a dense, tight crumb.
- Toss blueberries or other berries lightly in flour before folding them in to help prevent sinking and excess color bleeding.
- If the top is browning too quickly, loosely tent the loaf with foil during the final portion of baking.
- Allow the loaf to cool completely before glazing so the glaze sets beautifully and slices stay clean and even.
Nutrition
Serving: 10g | Calories: 294kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 51mg | Sodium: 330mg | Potassium: 64mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 31g | Vitamin A: 314IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 89mg | Iron: 1mg
