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Sliced lemon loaf with glaze on wooden board.

Lemon Loaf

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Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 16 slices
Calories: 365kcal
This lemon loaf turns bright fresh lemons into a soft buttery cake that disappears slice by slice.
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Ingredients

For the Bread

  • 16 tbsp butter softened
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 4 large eggs room temperature
  • 3 lemons washed to remove the wax
  • 3 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract or lemon extract
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk room temperature

Lemon Icing

  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 3 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 to 2 drops yellow food color optional

Instructions

Make the Lemon Loaf

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F
  • Grease and flour two 8 1/2 x 4 inch loaf pans
  • Zest the lemons, set aside 2 TBSP zest for the bread
  • Then juice them, set aside 1/4 cup of juice for the cake, and 1/4 cup of juice for the icing
  • Cream the butter and sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy
    Stand mixer bowl with creamed butter and sugar.
  • Add the eggs one at a time mixing briefly after each addition
    Egg added to creamed mixture in mixer bowl.
  • Mix in the lemon zest
  • In a separate bowl combine the buttermilk, lemon juice, and vanilla
  • In another bowl sift together the flour baking powder, baking soda, and salt
  • With the mixer on low speed add the buttermilk mixture and flour mixture alternately to the butter mixture
    Mixer bowl with combined batter next to flour and milk.
  • Mix just until combined
    Flour and milk added to batter in stand mixer.
  • Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans
    Batter poured into two greased loaf pans.
  • Bake on the center rack for 45 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean
  • Cool in the pans for 10 minutes
  • Remove from pans and cool completely on a wire rack

Make the Icing

  • Whisk the powdered sugar and 3 TBSP lemon juice together until smooth and drizzling consistency
  • Add up to one more TBSP lemon juice if needed to thin it down to drizzling consistency
  • If you want yellow icing divide the icing into two bowls and add yellow food color to one bowl if desired
  • Drizzle over cooled loaves
    Spoon drizzling glaze over warm lemon loaf.
  • Allow icing to set before slicing
    Lemon loaf covered with lemon glaze.

Notes

  • For stronger lemon flavor substitute lemon extract for vanilla
  • Store tightly wrapped at room temperature for up to 3 days

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 365kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 77mg | Sodium: 237mg | Potassium: 65mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 40g | Vitamin A: 430IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 31mg | Iron: 1mg