Iced lemon loaf cake is an easy and delicious recipe for lemon lovers! A moist and tender lemon cake topped with a thick lemon glaze, perfect for breakfast or dessert! Just like Starbucks version, but better!
Ingredients for Iced Lemon Loaf Cake
Lemon loaf cake
- Unsalted butter – Room temperature.
- Granulated sugar – For sweetness.
- Eggs – Room temperature.
- Lemon juice – Freshly squeezed for the best and brightest lemon flavor.
- Lemon zest – Approximately the zest of one lemon. Fresh lemon zest adds amazing lemon flavor.
- Heavy cream – Adds moisture to the cake.
- All-purpose flour – Fluff the flour and level your measuring cups.
- Baking powder – Helps the loaf cake to rise.
- Salt – Enhances the flavor of the cake.
Lemon glaze
- Powdered sugar – Only sift if it is lumpy.
- Lemon juice – Freshly squeezed.
- Heavy cream – The recipe calls for 1 to 2 tablespoons. Start with 1 tablespoon and add a bit more if needed to get the perfect texture.
Tools & Supplies for Making Iced Lemon Loaf Cake
How to Make Iced Lemon Loaf Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a 9-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray and parchment paper.
- In a mixing bowl, use an electric hand mixer to cream together unsalted butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. (You could also use a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment).
- Add in eggs and whip until smooth. Next, add lemon juice, lemon zest, and heavy cream and mix until well combined.
- Add all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt to the wet ingredients. Mix on low speed until just combined.
- Pour the batter into the loaf pan and spread evenly.
- Bake for approximately 35-40 minutes. An inserted toothpick will come out clean when done.
- Allow the lemon loaf to cool in the pan for about 15 minutes. Remove the loaf from the pan and transfer to a cooling rack to cool to room temperature.
- To make the lemon icing, combine powdered sugar, lemon juice, and heavy cream.
- Spread a thick layer of icing on the top of the lemon loaf.
Iced Lemon Loaf Cake Recipe Tips
Use room temperature ingredients
To create the perfect texture and crumb to the loaf cake, it is important that all of the chilled ingredients (butter, eggs, heavy cream) are at room temperature. This allows the ingredients to combine well and bake beautifully.
Fresh lemon juice and zest
For the best lemon flavor, be sure to use freshly squeezed lemon juice and lemon zest. Be sure to the zest the lemon before you juice. To get the most juice out of the lemon, roll the lemon on your countertop pressing down slightly. For this recipe, you will need the zest of about 1 lemon and the juice of about 2 lemons.
Lemon icing
The recipe for the icing calls for 1 to 2 tablespoons of heavy cream. I recommend starting with one tablespoon and adding a bit more if needed. The icing should be thick but spreadable.
Cool before icing
To ensure you get a thick layer of lemon icing on the loaf cake, be sure that the lemon loaf is completely cooled at room temperature before you add the icing. If it is warm or hot, the icing will melt and be thin.
Storing and serving
The lemon loaf should be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. I don’t recommend chilling the loaf cake as it will dry out. It is perfect on it’s own, but if you want to up the lemon flavor, add some of my homemade easy lemon curd.
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Iced Lemon Loaf Cake
Equipment
- Electric hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment
- 9 inch loaf pan
Ingredients
Lemon Loaf Cake
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 3 tbsp lemon juice fresh squeezed
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- ½ cup heavy cream room temperature
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
Lemon Glaze
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp lemon juice fresh squeezed
- 1-2 tbsp heavy cream
Instructions
Lemon Loaf Cake
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Prepare a 9-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray and parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add room temperature unsalted butter and granulated sugar. Cream the butter and sugar on medium speed for a few minutes until well combined.
- Add room temperature eggs and continue to mix until smooth. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- Add lemon juice, lemon zest, and heavy cream. Continue to mix on medium speed until well combined.
- Add all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix on low speed until just combined. Do not overmix. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula to ensure the ingredients are mixed.
- Pour the batter into the loaf pan and spread evenly.
- Bake for approximately 35-40 minutes until the loaf is baked through. You can test for doneness by inserting a toothpick in the center of the loaf cake. When removed, it should come out clean.
- Allow the lemon loaf to cool in the pan for about 15 minutes. Remove the loaf from the pan and transfer to a wire rack to cool to room temperature.
Lemon Glaze
- Combine powdered sugar, lemon juice, and heavy cream. Mix until combined, smooth, and thick.
- Pour the lemon glaze over the cooled lemon loaf and spread over the loaf.
Notes
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