Y’all my lemon loaf cake puts the Starbucks one to shame! Plus you can make it without a stand mixer or hand mixer. Just a little elbow grease and you can mix this up in a flash. I keep it super moist and also a bit light because I use oil and Greek yogurt instead of butter. And the lemon flavor is over the top because I add in lemon juice, zest and extract. Pucker up boos and get into it.
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How to Make Lemon Loaf Cake
Step 1: Mix the Cake Batter
- Combine the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a medium bowl.
- Whisk them together until mixed.
- Combine the eggs, sugar, zest, juice, oil, yogurt, and extracts in a large bowl.
- Whisk everything together until well combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.
- Stir with a whisk until a thick batter forms. Do not over-mix.
Step 2: Bake It
- Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan.
- Bake until the cake is golden brown on top and it starts to pull away from the sides of the pan. You can also check with a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. It should take about 50-55 minutes to cook. Cool the cake in the pan for 15 minutes and then remove to finish cooling.
Step 3: Mix the Lemon Glaze and Top Your Lemon Loaf
- Whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, zest, juice, and milk in a bowl until smooth.
- Pour the glaze over the cake once completely cooled. Let glaze set, slice, and enjoy!
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Lemon Loaf Cake Recipe
Want to Save This Recipe, Boo?
I’ll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup whole milk Greek yogurt plain
- ½ teaspoon lemon extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Glaze
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar sifted
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Place rack in the middle position. Prep a 9×5 loaf pan with nonstick baking spray.
- In a small bowl, combine flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda and whisk together.
- In a large bowl, combine eggs, sugar, zest, juice, oil, yogurt, and extracts and whisk together until well combined.
- Add dry ingredients into wet ingredients and whisk together until a thick batter forms. Do not overmix.
- Pour batter into prepared pan and bake until cake is golden brown, starts to pull away from the sides of the pan, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 50-55 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let cool in pan for 15 minutes. Remove from pan to continue cooling, about 30 minutes.
- Whisk together confectioners’ sugar, zest, juice, and milk until smooth. Pour over cake once completely cooled. Let glaze set, slice, and enjoy!
Notes
Allow it to cool completely and then wrap it in plastic wrap or aluminum foil, or store it in an airtight container. How long will lemon loaf cake last?
Store your cake at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for up to a week. Can I freeze lemon cake?
Yep, you sure can! For best results, I recommend freezing the cake before you add the glaze.
Nutrition
Recipe Tips
- Zesting Your Lemon: Avoid the white pith that lies right under the surface of the yellow outside. It is too bitter and doesn’t taste great.
- Avoid Mixing Too Much: Too much mixing of the dry ingredients and your loaf may end up dense and tough.
- Cool the Cake: If the cake is warm, the glaze will slide right off or won’t set properly.
Recipe Help
I have made a version of this lemon cake using olive oil. My only caution is that olive oil has a very distinct flavor which does distract from the lemon flavor.
Yep! You can even enjoy it plain with just a powdered sugar dusting or it tastes great with basic buttercream frosting or cream cheese frosting.
More Favorite Lemon Cake Recipes
- Lemon Pound Cake
- Meyer Lemon Olive Oil Cake
- Lemon Blueberry Pound Cake
- Lemon Blueberry Cake
- Lemon Layer Cake
- Best Lemon Cupcakes
*Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating and leave comments below!* Post a photo of how your version of the recipe came out on Instagram (using #grandbabycakes)!!
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This lemon loaf is dmoist, light, and full of bright lemon flavor. It’s delightful with a cup of tea!
Cream cheese frosting on top with a bit of zest made it amazing.
Whipped this up for an afternoon treat, and it does not disappoint! Turned out light, fluffy and sweet; easily, a new favorite recipe!
I am addicted to the lemon loaf at Starbucks, so I am drooling over this healthier version! Thank you so much for sharing 🙂
Oh my gosh, this loaf is dreamy! I was tempted to add blueberries but wanted to try it as written. Easy and so sunny! Thanks for another winner!
Can I swap the olive oil for coconut oil?
Great recipe!
Neighbor gave me a bag of lemons so searched for lemon loaf recipes. This was so good and easy! Family all loved it and will definitely make again. Next time will plan ahead and have something like raspberry sorbet or fresh berries on the side.
Jocelyn or others,
Can this be successfully made in a bundt pan? Wanting to make it for my mother’s birthday so presentation is important. Thanks 🙂
Yes you can probably double it and try that.