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Iced Lemon Loaf Cake
4.7 from 117 votes

Iced Lemon Loaf Cake

The Iced Lemon Loaf Cake blends lemon zest and juice with a moist batter made of flour, sugar, butter, oil, sour cream, and eggs. Once baked until tender and golden, it’s topped with a lemon juice and powdered sugar glaze. The result is a fragrant, moist cake with bright citrus notes and a sweet, tangy icing that enhances its lemon flavor, suitable for dessert or teatime.

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
50 mins
Total Time
1 hr 5 mins
Servings: 10
Calories: 403 kcal
Course: Bread
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Dry ingredients
  • 1 & 3/4 cups flour spooned and leveled
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 & 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons lemon from about 2 lemons, zest
Wet ingredients
  • 1/4 cup butter melted (1/2 stick)
  • 2 large egg
  • 1/4 cup neutral cooking oil I like light flavored olive oil, generic cooking oil
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1/3 cup lemon juice you will need at least 2 large lemons
For the glaze
  • 2 cups powdered sugar sifted if clumpy
  • 3-4 tablespoons lemon juice you will need at least 1 large lemon

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 
  2. Line a 9x5 in loaf pan with parchment paper for easy removal. Or you could spray the pan with nonstick spray. (Or line with foil; be sure to grease.)
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: 1 and 3/4 cup flour, 1 cup sugar, 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
  4. Use a microplane grater to zest 2 large lemons into the dry ingredients. You want at least 2 tablespoons. Whisk it all together and set aside.
  5. In a small bowl, microwave 1/4 cup butter until melted. Set aside to cool a bit.
  6. In another large bowl* or stand mixer, add the wet ingredients: beat 2 large eggs until combined and smooth. Add 1/4 cup oil, 1 cup sour cream, and 1/3 cup lemon juice.
  7. Add in the melted butter. Stir it all together.
  8. Add the dry ingredients (and then wipe out the dry bowl and put it back in your cupboard.) Stir until combined. Make sure that everything is incorporated, but do not over beat. A few lumps are ok. See photos above to see the batter. 
  9. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth out the top.
  10. Bake at 350 for about 45-52 minutes. Every oven is different, so start checking early. The bread is done when there are brown spots on top and a toothpick, when inserted in the center, comes out with no wet batter on it. 
  11. Let the pan cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes before lifting the bread from the pan. Let the bread continue cooling on the wire rack while you make the glaze.
  12. To make the glaze, add 2 cups of powdered sugar to a medium bowl. If it looks rather clumpy, sift it through a strainer so that you don't have lumps in your glaze. 
  13. Add 3 tablespoons lemon juice to the bowl and use a whisk to combine. Add more lemon juice if necessary to get a glaze consistency that easily drips off of a spoon. 
  14. Glaze the bread in increments. Add about 1/3 of the glaze to the cooled bread and spread to the edges, letting it drip down the sides. Allow the glaze to set for 10-20 minutes until it has formed a crust. (Stick it in the fridge or freezer to speed this up.) 
  15. Add another 1/3 of the glaze and let set as before. 
  16. Add the rest of the glaze and let set completely. You don't have to add the glaze in stages like this, but it's the best way to get a really thick glaze on top of the bread. 
  17. Slice the bread and serve!
  18. Store the bread covered on the counter for 2-3 days. After that, store in the fridge.
  19. This bread can be frozen and served later! Let thaw on the counter in the container that you froze it in (sealed). 

Notes

  • Mixing by hand works well; no mixer required unless preferred.
  • This recipe makes enough batter for three mini loaves baked at the same temperature, with about 30 minutes baking time.
  • Line the pan with parchment or foil and grease to ease loaf removal.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1slice Calories 403kcal (20%) Carbohydrates 63g (21%) Protein 4g (8%) Fat 16g (25%) Saturated Fat 6g (30%) Polyunsaturated Fat 2g (12%) Monounsaturated Fat 6g (30%) Trans Fat 1g (50%) Cholesterol 61mg (20%) Potassium 87mg (2%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 45g (90%) Vitamin A 340IU (7%) Vitamin C 7mg (8%) Calcium 74mg (7%) Iron 1mg (6%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 10 Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 403

% Daily Value*

Serving 1slice
Calories 403kcal 20%
Carbohydrates 63g 21%
Protein 4g 8%
Fat 16g 25%
Saturated Fat 6g 30%
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g 12%
Monounsaturated Fat 6g 30%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 61mg 20%
Potassium 87mg 2%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 45g 90%
Vitamin A 340IU 7%
Vitamin C 7mg 8%
Calcium 74mg 7%
Iron 1mg 6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.