My go-to lemon loaf recipe for years! This delicious Glazed Lemon Pound Cake Loaf is always perfectly moist and lemony!
I have been making this same lemon loaf for years. It’s my “go to” when only lemon loaf will do. The fact that I’ve never posted it to this point is simply my belief that maybe the internet didn’t really need another lemon loaf recipe. But what the heck. It’s good, it’s tried and tested (many, many times!) and for anyone who has yet to find their “go to” lemon loaf, it’s definitely worthy of consideration.
I suppose lemon loaf is somewhat subjective. What makes this loaf a winner for me is the lovely texture (not too light, not too dense), the perfect level of moistness (not too oily, never dry) and just the right amount of lemon. With this one, the hit of lemon actually comes more from the glaze than the cake, though there is obviously some lemon in the cake. But it’s in the lemon glaze that the the perfect balance is struck, so definitely don’t skip that.
The final point I love about this loaf, is that it needs only 1 large lemon and pretty much typical pantry and fridge items to make it. That means I’m always stocked to make this one, which has come in handy many times when I needed a little something special to share or gift.
Featured Review: I made this lemon pound loaf today and it tastes incredible! I was worried that it wouldn’t have much lemon taste because of the small amount of lemon juice that goes into the batter. There was no need to worry though, the lemon taste is the star of this loaf. This recipe is pure perfection! – Krista
Cook’s Notes
When it comes to baking loaves like this one, there is really just one secret to success. Follow the instructions :) Take it from someone who has (in the past :) skipped certain instructions like “at room temperature”, “whisk together well in a separate bowl” and “add alternately” … yet had what I considered (at the time) to be a reasonably fine result.
It was only when I started following those instructions that I discovered the reason they were there. There’s fine and then there’s great. I learned I prefer the great, so I am willing to be a bit more organized and patient. It’s a small price to pay for great lemon loaf :)
So the moral of that story … be sure to take your eggs, butter and sour cream out of the fridge 30 minutes before you start baking. Be sure to combine the flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder in a separate large bowl and whisk it together well. You will be rewarded!
This lemon loaf freezes beautifully. Freeze it whole in a freezer bag, or slice it first and freeze it. Slicing first means you can grab a slice when you feel the need, instead of trying to cut/thaw a slice from a frozen whole loaf. To thaw a slice, simply set a frozen slice on the counter on a piece of paper towel and it will be ready to enjoy in 20-30 minutes. To thaw a whole loaf, set on the counter inside the sealed freezer bag until thawed.
Get the Recipe: Glazed Lemon Pound Cake Loaf
Ingredients
Loaf:
- 1/2 cup (113 g) butter, salted, or unsalted, at room temperature
- 1 cup (200 g) white sugar
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 Tbsp lemon zest, from about 1 large lemon
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1 1/2 cups (185 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp table salt
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/3 cup (75 ml) sour cream, removed from fridge 15 minutes before using
Glaze:
- 1/2 cup (65 g) icing/confectioners' sugar
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice, plus more, as needed
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 F. (not convection bake). Spray an 8x4-inch loaf pan with baking spray and line with a piece of parchment paper that covers the bottom and long sides, with an inch or so extending past the top of the pan (these will be the "handles" to lift the loaf out of the pan).
- In a large bowl with an electric mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter with the sugar at medium speed (about "4 or 5" on a KitchenAid mixer) until light coloured and fluffy. (Don't skimp on this process. It should cream about 3 minutes). Add the eggs one at a time and beat in well after each addition, scraping down the sides of the bowl, as needed. Beat in the lemon zest, lemon juice and vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together well the flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder. With mixer on low, add the flour mixture to the butter mixture alternately with the sour cream, starting with 1/3 of the flour, 1/2 of the sour cream, 1/3 of the flour, last of the sour cream, then finally the last of the flour.
- Scrape into prepared 8x4-inch loaf pan and level batter. Bake in preheated oven for 55-60 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the centre comes out clean.
- Allow to cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then run a knife along the short ends and use the parchment paper edges to lift and remove from pan. Allow to cool on a cooling rack.
- While loaf is still a little warm, prepare the glaze by stirring together all the glaze ingredients in a small bowl, adding enough lemon juice to make a pourable glaze. Place a baking tray under the cooling rack to catch any drips and spoon glaze slowly over top of loaf, allowing it to drip down the sides a bit. Cool completely, then slice and enjoy.
Notes
Hi! I’m Jennifer, a home cook schooled by trial and error and almost 40 years of getting dinner on the table! I love to share my favourite recipes, both old and new, together with lots of tips and tricks to hopefully help make your home cooking enjoyable, stress free, rewarding and of course, delicious!
I made this a couple weeks ago as a very amateur baker. Turned out okay.. a bit overdone and dry but had delicious crunchy edges.
I made this again today, again as a very amateur baker.. and creamed the butter a lot better than last time and took it out sooner than last time. And oh my gosh it is wildly better this time around. Also made them in a tea cake baking pan. And I used a bit more sugar in the icing to accommodate my insatiable sweet tooth. Everything is so amazing!!
So glad to hear, Joe and a perfect example of how the little things make a big difference :) Baking is all about learning the little things. Sounds like you are well on your way. Happy baking and thanks!
Going to try this today,however I have mo lemons but do have some tart oranges so going to use those instead 😊ill let you know how it comes out ,recipe sounds amazing 👏
Yes do let me know how it works out :)
Jennifer
I plan on trying your recipe tomorrow. Can’t wait to try it since I have been craving lemon pound cake for a couple weeks now. What are your thoughts on substituteing SR flour for all purpose flour? I almost always substitute SR with good results but I really don’t want to mess this recipe up. It just looks exactly what I’m wanting. Your photos are great. They were what drew me to your recipe. Please help if possible. Thanks, Joyce Rider
Hi Joyce and no, I definitely don’t recommend self-rising flour with this recipe. As SR flour has added salt and baking powder, unless you make further adaptations to this recipe, you will end up with too much of both.
Hi there!
I just made this today following the recipe exactly. It is lovely but it was a little drier than I would like. What would you suggest? I used 18% mf sour cream. Could that have been it?
Hi Kathleen and no, I don’t think the sour cream is the issue. It shouldn’t be in any way dry, so you should look at few things – too much flour (and this can come down to just how it is measured), insufficient creaming of the sugar/butter or simply that it was over-baked. Even a few minutes too long in the oven can make a loaf drier.
Thank you so much for your quick reply! I think I may have left it in the oven a touch too long. Will definitely try again!
Let me know how you make out, Kathleen :)
This recipe sounds amazing. Can you add poppyseeds to this loaf?
Hi JG and sure, if you like :) Enjoy!
Hi Jennifer, I’ve made the loaf multiple times and my family loves it! My dad also loves it but he is diabetic. How would a sugar substitute alter the recipe and do you have any recommendations on one?
Thanks!
Jesica
Hi Jesicq, I’m so glad you are enjoying it :) As for a sugar substitute, I have no experience at all with this. It’s notoriously difficult to replace sugar in baking recipes, as it plays more of a role than just sweetening. The sugar substitute I hear mentioned most often is Stevia, so you might start with that and see how it works. If you’re not happy with it, try another. Let me know how you make out!
I have not tried it yet. It’s still cooling i used a farberware loaf pan. And it only risen halfway. So odd I used all the ingredients. Was it supposed to be a small loaf pan? I probably should have used a smaller pan when I noticed the mixture was not abundant
Hi Barabra and yes, it should bake in an 8×4-inch loaf pan and even in that, it’s not a huge loaf, so in a large 9×5-ish pan, it would be quite short I’m guessing.
Came out great, thanks! Tangy and sweet, my man loves it. It was worth all the converting into the metrics 😄 Cheers from the Netherlands
Happy to hear, Andi :) Thanks so much!
Jan 31, 2021
I made the lemon loaf pound cake one time and it turn out great .
I love lemon loaf pound cake .
So glad you enjoyed it, Daryl :) Thanks so much!
I made this the other day and it was amazing! The family love it! I made a double batch and it came out perfectly. The flavours are wonderful and nice and lemony! The glaze on top really makes it! I did find that they had to bake longer than anticipated. I tested with a toothpick and they both took an extra 15-20 minutes to bake. But when they were done they were scrumptious and perfect! Highly recommend!
So glad you enjoyed it, Kathrine :) Baking two at once will generally extend the baking time a bit, I find. Thanks so much!
Hello,
Thank you for the amazing recipe, I baked it once using a convection oven (only fan) and it came out a bit undercooked. Do I have to increase the temperature to 350F or add a few more minutes to the baking time.
Thank you.
Hi Juju and no, this loaf should bake at 325F in a non-fan-assisted oven (not convection bake). And, most importantly, it should bake until it test done/clean, when tested with a skewer/tester in the centre of the loaf, however long that takes. Baking times will always vary between ovens and depending on the type/colour of loaf pan used. So you just needed to bake it longer, I think.
Thank you Jennifer,
I can switch my oven to conventional, do I have to put both heating elements on (upper and lower)? Or only lower?
Hi Juju, As I understand it, a conventional oven uses both the top and bottom element only to PREHEAT, then once to temperature, only the bottom element heats. So definitely only the lower element on during the baking period, with your oven rack set in the centre of the oven.
Thank you Jennifer for the prompt response. I will try the recipe once again and see how it turns out.
This came out great & the recipe was super easy to follow!
So glad you enjoyed it :) Thanks so much!
Can I use self rising flour for this recipe?
Hi Diana and I’m afraid not, as the self rising flour has added baking powder and salt, if you were to use it, it would change the loaf rise, even if you omitted the baking powder and salt in the recipe. The self rising flour has considerably more baking powder than what you would be omitting.
Hello Jennifer, Can I use yoghurt instead of sour creme? I am not sure what is a sour creme. I am from East Europe. We have mascarpone, and we have a kind of a sour creme, with 20% fat, and we have many types of yoghurts…If you can please help me:) Out of everything I love this recipe!
Hi Dori, you could use yoghurt, but that 20% sour creme sounds like a better option. Sour Cream here typically has a 14% fat. Yoghurt is much less. I think I’d go for the higher fat product for best results :)
Hello, I’ve baked this twice and it turn out beautifully. I’m just wondering if can I bake this in 7 or 9 inch bundt pan?
Hi Nurma, I haven’t tried it myself, but I think I’ve had comments from others saying they have and it worked fine. I think a 7-inch bundt is probably about right for sizing.
Hi! I love this lemon loaf, so good! I’ve made it twice as is and now I’m also wondering if I wanted to, could I add cranberries to this without changing the main recipe?
Hi Marwa and so glad you are enjoying it :) Thanks! And yes, you could just stir some cranberries into the batter without changing anything else.
Exactly what I was looking for: simple and delicious!
So glad to hear, Carol :) Thanks so much!
I am gluten intolerant and was thinking of making this. Have you, or anyone else, converted this recipe to GF? I LOVE anything lemon & this recipe sounds great!
Hi Marcella, It’s always hard to predict how a recipe will turn out with gluten free flour, as it depends a lot of the type of GF flour used. You’d just have to give it a try. I would start with a good quality 1-for-1 flour, substituting the all-purpose flour for an equal amount of 1-for-1 GF flour and see how it works out.
I have! Works like a charm. Just as Jennifer said, use an equal amount of GF flour. I specifically uses Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour, and changed nothing else about the recipe. Came out great!
Good to know, Vee :) Thanks for weighing in!
I made this for the new yr, it was hit! Thanks for the recipe, so gooood! I was wondering if it’s possible that the top of the cake not break? Thank u again!
Hi Cat and so glad you enjoyed it. As for the split on the top, it’s really just a nature of this type of quick bread.
Absolutely delicious. Texture was perfect, we picked up the crumbs with a fork. Added more zest for extra flavor. I baked it 15 mins too long but mistake and it still was great.
So glad you enjoyed it, Paula :) Thanks so much!
I love this recipe and have spent this season perfecting it. Can you ever have too many loaves of lemon bread? Two questions. The recipe calls for 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice. Is this fresh juice from the lemon or from the bottle? I used from the lemon but would like a bit more lemon taste. Also, my glaze comes out clear in color. I love the look of a white glaze. Suggestions?
Hi Kelly and so glad you are enjoying it :) I always use fresh lemon juice. For more lemon flavour in the cake, I recommend increasing the lemon zest, rather than the juice, to avoid over-thinning the batter. As for the glaze, to get a white glaze, you just need to use more icing/confectioners’ sugar. That said, it then moves from “glaze” to “icing”. It will also move from quite tart to less tart, which in this loaf, is where the best hit of lemon is. So if you go that route, definitely increase the lemon in the loaf. Hope that helps :)
Hi! Does this recipe call for salted butter? Or unsalted?
Thanks!
Hi Josie, I generally use unsalted myself, but salted works fine, as well. For salted butter, you could reduce the added salt slightly.
Is there a substitution for sour cream?
Hi Lauren, the closest substitute would be a full-fat greek yogurt, though even full-fat yogurt is lower fat than sour cream, so the reduced fat will have some effect on the finished loaf.
One of our grocery store bakeries used to make a lemon Bundt cake that had a layer of lemon pudding (like in lemon meringue pie) in a groove all around the top, and I bought it and devoured it every time I shopped there. (I am addicted to lemon!) Could I add the lemon pie filling in a groove on the top of your recipe before baking, or would it be better to bake your lemon pound cake, cool it, then cut out a groove in the top, then add the lemon filling, then the icing? Or even add 2/3’s of the batter, then the lemon pie filling, and then the rest of the batter? I gave you a 5 star rating because we are sisters in love with lemon!
Hi Mary, is it pudding or lemon curd? In any event, I think I would spoon into the groove after baking. Anything on top of a loaf like this tends to affect the baking rise, I find. Pudding is pretty soft, so I’d worry about putting into the loaf.
thank you. My family loves it. I just simply followed instruction. but not perfectly follow, but still the product is truly amazing yummy. 😋😋🤭🤭
So glad to hear, May :) Thanks so much!
Well tell me to look at the notes am I dumb
No worries :) It freezes beautifully. I like to glaze after if I’m going to freeze the whole loaf for later. Enjoy!