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.
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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!
Well my husband who is not A lemon man, asked if we could make a couple and put them in the freezer. I almost fell off the chair. Can you freeze them.
This was really tasty! I made it vegan by using vegan butter, vegan sour cream, and egg replacer. I also used slightly more lemon zest. It was moist and had a lovely lemon flavor. Thanks!
So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks :)
Thank you so much for this recipe! I dont have a stand mixer so I had to work it like crazy but it was so worth it. Though the inside was so moist n yellow the outside was a bit more brown n done than I expected.. any thoughts on that? I used the metric system (lm Korean 😉) so the oven setting might have been a bit sloppy Also I put butter around the pan bc i didnt have cooking spray..
Anyways thank you so much! Very happy with my first try!
So glad to hear! As for the oven temp, if your oven is fan-assisted, you should reduce it by 25 degrees F. You could also just try wiping the loaf pan with a thin layer of cooking oil and see if that makes a difference. Thanks!
This is a great recipe. For once my loaf isnt mushy in the middle. Recently my microwave broke, so I warmed up a piece in a frying pan it is honestly heavenly for the texture! Try it!!
So glad you are enjoying it, Caitlin :) Thanks so much!
Hi, I love this, but my husband would like more of a lemon flavor. I was thinking of adding an additional tablespoon as well as some fresh blueberries. What are your thoughts on this please?
Hi Sandra, you can certainly add another tablespoon of lemon juice if you like, without issue. Beyond that, I think I would look to increasing the lemon zest if you want even more lemon flavour. As for the blueberries, I’m a purist when it comes to this loaf. I just love the texture and pure lemon flavour myself, but your kitchen, your call :)
Thanks for the recipe! Can’t wait to make it. I was wondering if I could use skyr instead of sour cream?
While you probably could technically use skyr (as in it would “work”), as skyr is very low in fat, and much lower in fat than sour cream, the quality of your loaf in terms of moistness and texture would probably suffer with the lower fat product.
I am looking forward to making this. My husband loves almost anything lemon. My question is about when freezing. Should I add the glaze before freezing or when defrosted? What about if freeze in the slices you suggested?
Hi Cara, if you’re freezing the loaf whole, I would wait to glaze it after thawing. If you want to enjoy slices from the freezer, glaze it first, then slice and freeze. Enjoy!
When it comes to the butter is it unsalted or salted?
Hi Kasy, you can go either way. I generally use unsalted. If you use salted, you can scale back the added salt slightly.
Can I make this a day in advance?
Hi Sherrill, it should hold up pretty well made a day ahead.
Made this cake earlier and it came out beautifully! For someone who’s a disaster at baking cakes, this recipe is definitely a win for me and a keeper! Its wonderfully moist and taste of the lemon is just wonder despite the amount thats being used! I topped my glaze off with some candied lemon slices and thyme leaves and my friends were definitely impressed with the cake! Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe!
So glad to hear, Nadya :) Thanks so much!
Hi! This recipe looks sooo good! Can I make it in 2 mini loaf pans? What would the baking time be? Thanks a bunch!
You absolutely could make them into two mini pans. I really couldn’t say what the baking time would be, as it would depend on the precise size of your pans. I would watch closely and start testing when they look set, probably cracked on top and rounded on top. Enjoy!
Oh my I am a sucker for any dessert that has lemon in it. This loaf cake looks mouthwatering! I love the glaze too!
Thanks so much Kelley :) Me, too!
I just made this loaf , I have made others and at most would give them a three star rating. This one is definitely a five star. Easy to make and absolutely delicious. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.
So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks so much :)
Doubled the recipe and 2 loaves in the oven as we speak. It smells wonderful baking. Thank you.
Do enjoy it, Lannea! Thanks :)
I have just made this lemon cake it tastes delicious I’ll definitely be making it again
Happy to hear, Julie :) Thanks!
I just made this earlier today and it is so good!! I was afraid the glaze might be too little (as it is not thick) but nope it’s perfect! Luckily had all the ingredients too :)
So glad you enjoyed it, Andrea :) Thanks so much!