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!
Need a cake for a meeting while I am gone. Can I freeze this for a week with the icing on it?
Hi Phyllis, while you could freeze it with the icing on it, in an ideal world, you would freeze before icing and ice once thawed. The icing does tend to get a touch moist after the freezing/thawing process.
Hello! I’m planning on making this soon, and I was just wondering: how long does this loaf keep? Can it be stored at room temperature in a sealed container, or ought it be refrigerated?
Thank you!
Hi Vi, this loaf will keep well several days at room temperature. It doesn’t need to be refrigerated.
I made this last night. It is absolutely delicious! I did not add the glaze as I think the loaf is sweet enough on its own and I’m supposed to be cutting my sugar (oops!) I will definitely make this again.
So glad you enjoyed it, Rachel :) Thanks so much!
I used yogurt instead and it tasted great without glaze! I think I might have mixed it too much because it ended up a bit dense, but I would still definitely make it again.
So glad to hear, Jenn :) Thanks!
Can I substitute Greek yogurt (honey flavored) for the sour cream?
Hi Pamela, I wouldn’t :) While a plain Greek yogurt might do in a pinch, I think the honey flavoured would make your loaf too sweet.
I made this yesterday! It was delicious! Perfect for when you crave a scrumptious lemony dessert! Thank you!
So glad to hear, Dena :) Thanks so much!
Very good
So glad you enjoyed it, Mary :) Thanks!
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!