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!
Please don’t cringe, but can I use bottled lemon juice for this recipe and skip the lemon zest? Just had to ask.
No cringing, Dena. Sometimes we’ve got to make do with what we have :) So yes, you can use the bottled juice in place of the fresh lemon juice. Obviously, the bottled juice won’t have the same bright flavour, but will work just fine. Don’t be tempted to put more juice in to replace the missing zest though, as you can easily alter the liquid balance in the loaf, which might produce undesirable results. So overall, it will likely be a little less lemony, but will still be a perfectly enjoyable loaf!
This is an amazing cake! It baked beautifully, has a lot of lemon flavor and the glaze just makes it even more amazing. I have tried so many different lemon pound cake recipes and this one is by far, my very favorite! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
So glad you enjoyed it, Bree :) Thanks so much!
I have made this recipe 3 times. The loaf itself is so good, I don’t find the need to use the glaze at all.
So glad you are enjoying it, Rachel :) Thanks so much!
Whenever I want to try baking something new, it’s always overwhelming choosing between all the recipes I find on google😭 BUT GIRL, I’m so glad I chose this one. I had to bake this pound cake two days in a row because my family finished them up so quick. I buttered my loaf pan (w/ non-salted butter) then sprinkled pink salt—giving the edges a nice crisp…the end pieces always get eaten first lol. I also added salt into the frosting, because it brings out the flavours; the salt & lemon juice work well to counteract the sweetness of the powdered sugar😊
Sounds lovely, Elaine. So glad you enjoyed it :) Thanks so much!
Hi there.
I’d like to make in advance and freeze. Can I glaze and then freeze or is it better to glaze after thawing?
Thanks!
Hi Kellie, while you can freeze it with the glaze on, I always prefer to glaze after thawing myself.
Reduced sugar by 1/4. Baked roughly an hour. Slightly dry on outer pieces, the rest was perfect. Added extra lemon juice to batter and icing for more citrus flavor. Tasty cake to pair with tea!
So glad you enjoyed it, Rose :) Thanks so much!
Hi Jennifer! This is very tasty. I made this twice, and followed the recipe to the t’s. Both time I baked for 60 minutes, and it came out not cooked through – it’s from the top down 1″, in the middle that’s the highest point of the cake. I use glass pan. What would you suggest?
Cindy
Hi Cindy, generally when you use a glass pan, you would reduce the temperature by 25 degrees F. Did you do that at all? If not, did you test the loaf before taking it out? Did it test clean?
Hi. My cake looked pretty but it’s not really moist. What did I do wrong?
Hi Doris, if your cake is dry or dry-ish, the most common cause is over-baking. It may have tested clean, but it may also have tested clean 3 or 4 minutes earlier. Even just a few minutes of over-baking can dry a cake. Baking time is never exact, as pans and ovens vary, so it’s probably just getting to it a little earlier and testing until it just tests done. If you don’t think that’s the issue, this issue can often be traced back to ingredient substitution – using yogurt instead of sour cream, using low-fat sour cream (or yogurt) or reducing the sugar amount.
Hi Jennifer,
I just want to say thank you for this recipe. I made it a few days ago and it was thoroughly enjoyed in my home.
So glad you all enjoyed it, Tosin :) Thanks so much!
I have a guest who is celiac. Can I use gluten free flour for this recipe?
Hi Nancy, I haven’t tested this recipe with gluten free flour. I really don’t know if it would work with a straight out swap for GF flour. It is rarely that simple, unfortunately. Maybe someone has tried it and can weigh in for you.
Hi Jennifer and Nancy.
Excellent recipe, Jennifer. Thank you.
Nancy, I made this recipe gluten-free for my spouse. I have been baking gluten-free for years. I used all purpose gluten free flour and about an eighth of a teaspoon more baking powder then what it calls for. That was so it could rise a little more. It turned out great. Definitely follow the steps of the recipe.
Sincerely,
JG
Thanks so much for weighing in :) I am out of my element with gluten-free baking. Thanks so much!
Turned out perfectly, dense yet tender and moist. I added dollops of raspberry-rhubarb compote to the batter, and mixed the same into the glaze for a colourful, tart-sweet addiition. The whole loaf was gone in minutes.
So glad you enjoyed it, Roni :) Thanks so much!
Should I turn oven down to 300 degrees if I use glass dish?
Hi Denise and yes, I would lower it for glass. Baking time should be close if you’ve lowered the temp, but watch it closely near the end of baking to be sure. Enjoy!
Would this recipe do well in my mini-bundt cake pan?
Hi Elaine, I imagine it would. I have no idea on baking time, so watch closely :)
I found this recipe about a year ago. It’s taken me that long to comment. Lol. I am the baker in the family so I’m always responsible for desserts. It started off innocent enough. I made it for a summer dinner. It is now the most requested item I make. What a great anytime treat!! It’s easy to put together and guaranteed to please. The creator is right! Take the extra time to FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS. You will not be sorry. Thanks for posting!
So glad you are enjoying it Christy! Thanks so much :)
YUM!!! I love allll things lemon. 🍋 First time zesting a lemon. Literally bled for this bread. 😂 Whoops. My 1 lemon didn’t yield the full 2 TBSP of zest, so I added another tablespoon of lemon juice. Still wasn’t lemony enough for my liking, but it was delicious! I’ll try with more lemon, adding poppyseeds and maybe almond extract to the glaze. 🤪🤍🤍🤍
SO very much appreciated you calculated all the macros! Do you know how many grams of the bread = your 290 cal & macros??
Glad you enjoyed it, Stephanie. Try adding more zest to the cake, as adding more juice might upset the liquid balance. The lemon hit on this one really comes from the glaze, so if you are a lemon lover, I’d stick with the lemon juice glaze. As for the calories, it would be for 1 slice, assuming you slice 10 from a loaf. Thanks!