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.
Want to save this recipe?
Enter your email and I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, you'll get great new recipes from me every week!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Seasons and Suppers.
You can unsubscribe at any time.
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!
Great lemon taste and easy to make. I followed the recipe precisely and it was fabulous. As stated in the notes, it also freezes beautifully.
So glad you enjoyed it, Sally! Thanks so much :)
The most delicious pound cake ever. I’ve used orange zest/juice also, fabulous. Going to try lemon poppy seed next!
So glad you enjoyed it, Louise :) Thanks so much!
Could I use mini Bundt pans for this?
Hi Taylor and you probably could. I have never tried it, so I have no guidance on the timing. Certainly quite a bit less baking time. You would have to watch carefully and test often.
you were not kidding , this recipe is definitely a keeper
just before I’m waiting to spread on the glaze I poke holes in the top , not many 6 or 7 and then add the glaze when it’s time to cut slices you can actually see the run of the glaze in the loaf
oh tried it in my tube pan after I made your I think it’s called 62 street lemon cake 🍰 both wonderful recipes
thank you very much and love your website as well
So glad you enjoyed them both, Elizabeth! I never tire of lemon cakes :) Thanks so much!
Thank you for this recipe. My family loves this cake and they ask me to make it for special occasions. Mom requested it for Easter dinner tomorrow.
Follow the instructions and notes!
So glad you are all enjoying it, Karen :) Happy Easter!
I made this 3 weeks ago, and just made it again. It is really delicious and everybody loved it.
I’m so glad you are enjoying it, Judy! Thanks :)
Is there a special reason for lining the pan with parchment paper, never had any cake mix stick to the pan without it, and just spraying with oil?
Hi Carol, my theory is better safe than sorry. Not every pan in every kitchen will bake without sticking and there is nothing worse than baking a beautiful loaf and having it stick to the pan. It’s super easy to line the pan and it makes it easy to lift out of the pan. And it never sticks ever :)
can you substitute vegetable oil in place of the butter? if so how much oil would you need to use?
Hi Mel, possibly, but it’s not a 1-for-1 substitution and as I haven’t tested this recipe with oil, I don’t know the appropriate amount to substitute.
This lovely recipe made 6 tiny loaves and they baked up in 45 minutes. I am excited to bring this to work tomorrow, the closest to Starbucks lemon loaf yet. Delighted to have found your yummy recipe.
So glad to hear, Leah :) Thanks so much!
What a lovely recipe! I made it this morning and was delighted by the simplicity and taste. Thanks for sharing.
So glad you enjoyed it, Emily :) Thanks so much!
I too made it this morning!
What a lovely batter
unfortunately, I’m not on IG therefore cannot show you the end result but in the oven as we speak
I’m sure it’ll be awesome
Thank you
Enjoy the loaf, Elizabeth!
The best lemon cake ever. I have been making this recipe for years. It never fails!
So glad you’re enjoying it, Carmena! Thanks so much!
I have tried numerous times to make a lemon loaf and failed every time. So you can understand when I say that I didn’t hold out much hope for this recipe, regardless of the glowing reviews. Imagine my surprise when this lemon loaf turned out perfect and delicious. I would give it 20 stars if I could. Thank you so much for this recipe. I will be following you for more recipes!
I’m so glad to hear, Judy! I know how frustrating that is. So glad this worked so well for you. Enjoy! Thanks :)
Hi there,
I have made this amazing lemon pound cake of yours many times and everyone just LOVES it, so thank you!
Can I add poppyseeds to this recipe, and if so, how much? Or would it make the loaf taste totally different?
Thank you,
Brenda
Hi Brenda, I’m so glad you are enjoying it! As for poppyseeds, it will certainly have a slightly different taste but if you enjoy the poppy seed flavour, it’s worth a go. Generally you only need a Tablespoon or two of poppy seeds stirred into the batter. Let me know how it is if you try it :)
Jennifer, I want to thank you for including weight measurements for those of us who are “scale users” I think more home cooks are using scales; so much easier and accurate.–especially for flour. The lemon cake is a stand-by here, everyone loves it. Love your blog.
I love my scale too Beverly and often think how much easier it would be to write and publish recipes if everyone had one. So much more reliable method, for sure. Thanks!
What temp if you have convection oven? Ty
Hi Kathleen, I haven’t tested this with a convection setting, but it is typically advised to lower the temperature by about 20F for convection.