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!
So delicious! What a wonderful recipe! Baking has become my new hobby during this quarantine and so far this is my favorite baked good I have made so far!
So glad to hear, Allison :) Thanks so much!
Instead of lemon juice can I use lemon extract ?
Hi Elizabeth, in a pinch, yes :) Fresh lemon juice is obviously the best option, but if no lemons on hand, go ahead and use the extract. I have no idea how much, so you’ll want to google the amount of extract to substitute for fresh lemon juice and go from there.
This cake is delicious it’s like the one a Starbucks.
So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks so much :)
I have made this lemon loaf cake quite a few times before. It is a hit for my family! I’m currently baking it again. I do add quite a bit more lemon into the batter than called for but otherwise I follow the recipe exactly!
So glad you are enjoying it Michaela :) Thanks so much!
Absolutely delicious! Thank you for this wonderful recipe! I have baked 3 loafs in a week and everyone enjoys it so much!
So glad you enjoyed it, Demi :) Thanks!
Okayy so this is the best loaf cake I’ve made. so so moist and delicious! my family loves it too. thank you so much for this blessing in times of quarantine 😂❤
So glad to hear, Sara :) Thanks so much!
It looks amazing. I don’t know if I’ll be able to keep this very long (as I am sure it will be devoured!) but could you talk about the best way to store this. Should you keep it in the fridge? How long does it last (in the fridge or counter)? Thanks.
Hi Sarah, I store this loaf on the counter generally. While storage in the fridge is an option, I find the fridge will dry it out more quickly. It really all depends on how quickly you think it will be eaten. I usually make a call on the 2nd day based on how much is left. If it’s more than we can eat in 1 more day, I’ll slice and freeze it.
Thank you for replying. I made this and it’s already almost gone. A BIG hit! It’s delicious!
Glad to hear :) Thanks!
Just made it and my house smells
So good! Soooo fluffy I beat the butter and eggs to their fluffiness! Lol wow yum great job if I do say so myself!!
So glad to hear, Theresa :) Thanks so much!
Made this once for my family they loved it! Making another to take to an event. Thank you for sharing
So glad to hear, Lori :) Thanks so much!
Hi, if I were to make the lemon pound cake as individual muffins, how long should I bake it for and in what temperature?
Hi Brenda, the cooking temperature would stay the same. As for the timing, I’d only be guessing, but somewhere between 15-30 minutes, depending on the muffin size. You would really just have to watch like a hawk and test regularly :)
Delicious and easily made gluten free by using Bob’s 1:1 Baking Flour.
So glad to hear and thanks for confirming that it works well with that GF flour :) Thanks!
Hi! Could I use brown sugar instead of white sugar?
Hi Tracy, I don’t feel like brown sugar would be a great choice here, as it would introduce a different flavour, texture and colour to this delicate loaf. Can I ask why you want to use brown sugar instead of white?
True true. I asked cause it was the only thing I had in the house at the time but I actually ended up going to the store and getting the right sugar. Wow turned out spectacular. THANK YOU
So glad to hear, Tracy :) Thanks!
Am I able to use yoghurt instead of sour cream?
Hi Kathryn, While you can use yogurt, the difference in fat content between even full-fat yogurt and full-fat sour cream is considerable. Using the much lower fat yogurt will have an affect on the texture and richness of the finished cake. All that said, it will “work”, though I would definitely use a full-fat, Greek-style yogurt.
I’ve been looking for a good lemon pound cake for awhile and haven’t found the perfect one until now. This recipe is amazing and very easy to make. Absolutely delicious!
So glad to hear, Karen :) Thanks so much!
Hi, I’m making your recipe for 1st time. Do you use powdered sugar plus lemon juice for icing?
Hi Carol and yes, you use powdered sugar for the glaze.
Thank you!
I have been making lemon loads for quite awhile now, and haven’t found one I really like. This is the BEST LEMON LOAF I have ever had, it’s lemony, it’s so moist!! Thank you very very much for sharing your wonderful recipe!!!! The Best Ever! Yummy
So glad you enjoyed it, Kathy :) Thanks so much!