Spring is just around the corner and what better than to bake a delicious lemon loaf cake. Don't you agree?
This lemon loaf cake actually has 3 layers of lemon flavour in it. In the cake itself, in the lemon syrup and of course in the lemon frosting.
If you're crazy about lemon AND the Starbucks lemon loaf, then I dedicate this lemony lemon loaf cake to you.
And hey, just to be clear.. this is NOT the Starbucks lemon loaf cake. It's even better!
The Loaf Cake
I bake a lot and of the baked goodies, I would have to say I'm just a simple girl who loves simple cakes. My favourite would definitely be banana bread and loaf or pound cake.
Are you the same?
I grew up in a family where we didn't have much. My mother used to borrow a portable oven from one of her friends whenever she wanted to bake something (which was once in a blue moon).
So baked goods were not a common thing in our family. But I do remember when my mother baked, she really came out with some delicious sweet treats. I remember her marble cake, her loaf/pound cake and of course.. her banana cake.
And ohh.. her pineapple tart cookies!
Anyway.
So this is the typical pound cake recipe that I've converted into a lemon loaf cake by adding lots of lemon zest, some lemon juice and a few changes here and there.
The lemon flavour really shines in this cake and that my fellow friends, is what we want .
If you don't feel like it, you could just stop at the loaf cake. But why just leave it like that when you can push a tiny bit more and end up with some lemony syrup and lemon frosting?
Right?
Ok, let's just be clear. This lemon loaf cake is perfect for the weekends or gatherings. Not to be indulged daily. Alright?
The Lemon Syrup
To infuse more lemon flavour in this cake we will drizzle it with lemon syrup as soon as it comes out from the oven. Yes.
The syrup not only enhances the lemon flavour but also helps keep the cake moist.
Who wouldn't want that?
The Lemon Frosting
Ohhh we've come to the naughty bit of all in this recipe. The lemon frosting!
I have to tell you, just a bit goes a long way so be warned. And be happy!
This frosting gives this lemon loaf cake that beautiful and elegant look. I don't know why but the look of this cake reminds me of Downton Abbey. Ha!
I really hope you'd give this lemon loaf cake a try. Let me know what you think.
In Summary
This lemon loaf cake is:
- perfect for the spring and summer
- packed with lemon flavour
- easy to prepare, really
- dedicated to lemon and Starbucks lemon loaf lovers out there
- fancy, beautiful and DELICIOUS!
Before You Go
Here are a few recipes that you might be interested in:
- Super easy lemon yogurt cake
- Lemon meringue pie
- Lemon muffins
- Lemon blueberry cake
- No bake lemon cheesecake
Recipe Video
Lemon Loaf Cake
Ingredients
The Lemon Loaf Cake
- ½ cup butter (113 g), softened
- 1 cup sugar (200 g)
- 3 lemons, take the zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 eggs , room temperature
- 1 ½ cup all purpose flour (195 g)
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt (125 g)
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
The Lemon Syrup
- ¼ cup sugar (50 g)
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
The Lemon Frosting
- 1 cup icing sugar (120 g)
- 3 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
The Lemon Loaf Cake
- Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.
- Add butter and sugar into a another bowl. Using a hand held mixer, whisk them until fluffy and pale, around 10 minutes.
- Then add in vanilla extract, lemon zest and 1 egg. Continue mixing for 1 minute. Add the rest of the eggs 1 by 1, mixing for 1 minute after each addition.
- Add ½ of flour mixture and mix just until combine using low speed. Add in yogurt and lemon juice, continue mixing just to combine. Finally add the rest of the flour, mixing just to combine also.
- Pour batter into a loaf 4.4x10 inch (11x25 cm) loaf pan that has been buttered and lined. Spread batter evenly.
- Bake in a preheated oven 320ºF (160ºC) with upper and lower heat, at lower ⅔ rack, for 60 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
The Lemon Syrup
- Add sugar and lemon juice into a bowl. Heat gently in microwave until sugar is dissolved.
- Poke holes on the cake using a skewer. While the cake is still hot, pour the lemon syrup on top and brush evenly. Leave to cool completely.
The Lemon Frosting
- Once cooled, remove the baking sheet and place the cake on a rack.
- Add icing sugar and lemon juice into a bowl. Using a spatula, mix everything well into a thick mixture. Start with 1 tablespoon lemon juice and add as you go to get your desired consistency.
- Pour the lemon frosting on the cake. Spread evenly using the back of a spoon. Sprinkle some lemon zest on top.
How To Serve
- Slice lemon loaf cake and serve it with some tea, or your favourite drink.
How To store
- Place the cake in an airtight container and keep at room temperature. Best consumed within 3 days.
- To freeze: after the icing hardens, slice the lemon loaf cake into portions. Wrap them individually with cling film. Place in ziplock bag and in the freezer. Thaw at room temperature.
Saira says
I have just made this using my brand new stand mixer. It was a great recipe to initiate the mixer 🙂
It's still in the cooling stage but we couldn't resist trying it. It's absolutely amazing! Thank you!
I used Stevia as a replacement for the sugar. So we feel a little less guilty eating this gorgeous lemon drizzle loaf.
Annamaria says
I have try this recipe and everyone in my family loved it hola from Tanzania 🇹🇿😊thanks
Dinorah Martinez says
I'd love to make this cake but I'd like to know if I can substitute the Greek yogurt by the same amount of sour cream. I'll anxiously be waiting for the answer to make it.
Bea says
Yes, you can 🙂
Marc says
I’ve made this cake many times. Everyone loves it, family, friends… As your others recipes, it’s easy to make and successfully delicious 😋 I appreciated it today with my coffee. Thank you Bea
Bea says
I'm happy to hear that, Marc! Thank you for your feedback, really appreciate it 😊.
MARICEL ANN says
I just want to say thank you for this recipe 🙂 I've made this lemon loaf countless times , for my mom, my bf and his family , for my god-family. And everyone loves it 🙂 just reduced some of the sugar for my mom and it's perfect.
Bea says
They're so lucky to have you baking for them 🙌! I'm happy to know that everybody loved it, thank you for your feedback Maricel. Do check out more cakes recipe here in our website, if you're interested.
Irene says
Thanks for the lovely receipe . Tried it and it turned out fine . Used normal plain yogurt instead of Greek yoghurt and was perfect . I also reduced the sugar to 160g . Perfect. Used a 4.5x8 in loaf tin and baked for an extra 10min .
Bea says
Thank you Irene, happy that you liked it ❤️!
Amanda says
Hello! Your recipe is amazing :)) I tried it yesterday and my family loves it thank you for sharing! YAYY!
My loaf didn’t turn out brown like yours though 🙁 I’m using a conventional oven with the fan mood~ Do you reckon I could increase the temperature and decrease the time? 🙂 or any lovely suggestions pleaseeeee 🙂 thank you!
Don’t get me wrong! The cake is still super awesome! Would just love to have it brown on top and sides to make it look and taste awesome haha 🙂
Bea says
Hi Amanda! Happy that you liked it 🙌! Since each oven is a different world, I'd really recommend you investing in a portable thermometer (I use this one all the time when baking) to get the accurate temperature. Usually using fan mood will call for lower temperature of 20º as it's always hotter but since yours is not the case then yes, try increasing it a bit and bake for less time (do the skewer test). You can also try baking it in the middle rack instead (I always use lower 2/3rd rack for cakes). Hope it helps!
Retni says
Did this yesterday. Turned out so good! Keeper!!!
Bea says
Hey Retni! Thank you so much for your feedback 🙌❤️
princessananka says
Where did you buy your loaf pan? I can't find the size that's required.
Bea says
You can also use 5x9 inch (13x23 cm) pan. I bought mine in Amazon. Hope it helps! 😊
Madeline says
Hi! Can this be made using a muffin tin?
Bea says
Hi! Yes, it can 🙂
ivy kho peiyin says
hihi. what if i do not have 4.4x10 inch (11x25 cm) loaf pan. may i use square 6 inches pan?
Isabell Sanchez says
Hi there I'm excited to try this recipe however I don't have Greek yogurt right now , I do have sour cream, can I use that instead of the yogurt?
Bea says
Hi Isabell! Yes, you can use sour cream (full fat) with no problem. Hope it helps.
Jennifer says
Perfect texture inside and out. Everyone ate it without the syrup and icing. So it was a hit. Excellent.
Bea says
Glad to know you enjoyed it! 🙂
Khushi says
I've made this recipe and it turned out absolutely amazing, if I were to change the plan size to a 6 inch pan how would it affect the baking time?
Bea says
Glad to hear that Kushi! Yes, it'll take less time. Test by inserting a skewer in the center, when it comes out clean it means that it's cooked. Hope it helps.
LaTanya L Simmons says
I must say you did an excellent job on that Lemon Loaf, I made it twice, my family loved it, thank you.
Bea says
Thank you! So happy to know you liked it 🙂
Diana says
Thank you so much for this recipe from Latvia, it is amazing. Will make this time with mascarpone cream on the top 👌xxx
Bea says
Great idea! Enjoy and thanks for the comment!
Miriam says
Omg the best lemon pound cake i tasted. I have a question i would like to triple the batter. When i read the recipe for triple every thing changes except for lemon zest. Do i still zest 3 lemons for triple batter? Can i zest 5 and still get a nice flavor?
Bea says
Glad that you liked it Miriam! I've corrected the recipe card so that the lemon zest amount also changes as you double/triple the recipe. I'd stick with zest of 9 to maintain the flavour. Hope it helps.
Sam says
hi, would I be able to make this in a bundt pan?or would I have to double it?
Bea says
Hi Sam! I'd say make 1.5 batch for a 10 inch bundt pan. Hope it helps and let me know how it goes! Thank you!
Gery says
Thank you for the recipe-it is amazing. The lemon cake is mouthwatering and moist.
Bea says
Awesome! I'm so happy that you liked it 🙂 Thanks for the feedback Gery!
Cathy says
Beautiful video and cake. Can you substitute milk for the Greek yogurt? Thank you Just found you on YouTube,my lucky day.
Bea says
I don't recommend it as it'd result it different texture. Hope it helps. Thank you and welcome to our website!
Anne says
It’s my first time to bake a lemon loaf. I’ve made this into mini loaves and it was a big hit in our house. We love that it was moist and has the right sweetness to it. I’m planning to make it again really soon. Would substituting oil for butter work? If yes, should I put the same amount?
Bea says
Glad to hear that everybody loved it Anne! I wouldn't recommend using oil because it's not going to make the same effect (although both are fats) when we whisk it together with sugar (which helps the texture and rise of the cake). Hope it helps and thank you!
Elisabeth says
Hi! This recipe sounds delicious! But I ran into a problem, I don't have greek yoghurt nor sour cream, is there anything I can substitute that ingredient with? I can't go to the store for a while because of covid restrictions in my city 🙁
Bea says
Hi Elisabeth! I haven't tried, but someone commented they used buttermilk and it worked well for them.
Maine says
Hi! Can I double the recipe?
Bea says
Yes! 😊
Alicia Kee says
I don't have a loaf pan of the specified size you mentioned.. What size round pan can I use instead, please?
Azidian
Tukket o says
Hi, what can I use as an alternative for the 3 eggs? I am planning on baking this cake for friends who cannot eat eggs.
Owen says
Love this recipe and it tastes and looks great. I would start checking if it’s done at 45-55 minutes instead of 60. At 55 it was just about to be overdone. Besides that it is great!
Tracey C says
Does this cake freeze well?
Bea says
It's not going to be as fresh but I do it all the time 🙂
Ansh says
I have bookmarked this recipe. I am not very good at baking but have been trying since lockdown and work from home. I just came across this page on google search and trust me I just followed your recipe blindly. It turned out to be amazing, just like in your video and other image. And the best part of your recipe is that all ingredients are usually available in a kitchen. I have always wanted to make a moist cake and this turned to be just like that. A MASSIVE THANKS.
Bea says
Yes, I'm happy that it turned out great for you! It's a simple recipe, right? Can never go wrong with it. Thank you so much for your feedback Ansh!
Adrian Ogley says
Absolutely delicious. Recipe was very explicit and easy to follow.
Rachel says
Made this twice and I love it. How many calories is it please?
Thank you
Toi Jones says
Fantastic recipe, new family favorite! Wow, I'm so grateful I found your blog. Amazing job guys!! (:
Bea says
Thank you for your feedback, I'm glad everybody liked it!
Abby says
Hi,
Can I use Sour cream instead of Greek yogurt
Thank you in Advance 🙂
Abby says
Hello, Can I use Sour Cream instead of Greek Yoghurt. I hope you reply 😊😊😊😊😊
Bea says
Yes, of course! Hope it helps, have fun making it and thank you!
Virna says
Hi Bea,
Thanks for this delicious recipe. I've made this Lemon Loaf cake several times. N everyone loved it. I've made it also for gifts to friends on recent ied Mubarak 😊
Thank youuu 🙏🏼
Bea says
I'm happy that you liked it Virna, thank you so much for your feedback!
marielle says
hello. what if i put more lemon juice in the loaf batter? will it affect the form?
Marc says
Hi,
I tried today your Lemon Loaf Cake !!!
Really easy to do and delicious 😋😋😋
Thank you so much 😊
Terima Kasih
Bea says
Hi Marc! I've seen the photos of your lemon loaf cake that you sent me, it looks gorgeous! I'm glad that you liked it, terima kasih banyak Marc! 😊😊
Marc says
Hi,
I tried today your Lemon Loaf Cake !!!
Really easy to do and delicious 😋😋😋
Thank you so much 😊
Teri makasi
Marc says
Terima kasih
Beth says
Hi Bea,
Just made your lemon cake and it tastes awesome. I intially tried another recipe before yours and it didn't turn out great. As for yours, after mixing all the ingredients, I could tell from the batter only that it'd turn out great and it did. I'm so happy! I used low fat plain yougurt because couldn't get hold of greek yogurt.
However, my frosting was too runny, unlike yours. So it doesn't have that thick layer of frosting on top. Not ure why. Also, it was too sweet to my liking. So I guess I'll go with naked lemon loaf cake next time. Haha.
Really, the cake is good! Moist and not very sweet.
Bea says
Hi Beth! I'm glad that it turned out good and that you liked it! As for the frosting, add the lemon juice bit by bit until it gets to the consistency and color that you like. But yes, feel free to skip it next time, no problem at all. Thank you for your feedback!
Bethany Wang says
Hi Bea,
Just a question. If I were to reduce the sugar, is it okay for me to add 1 or 2 tablespoons of oil to make up for the moistness loss due to the reduction of sugar? I believe sugar contributes to the moistness of the cake, am I right?
Juliana says
Hey Bea! I can't seem to get my hands on baking powder! any idea if using baking soda as replacement will make any difference to the taste or texture of the cake? and any difference in quantity to use? Your help is extremely appreciated!! cant wait to try baking it!!!
Bea says
Hi Juliana! For this particular recipe I don't recommend using baking soda as it will neutralise the lemon-sour-tangy taste that we want. Too much of it will leave a soapy taste. It will also change the texture (coarse crumbs). Sorry though!
Juliana says
Ahhh thank you so much!!! Will try to get it 🙂 how about the use of Greek yoghurt? What is the purpose for that? What difference will it make to the flavor or texture if I choose to exclude that? 🙂 or is there anything I can replace it with?
Carina says
Wonderful! I had no vanilla extract and no plain Greek yogurt so I added strawberry Greek yogurt instead. It's really delicious, thanks for the recipe!!
Bea says
Awesome Carina, thank you!
Lyndsay Thompson says
Just made the cake and it’s sunk in the middle 😥
Can you advise please.
Bea says
Sorry to hear that Lyndsay! There are a few reasons for that but perhaps the oven temperature was too high, cake batter was sitting out too long before baking or checking on the cake too early (opening the oven's door). Hope those help and you'd give it another try!
Lyndsay Thompson says
Thank you for the reply. I will be giving it another try next week as the taste is lovely 😊 fingers crossed for next time.
Eurica Young says
Hi just want to say thank you for your recipe! I made it yesterday for my eldest 12th birthday and it tasted fabulous! The cake was moist, not overly sweet and just perfect to pair with jasmine tea. Lovely!
Bea says
I'm glad to hear that, happy birthday to her! Thank you Eurica!
Efua says
I just made this lemon cake using your recipe and it came out just perfect. I used buttermilk instead of yoghurt. Thanks for sharing your recipe
Bea says
Great to know buttermilk also works, thank you Efua!
Beth says
Hi Efua,
Did you substitute 1:1 of yogurt to buttermilk?
Efua says
Am thinking of trying this recipe soon, can I use milk instead of the yoghurt?
Bea says
Somebody said they used buttermilk instead of yogurt and it worked beautifully! 🙂
MELISSA KARINE LACHI says
Era a receita que procurava! Perfeita!
Obrigada pela dedicação deste post.
Deus te abençoe 😘
Bea says
Obrigada Melissa! 😘
Georgette Thomas Rhymer says
Love it. The cake came out great. I used buttermilk instead of yogurt. The icing was a bit to tangy for the kids, I will redo the icing with less lemon juice. THANK YOU FOR SHARING👍
Bea says
Hey great to know that buttermilk works too! Thanks for sharing the info, Georgette!
Beth says
Hi Efua,
Did you substitute 1:1 of yogurt to buttermilk?
Shelly says
I made it and wow it’s better than Starbucks
Thank you thank you
Bea says
Hey that's huge! Makes me happy! Thank you so much Shelly! 😍
Bakerbaby says
THIS IS THE BOMB!!!!!!! I am 11 and I am trying to prove my skills to my family and this was just the perfect thing it was so delicious!
Bea says
Hey that is super amazing!! I congratulate you! Keep doing what you do, you're doing awesome! And thank you 🙂
Michelle says
I always wanted a recipe better than the one in my family for generations and I can say this is it. It was so delicious.
Bea says
I personally love family recipes as they come with years of memories. I'm happy to know that you liked this one also. Thank you!
THODORIS AMPATZOPOULOS says
Congratulations for your recipe looking so tasty!!! Please can you tell me if you baking it with fan or oven resistor and if oven resistor whick scale you use?
Bea says
Hi Thodoris! I bake it in the oven without fan, with high and bottom heat, putting it on the 2/3 lower rack. Hope it helps, thank you! 🙂
Rose says
It’s so soft, delicious and velvety ☺️☺️🤩 the perfect combination of ingredients. I coated it with the syrup but I didn’t do the icing cause I had no patience - really wanted to eat the cake ASAP 😂 I love the outcome ! Thanks for sharing the recipe 😋-
Bea says
Haha! Maybe next time you'd try with the icing then but hey, I'm happy that you loved it. Thanks Rose! XO
Thatchayani says
I tried the cake yesterday and it was a big hit. just that my icing was too sour but the cake was simply great. Btw i used the normal baking pan to bake this cake instead of loaf pan. Thank you for this awesome recipe. I have few doubts here. Firstly, i would like to ask if i would like to make this cake in a big proportion, all i have to do is just double up the ingredients right? and how about the timing? since big proportion, the time taken for the cake to bake is 60 mins as well?
Bea says
Hi! I'm happy that you loved it. To know if the cake is cooked through, insert a skewer in the middle. When it comes out clean, then it's cooked. I can't give you the exact time since the size and type of pan effects the baking time. Hope it help 🙂
Thatchayani says
Can i use normal pan to make this cake instead of loaf pan?
Bea says
Yes, just adjust the cooking time. Hope it helps 🙂
Cherry Pie Ishikawa says
I made this, I used part butter part oil, and also used just half of the stated amount for frosting to make a light drizzle on top. It still tasted great. But next time I would use all butter intead and probably a little more as suggested by one reviewer, for added moisture and creaminess to the cake. I loved the full lemony taste.
Anita Paz Meneses says
Hello from CHILE!
This is a fantastic recipe. I prepared it in my home and then there was nothing left on the plate. I would like to prepare this same recipe but with blueberries. It's possible? How many blueberries do I need to prepare the cake?
Thank you!
Claudia Dominguez Vieira says
Adorei seu bolo!! Quero mais receitas de bolo seu!
Bea says
Me alegro que te haya gustado Claudia! 🙂 Si quieres, puedes darle estrellas a la receta que haz probado al dejar un comentario, eso me ayuda mucho. Gracias!
Priscilla says
Great and simple recipe. I love everything from cake to syrup to the icing are all so lemony 🍋. I added a bit more butter and yoghurt and the cake was so moist and silky. Thank you so much for sharing this!
Bea says
That's great, thank you so much Priscilla! XO
Siyeon says
👍👍👍👍👍
Bea says
Thank you Siyeon!
Veronica says
Made this for my boyfriend, since he loves lemon desserts. He loved how lemony it is, it reminded me of lemon bars. Very decadent, This is an absolutely fantastic recipe and will be my go to in the future.
Bea says
That's great Veronica! I'm happy to know that you both loved it. And you're right, this cake is very lemony. Thank you so much!
Pearl says
Awesome cake. Thank you. It'll be my standard now !!