Description
A moist, tender lemon loaf cake with a sweet-tart glaze that’s perfect for afternoon tea or as a bright dessert. This old-fashioned recipe uses simple ingredients for maximum lemon flavor.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Crust:
- For the cake:
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon zest
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- For the glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2–3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest (optional)
Instructions
1. Prepare the Crust:
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan and line with parchment paper.
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes).
- Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in lemon zest and juice.
- Alternately add flour mixture and milk to butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour.
- Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 45-55 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool in pan for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
- For glaze: Whisk powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth. Drizzle over cooled cake.
- Let glaze set for 30 minutes before slicing.
Notes
For extra lemon flavor, poke holes in warm cake with a skewer and brush with lemon syrup (equal parts lemon juice and sugar heated until dissolved). Store covered at room temperature for up to 3 days.