iced lemon loaf cake
A loaf cake to loaf around with all weekend long.
Lemon loaf is one of mom’s favorite treats, and this recipe comes as a request from her this previous Mother’s Day. I brought half the loaf over to her apartment and we shared slices along with hot coffee and plenty of conversation, just the way I love my mini gatherings with my favorite person.
Perhaps this loaf will serve you similarly. Lemon is abundant right now, and has really taken a place in my cooking and baking. The bright, tart flavor offers a kiss of spring and summery delight that doesn’t sit too heavy in the tummy. Important with the sweltering temps quickly reigning over our neighborhoods.
This Iced Lemon Loaf does not skimp on the lemon: our citizen citrus infuses both the cake and the icing. The recipe is simple (though you gotta wait a bit for it to bake properly!), freezes beautifully, and comes in clutch for any occasion from brunch to midday sweet tooth. Keep it in mind for Memorial Day, too!
Loafin’ Around
For this loaf, we use both lemon juice and zest to amplify the fact that it is, indeed, a lemon loaf. Not some imposter. It’s fucken lemon, and we’re gonna taste the fucken lemon handily.
To make life easier for you, toss together the sugar with the lemon zest – the latter will mix a hell of a lot more evenly into your batter this way. Cream the lemon sugar with a stick of butter, then throw in three eggs, vanilla, and lemon juice. Your mixture will curdle after the juice addition, that’s just the acid being an ass. Totally normal.
Mix in flour, baking powder, baking soda, and a little salt. Run the mixer while streaming in a bit of buttermilk. The batter will be thick and a beautiful sunshine -y hue.
Pour the batter into a greased 9 x 5 inch loaf pan. Pop it into the oven at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes, until a toothpick submerged as just a few lil crumbs attached. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack. Run a knife around the edges first to loosen up the sides. Flip upright and cool the cake completely for about an hour.
To expedite the cooling, throw the rack and loaf into the fridge for about 30 minutes.
I Sing for Icing
Our sweet finish is a simple lemon icing. Three lil ingredients involved: powdered sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla.
Mix these guys up until a thick but pourable icing is achieved. You may need an extra tablespoon of lemon juice if the liquid is too hefty. The icing should not be super thin and runny, but should hesitate a bit when you lift the whisk or fork from the bowl.
Pour the icing over the cooled loaf – use all of that shit – and let set for about 30 minutes or so. Or don’t. The aesthetic appeal is really the only thing compromised by premature slicing.
The loaf cake lasts well for about a week in the fridge, or the freezer for a few months, covered properly of course. I don’t really recommend room temp since the icing is less stable and will melt into the loaf within a day. Still yummy, but not as pretty.
Enjoy your weekend, pals! Bonus points if this cake is involved.
Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
When life throws you lemons, throw it these recipes:
iced lemon loaf cake
Ingredients
- 1 stick butter, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
lemon glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2-3 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a loaf pan with butter or oil
- In a bowl, sift together the sugar and lemon zest. Add the butter and whip until creamy and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then the vanilla and lemon juice. The mixture will curdle – this is normal! Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir until just combined. Stream in the buttermilk and mix until incorporated and the batter is thick.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake 40-45 minutes until the center is set and an inserted toothpick emerges with just a few moist crumbs. Let cool 10 minutes in the pan, then invert onto a wire rack, flip upright, and cool completely.
- When the loaf is cooled, make the icing. Whisk together the powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, and the vanilla. If the mixture is too thick, add 1 tablespoon more of lemon juice. The icing should not be extremely runny, but should drip slowly off the whisk.
- Pour the icing over the loaf. Let set at least 30 minutes, then slice and serve!
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