Description
Recipe for a lemon loaf cake made with sour cream and topped with a simple lemon glaze (for a 9–10 inch / 22–25 cm loaf pan, about 10–12 servings).
Ingredients
Lemon loaf
- 225 g (1 1/4 cup) Sugar – granulated
- Zest of 1 1/2 lemons
- 250 g (1 cup) Butter – unsalted, softened, room temperature
- 4 Eggs – room temperature
- 1 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
- 80 ml (1/3 cup) Lemon juice – fresh
- 80 g (1/3 cup) Sour cream – full-fat (or buttermilk / Greek yogurt)
- 215 g (1 3/4 cups) Flour – all-purpose
- 1 tsp Baking powder
- 1 pinch Salt
Lemon glaze
- 100 g (1 cup) Powdered sugar – icing sugar
- 2–3 tbsp Heavy cream – full-fat
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
Instructions
Lemon loaf cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F / 180°C and line a 9–10 inch (22–25 cm) loaf pan with parchment paper.
- Mix the lemon zest with the granulated sugar and set aside to release the lemon oils.
- Beat the softened butter for 2–3 minutes until creamy, then add the lemon sugar and mix 1 minute more.
- Add the eggs one at a time with the vanilla, mixing well after each addition.
- Stir in the lemon juice and sour cream, then fold in the flour, baking powder, and salt just until smooth.
- Pour the batter into the pan, smooth the top, and bake for 55–60 minutes.
- Check doneness with a toothpick; it should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool completely in the pan before removing.
Lemon glaze
- Mix powdered sugar, heavy cream, and lemon juice until smooth.
- Adjust the texture if needed, then pour over the cooled loaf before serving.
Notes
Storage: Store the lemon loaf cake covered at room temperature for up to 3–4 days.
Tips for best results
- Use a kitchen scale: weighing ingredients gives a denser, true pound-cake texture.
- Room-temperature ingredients: helps create a smooth, even batter.
- Zest before juicing: easier and more flavorful.
- Do not overmix: stop as soon as the batter is smooth.
- Glaze only when fully cool: prevents melting and soaking.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Category: cake, Dessert, snack
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 288
- Sugar: 29
- Sodium: 143
- Fat: 12
- Saturated Fat: 7
- Carbohydrates: 42
- Protein: 3
- Cholesterol: 71