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The best Glazed Lemon Loaf is moist, bursting with zesty & fresh lemon flavor, and easy to make with no mixer needed! You will love the bright fresh lemon flavor in the lemon bread and the lemon glaze on top.
Lemon Loaf Recipe with Lemon Glaze
I am so excited to start sharing all the lemon recipes with you. Nothing screams summer and sunshine more than that bright & fresh citrus lemon flavor. Whether it’s paired with zucchini in Lemon Zucchini Bread or with plump and juicy blueberries in this Lemon Blueberry Bread, it’s sure to be a hit.
I am convinced that lemon goes with everything! Even in savory dishes like this Lemon Parmesan Chicken.
Today I am sharing a recipe for a classic lemon loaf. It’s anything but boring! With fresh lemon flavors from the lemon juice, lemon zest, and the lemon glaze on top it’s sure to be a hit and come out perfect each and every time.
Why You’ll Love This Lemon Loaf
- No Mixer Needed! All you need are mixing bowls, a whisk, and silicone spatula. No lugging out the big stand mixer or even a hand mixer.
- Makes One Loaf. I don’t know about you but I don’t need to be tempted with 3 loaves of lemon bread sitting out. This recipe makes one large loaf! But, it can easily be doubled if you want to make an extra loaf to share with a friend.
- Super Moist & Soft! Because this recipe calls for sour cream + oil, it’s practically a guarantee that it will be so moist and soft! No dry crumbly lemon loaf with this recipe.
Ingredients Needed
- All-Purpose Flour – I use unbleached all purpose flour.
- Baking Powder – Helps the lemon loaf rise perfectly while baking.
- Salt
- Oil – Canola oil or vegetable oil are the best choices.
- Granulated Sugar
- Sour Cream – For the best taste and texture, use full fat sour cream and not the reduced-fat or lite sour cream. It has more water in it, which makes it lower in fat (yay) but it also means it makes it not as thick and creamy (as the full fat version).
- Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice – You will need 1 large juicy lemon or 2 regular sized lemons.
- Lemon Zest – Use a zester to zest the lemon skin. Do this before you cut the lemon in half to juice it.
- Large Eggs
- Vanilla Extract
- Powdered Sugar + Fresh Lemon Juice – This is the simple lemon glaze for the lemon loaf.
How To Make Glazed Lemon Loaf
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Prepare a 9×5 loaf pan by spraying with cooking spray (baker’s joy spray is even better) or line with parchment paper. If lining with parchment paper, spray the pan first to help the parchment paper adhere to the pan. It acts as ‘glue’ for the paper to the pan.
- In a large mixing bowl add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir with a wire whisk to combine. Set aside for now.
- In a separate smaller bowl, add the oil, sugar, sour cream, fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, eggs and vanilla extract. Whisk together until combined well. I use the same whisk that was used for the dry ingredients. Less dishes!
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredient bowl and use a silicone spatula to gently mix it together until no flour streaks remain. You want to mix with a gentle hand and slowly. Do not rigorously stir it.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out with crumbs on it. Not wet batter.
- Remove the loaf from the oven and allow it cool for 15-20 minutes inside the warm pan. Remove it from the pan and place it onto a cooling rack.
- Mix together the powdered sugar and lemon juice. Once the bread has cooled to room temperature, pour it over the bread.
FAQ’s + Expert Tips
- Baking Tip : Towards the end of the bake time if the top looks like it’s getting too browned, loosely lay a piece of tin foil over the lemon loaf. This will help the bread cook all the way through without turning the top of the loaf brown.
- Toothpick Test : This is the best way to know if the bread is done or not. If the bread is not cooked all the way through, it will sink down in the middle once you take it out of the oven. Stick a toothpick into the middle of the bread for the best representation on if it’s done or not. If it comes out wit wet batter then it needs longer. If the toothpick comes out with moist crumbs or nothing at all, then you’re good to go. Don’t stick the toothpick along the edges of the bread because those will be cooked through before the center of the bread.
- Mix Lemon Loaf Batter Gently : When you are mixing the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients, it’s important to mix softly and not too hard. If the batter is over mixed, it can cause the bread to be dense, form holes, or make a peaked top rather than a domed pretty top. Mix with a spatula and just mix until the flour is combined into the wet ingredients. No more than that.
- How To Store Leftovers : Store leftovers inside an airtight container, or a gallon size Ziplock bag, at room temperature for up to 4-5 days. Leftovers get even more moist and flavorful as they sit!
- Glazing Tip : Do not add the glaze until the bread is cooled to room temperature. If the bread is too hot then the glaze will just melt right off.
- Can I Freeze a Glazed Lemon Loaf? : Yes you can freeze this. Freeze the bread without the glaze on it for the best results. Prepare it as directed, and once it’s cooled to room temperature, wrap the loaf in plastic wrap and then wrap it in tin foil. Place the wrapped loaf inside a freezer-safe Ziploc bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Allow it to thaw in the fridge. Make the glaze and add right before serving it.
Baking Tip : Spray the loaf pan with cooking spray and then line it with parchment paper. The cooking spray helps the parchment paper adhere and stuck to the pan, while the parchment paper is best because the loaf will cook more evenly and prevent the bottom and sides from getting overly browned.
Glazed Lemon Loaf
The best Glazed Lemon Loaf is moist, bursting with zesty & fresh lemon flavor, and easy to make with no mixer needed! You will love the bright fresh lemon flavor in the lemon bread and the lemon glaze on top.
Ingredients
Lemon Loaf
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup full-fat sour cream
- 1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
- 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Lemon Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Spray a 9×5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray or line with parchment paper. Set aside for later. * If using parchment paper, I recommend spraying the loaf pan first (all sides and bottom) and then pressing the parchment paper into the pan. The spray will help the paper adhere and stay in place.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.1¾ cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon table salt
- In a separate smaller bowl, whisk together the sugar, sour cream, oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, eggs, and vanilla extract until combined. * I just use the same whisk to mix both dry ingredients and then the wet ingredients.1 cup granulated sugar, 1 cup full-fat sour cream, 1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil, 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, 2 tablespoons lemon zest, 2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and use a spatula to gently mix until a combined batter forms. Stop mixing right when it's combined and no flour pockets or big flour streaks remain in the batter.
- Evenly spread the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
- Bake for 45-55 minutes to until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with crumbs on it. * If the top is getting too browned, but the bread is still not done, loosely lay a piece of tin foil over the loaf pan for the last 10-15 minutes of the bake time.
- Remove the loaf pan from the oven and let it cool, in the warm pan, for about 20-30 minutes.
- Remove the bread from the loaf pan and place it on a cooling rack to cool completely before adding the glaze on top.
Make The Lemon Glaze
- Once the lemon loaf has completely cooled, prepare the lemon glaze by mixing together the powdered sugar and fresh lemon juice in a small bowl.1 cup powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Use a fork to drizzle it over the cooled lemon loaf OR you can put the glaze inside a Ziploc sandwich bag and snip a small piece off from the corner. Doing this will create a more uniform glaze if wanted.
Notes
Lemon : You will need about 4 lemons total for this recipe. The lemon loaf needs 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice + 2 tablespoons for the lemon glaze. Be sure and zest about 2 of the lemons prior to juicing them! It’s much easier to zest a whole lemon!
Nutrition
Calories: 364kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 51mg | Sodium: 139mg | Potassium: 158mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 33g | Vitamin A: 198IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 69mg | Iron: 1mg
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