Go Back

Lemon Loaf Cake Recipe

Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 5

Ingredients
  

Cake:

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups cake flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk you can also use milk instead
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • Zest and juice from one medium lemon

Simple Syrup:

  • Lemon zest and juice from half a lemon
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar

Vanilla Lemon Glaze:

  • 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
  • zest and juice from half a lemon set zest aside for garnish, don't add directly into glaze.
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons heavy cream you can use milk or water instead.
  • small pinch salt

Instructions
 

Cake:

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Line the bottom of your 9x5" loaf pan with parchment paper. Grease the bottom and sides of the pan with butter and flour as well as cooking spray and set aside.
  • Combine all your dry ingredients onto a parchment sheet or in a large bowl and set aside.
  • Combine your buttermilk and vanilla extract and set aside. I also added a drop of almond extract, but that's totally optional.
  • Cream the butter and sugar together with a paddle attachment for 5 minutes until light and fluffy on medium-low speed. Stop the mixer and scrape the bowl and paddle well. Add in the lemon zest and juice and then add in the eggs one at a time waiting for each egg to absorb into the batter before adding the second. Note: Your batter may appear broken or curdled but that's normal because we've only added wet ingredients so far.
  • Next, add one third of the dry ingredients on low speed after mixing for about 20 seconds, add half of the buttermilk mixture, and mix in. Then add in more of the dry ingredients, then the rest of the buttermilk mixture before finishing off with the remaining dry ingredients. So you're alternating between the dry and wet ingredients, starting and ending with the dry. Mix until everything is just combined and then stop the mixer.
  • Use a rubber spatula to fold in any remaining bits of the flour and scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl well. Don't overmix! Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake at 350°F for 35-45 minutes or until the batter no longer jiggles and a cake tester comes out with a few moist crumbs. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then unmold onto a wire rack to cool slightly.

Simple Syrup:

  • To make the simple syrup, start by boiling the sugar with the lemon juice and zest in a pan for 5 minutes. Whisk occasionally and cook until the sugar is dissolved. Once the sugar dissolves and the mixture thickens up just a bit, take it off the heat and allow it to cool slightly. When you're ready, poke holes in the cake with a wooden skewer or toothpick and pour the room-temperature syrup all over the warm cake.

Lemon Vanilla Glaze and final :

  • Zest the second half of the lemon you used for the simple syrup. Set the zest aside. Make lemon-vanilla glaze by combining the lemon juice, confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract, a small pinch of salt, and a bit of milk, cream, or water to thin it down. Whisk until thicker and it ribbons off your whisk. You can optionally add in a bit tiny of almond extract here as well. Pour the glaze over the cake and garnish with the lemon zest we set aside. Enjoy this cake with a side of fresh fruit, ice cream, or whipped cream!

Video