This moist and sweet lemon loaf is so easy to make from scratch, with classic ingredients, and no fancy tools required. It’s positively bursting with bright lemon flavors and the sweet/tart lemon glaze really takes this bread over the top!
This is one of my Quick Bread recipes I know you’ll want to keep on hand!
If you’re a lemon lover, especially lemon desserts, then you’ll LOVE this recipe! The amazing sweet lemony flavor is so pronounced, and it’s so easy to make.
This lemon loaf is a sweet quick bread recipe, which is a bit of a misnomer.
Quick breads aren’t super quick to bake (they usually take 50-60 minutes), but the “quick” refers to the fact it’s a bread that doesn’t involve any yeast/kneading/rising times.
You just mix, transfer to the pan, and bake!
Why you’ll love this recipe!
- Soft – this bread is so moist and fluffy, so it’s not super dense the way some pound cakes/quick breads can be.
- Easy – this recipe comes together quickly, with just a bowl and whisk/rubber spatula. No fancy tools or appliances needed!
- Versatile – loaves like this can be a sweet breakfast or light dessert. I’ve even served this on Easter!
What do I need to make this recipe?
- Flour – no fancy flour needed here, just all purpose flour.
- Baking powder – this helps the bread rise and get nice and fluffy.
- Cornstarch – the cornstarch adds a touch of softness.
- Granulated sugar – this type of sugar is used in the batter for the bread.
- Vegetable oil – you want a neutral/unflavored oil, and it adds moistness.
- Sour cream – the sour cream may sound odd, but it adds a subtle tang, as well as moistness.
- Eggs – this recipe was tested with large eggs, so I highly recommend using those.
- Lemon zest – the zest is where a lot of the intense lemon flavor comes from.
- Lemon extract – this just bumps up the citrus flavor.
- Powdered sugar – this type of sugar is used in the glaze, as it dissolves into the liquid and there won’t be any grittiness.
- Lemon juice – fresh lemon juice is best for this recipe.
How to make lemon loaf:
This is just an overview; the full ingredients and directions are in the recipe card toward the bottom of this post.
- Combine dry ingredients. In this recipe, this is the flour, baking powder, cornstarch, and granulated sugar.
- Add wet ingredients. This is the oil, sour cream, eggs, lemon juice, lemon zest, and lemon extract.
- Mix. I like to just use a whisk or rubber spatula for this.
- Transfer to baking pan. I like to line the pan with parchment so it’s easier to remove from the pan.
- Bake. Despite being a quick bread, this will take about 60 minutes to bake.
- Add glaze ingredients. You can use a new bowl, or just clean out the bowl from earlier in the recipe. This is the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon extract.
- Whisk. Whisk until smooth and creamy.
- Glaze. Liberally drizzle the glaze all over the top of the cooled bread.
Helpful Tip!
While you can use a mixer for this recipe, it’s not necessary. This batter doesn’t involve creaming butter and sugar together, so it comes together just as easily with a whisk and rubber spatula!
Variations of this recipe
- Oil – if you want to substitute the oil in this lemon loaf, you’ll want a neutral oil, that doesn’t really taste like anything. Canola would be another option, although vegetable oil is the standard in baking.
- Greek yogurt – plain, full-fat greek yogurt can be substituted for the sour cream if you’d like.
- Mini – I haven’t tested this recipe in mini loaf pans, but my estimate would be to divide the batter evenly among 3 mini loaf pans and bake at 325°F for 25-30 minutes. Please keep in mind that all ovens will vary a bit.
- Thicker glaze/icing – if you prefer a thicker glaze, or even an icing on top of the bread, you can decrease the amount of liquids added to the powdered sugar. For more of an icing consistency, the key is to add the glaze when the bread has completely cooled.
- Sweeter glaze – if the lemon in the glaze sounds overwhelming, you could replace the lemon juice with milk, and use vanilla extract instead of lemon.
FAQ’s
I’ve only tested this recipe as written, so while I’m sure it could be baked in one, I can’t speak to how it may change the baking time.
You definitely want to use non-expired baking powder for this recipe, or your bread won’t rise. To test your baking powder, add a bit to hot water. If it bubbles and fizzes, you’re good to go! However, if your baking powder is older than 6 months, it’s best to just get a new can. The older one can still be used for cleaning purposes!
Making lemon bread ahead of time
Good news… you can make this loaf ahead of time!
My family even thinks this bread is even better and more moist on the second day, but it’s truly up to you!
One thing I don’t recommend however, is making the batter ahead of time. This is due to the chemistry of baking. The baking soda will start reacting with the other ingredients as soon as it’s mixed, which can result in a less than quality bread.
Storage
Leftover bread should be kept in a bag at room temperature, and consumed within 3 days for best texture.
Freezing
This lemon loaf can be frozen for longer storage. Wrap the bread tightly in plastic wrap, then add to a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
Individual slices of bread can also be frozen, just make sure to wrap each slice in plastic wrap before adding to the freezer bag.
More Quick Bread Recipes:
My Favorite Loaf Pan!
Any loaf pan will work for this recipe, but in case you don’t have one, this is a good quality, economical option. I’ve had several of these pans for years and they’re still in great shape!
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!
Ingredients
Lemon loaf
- 1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- 3 Tbsp cornstarch
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup sour cream full fat is recommended
- 3 large eggs
- 1 Tbsp lemon zest
- 3 Tbsp lemon juice (from approximately 1 large lemon)
- 1 tsp lemon extract optional but recommended
Lemon glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar whisked to remove any lumps
- 2 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice (from approximately 1 large lemon)
- 1/2 tsp lemon extract optional but recommended
Instructions
Prepare
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line a 9×5" baking pan with parchment paper for easy cleanup and to aid in removing the baked bread from the pan.
- Place down a sheet of wax or parchment paper on your counter, then top with a cooling rack. This will help keep the glaze off your counter and make cleanup easy later!
Mix batter
- To a large mixing bowl, add 1 3/4 cup all purpose flour, 1 Tbsp baking powder, 3 Tbsp cornstarch, and 1 cup granulated sugar. Whisk to combine.
- Make a well in the center of the flour mixture, then add 1/2 cup vegetable oil, 1 cup sour cream, 3 large eggs, 1 Tbsp lemon zest, 3 Tbsp lemon juice, and 1 tsp lemon extract (if using).
- Whisk well until combined and no flour streaks remain. Alternately, you can use a mixer to combine the batter.
Bake
- Transfer the batter to prepared baking pan, and bake in preheated oven for approximately 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
Cool
- Remove pan from the oven and place on a wire cooling rack (you can leave the bread in the pan for this).
Make glaze
- To a mixing bowl, add 1 cup powdered sugar, 2 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice, and 1/2 tsp lemon extract (if using).
- Whisk well, until smooth and creamy.
Glaze and serve
- Remove the bread from the baking pan, add it back to the cooling rack, then liberally drizzle/pour the glaze over the cooled bread.
- If desired, sprinkle with some additional lemon zest, and serve at room temperature.
Want to save this recipe for later? Click the heart in the bottom right corner to save to your own recipe box!
Chef Tips
- I’ve estimated this recipe will yield 8 slices of bread, but feel free to slice the loaf into as many slices as you’d like.
Nutrition Disclaimer
The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
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