This lemon loaf cake is soft, velvety, super moist and is bursting with lemon flavour. Best part is, it’s super easy to make! A soft lemon loaf is coated with a lemon syrup and topped with a thick lemon glaze – YUM!
How to Make Lemon Loaf
This lemon loaf has three elements, which are all super easy to make (I promise!). You start off with your lemon loaf, then lemon syrup which you brush all over your lemon loaf once it’s done (don’t skip it – it really takes the loaf to the next level!). Finally, you finish off with a wonderful lemon glaze.
A lemon loaf is basically a cake in loaf form, but a little more sturdy. For a wonderful soft layer cake, check out my soft lemon cake and lemon cupcakes.
Lemon Loaf
For the lemon loaf, you want to start off by preheating your oven to 160 °C (320°F) with the fan on (see note 1 on recipe card at the end of the blog post if you don’t have a fan function) and line an 8.5×4.5inch loaf tin (I like to lightly grease the tin before lining it so that the baking paper sticks better).
If your loaf tin is slightly smaller than mine, then you may have a little too much batter. If you do, then you can use any left over batter to make some muffins 🙂
Next in a bowl sift together flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt. Using a whisk or fork, mix until well combined. Set aside for now.
Next, in a small bowl combine warm milk and lemon juice. Mix until well combined and then set aside for now. It will start to curdle, which is normal.
In a large bowl cream together the butter, vegetable oil, sugar and lemon zest for 2 minutes until it’s light and fluffy.
Next add in the eggs one at a time, mixing well in between each addition.
Next add in half of the milk/lemon juice mixture from earlier and mix until well combined. Once combined, take any remaining batter off of your mixer attachment/s and set aside as the rest of the mixing will be done by hand.
Next add in half of your premixed dry ingredients to your wet mixture, and gently fold it in with a spatula until just combined. Then add in the remaining milk/lemon juice mixture, and fold that in until just combined. Lastly, add in the remaining dry ingredients and gently fold until just combined. Do not overmix (see note 2).
Pour the batter into the loaf tin, evenly spread it out and then bake for 1 hour, or until a skewer or butter knife comes out clean.
Once baked, allow it to cool for 15 minutes in the loaf tin, and in the meantime prepare the lemon syrup.
Lemon Syrup
In a small saucepan combine sugar and lemon juice. Heat over a medium heat until the sugar is completely dissolved. Once done take it off the heat.
After 15 minutes, take the lemon loaf out of the loaf tin and place it on a tray. Cover the entire cake in the lemon syrup, including the bottom. Be gentle when moving the lemon loaf as it will still be warm at this stage and you don’t want it to break. See video demonstration below for how I cover my loaf in the syrup to prevent it from breaking.
Once coated in the syrup, let the lemon loaf completely cool. Once cooled make the lemon glaze.
Lemon Glaze
In a small bowl combine the icing sugar and lemon juice. Mix until well combined and you have a thick glaze consistency (see note 3 on recipe card below for different consistencies).
Once the lemon loaf has cooled, spread the lemon glaze over the top and top with more lemon zest (optional – the lemon zest is for decoration purposes).
And that is it! Enjoy 🙂
Easy Moist Lemon Loaf
Print Pin VideoIMPORTANT: For accuracy, I would recommend using the gram measurements provided, as those are the exact quantities I use. Cup measurements are given as estimates (based on US cup measurements) to make it easier for those who do not have a scale.
Ingredients
Lemon Loaf
- 1¾ cups (210 g) all purpose flour
- 2 tbsp (14 g) cornstarch - also known as cornflour in some countries
- 1½ tsps baking powder
- ½ tsp salt - omit if using salted butter
- ½ cup (120 g) warm milk - full fat milk
- 3 tbsp (42 g) lemon juice - freshly squeezed
- ¾ cup (170 g) unsalted butter - room temperature
- 2 tbsp (26 g) unflavoured vegetable oil - I use canola oil
- 1 cup (200 g) white granulated sugar
- 1½ tbsp lemon zest - about the zest of 1 and 1/2 medium sized lemons
- 3 large eggs - room temperature, size 7
Lemon Syrup
- ¼ cup (50 g) white granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (55 g) lemon juice - freshly squeezed
Lemon Glaze
- 1 cup (125 g) icing sugar - also known as powdered or confectioners sugar
- 1½ tbsp (21 g) lemon juice - freshly squeezed
- 1 tbsp lemon zest for decorating the top - OPTIONAL
Instructions
Lemon Loaf
- Preheat oven to 160 °C (320°F) with the fan on (see note 1 if you don't have a fan function) and line an 8.5x4.5inch loaf tin (I like to lightly grease the tin before lining it so that the baking paper sticks better).
- In a bowl sift together your flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt. Using a whisk or fork, mix until well combined. Set aside for now.
- In a small bowl combine the warm milk and lemon juice. Mix until well combined and then set aside for now. It will start to curdle, which is normal.
- In a large bowl cream together the butter, vegetable oil, sugar and lemon zest for 2 minutes until it's light and fluffy.
- Next add in the eggs one at a time, mixing well in between each addition.
- Next add in half of the milk/lemon juice mixture from earlier and mix until well combined. Once combined, take any remaining batter off of your mixer attachment/s and set aside as the rest of the mixing will be done by hand.
- Next add in half of your premixed dry ingredients to your wet mixture, and gently fold it in with a spatula until just combined. Then add in the remaining milk/lemon juice mixture, and fold that in until just combined. Lastly, add in the remaining dry ingredients and gently fold until just combined. Do not overmix (see note 2).
- Pour the batter into the loaf tin, evenly spread it out and then bake for 1 hour, or until a skewer or butter knife comes out clean.
- Once baked, allow it to cool for 15 minutes in the loaf tin, and in the meantime prepare the lemon syrup.
Lemon Syrup
- In a small saucepan combine the sugar and lemon juice. Heat over a medium heat until the sugar is completely dissolved. Once done take it off the heat.
- After 15 minutes, take the lemon loaf out of the loaf tin and place it on a tray. Cover the entire cake in the lemon syrup, including the bottom. Be gentle when moving the lemon loaf as it will still be warm at this stage and you don't want it to break. See video demonstration for how I cover my loaf in the syrup to prevent it from breaking. It may seem like a lot of syrup but be sure to use it all up!
- Once coated in the syrup, let the lemon loaf completely cool. Once cooled make the lemon glaze.
Lemon Glaze
- In a small bowl combine the icing sugar and lemon juice. Mix until well combined and you have a thick glaze consistency (see note 3 for different consistencies).
- Once the lemon loaf has cooled, spread the lemon glaze over the top and top with more lemon zest (optional - the lemon zest is for decoration purposes).
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information are estimates only as they are automatically calculated by a third party application. Actual values may differ based on brands and types of products used.
170 Comments
Just made this lemon loaf for afternoon tea. It was the tastiest, most delicious lemon loaf I have ever tasted. The texture of the cake was just so light and fluffy. MK your recipes are just the best! Thank you so much for sharing such a detailed recipe.
Aww thank you so much for the wonderful feedback Ria! So glad you loved the lemon loaf 😀
What a wonderful recipe, it is so lemony! I added a smidge more zest as my lemons were huge. And on top, I added candied lemon zest I made with leftover lemons 🥰
Thank you so much Ana! So glad you loved the lemon loaf 😀
Your cakes never fail to impress and delight. Thank you for sharing generously MK
Please keep it going as you bring much happiness to all of us!
Aww thank you so much Elaine! That really means a lot 🙂
So glad you’re loving the recipes!
I never write reviews on food websites but had to now. I made this for my husband’s birthday and he says it was one of the best cakes he’s ever had. I am not a fan of lemon desserts and I also thought this was really delicious. Everything was just perfect. Thank you so much Maryam for such a wonderful recipe.
Aww so so happy to hear you both loved the lemon loaf! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review 🙂
I just finished making this lemon loaf and it is amazing!!!! So soft and moist. I have previously watched several of your Youtube videos but this is my first time making one of your recipes. I will be making more of them for sure. Thanks for this great recipe!!
Aww yay! So glad you decided to give a recipe a go and loved it Rhonda 😀
I made this today and everyone said it tasted like from a high end bakery! And I never bake!! Thanks a lot
Aww yay! So so happy to hear that Nida 😀
I made your cake today and I have to say this is the best lemon loaf I have ever had. There’s loads of lemon flavor and it can be made to a person’s taste.( I added extra lemon) I will be keeping this recipe. Thank you for posting it.
Aww thanks so much Tracy! So glad you loved the lemon loaf 😀
Love this recipe. Super easy to prepare and bake. The resulting cake is moist and lemony. It is however very very sweet meaning smaller slices suffice. Will make again 100%
Thanks Liz! So glad you loved the lemon loaf 🙂
Just made this cake and it was wonderful. Turned out perfectly.
Yay! So glad you loved the lemon loaf Rebecca! 😀
Such a delicious, soft, moist cake
Thanks so much Alice! So glad you loved the loaf 😀