My lemon loaf recipe features a light and spongy cake that’s topped with a zesty lemon glaze. It’s made in one bowl, and my family swears it’s better than Starbucks!
If you love breakfast bread recipes like us, try my blueberry breakfast cake, raspberry bread, or healthy zucchini bread next.
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Hot take, but I used to think Starbucks’ lemon loaf was the best thing on the menu, which is largely why I decided to recreate it at home.
Now, Starbucks obviously doesn’t share their recipe, but considering I’m obsessed with all things lemon (hello, lemon meringue pie!), it wasn’t too hard to figure out. According to my family, my loaf cake is even better…and that should tell you something because they’re quite the food critics!
Why I love this recipe
- Diet-friendly. It’s naturally egg and dairy-free, and it’s easy to make gluten-free without affecting the taste or texture.
- Made in one bowl. Making for a convenient recipe (which is kind of my thing).
- Use fresh or bottled lemon juice. I tried both and my family honestly couldn’t tell the difference.
- Adjust the lemon flavor. Like my lemon olive oil cake, this is a very forgiving recipe. Want a puckering lemon treat? Add more lemon juice. Want it more subtle? Add less!
Key ingredients
- Self-rising flour. I love using self-rising flour as it already has all purpose flour, salt, and baking powder. Don’t waste money buying it at the store when it’s so easy to make your own!
- Superfine sugar. I prefer superfine over regular sugar because it yields a lighter loaf. You can make your own superfine sugar by blending sugar until it’s lighter in texture (but not as light as powdered sugar).
- Baking powder. A little extra baking powder helps the bread rise even more.
- Lemons. Use both lemon juice and lemon zest for maximum lemon flavor.
- Water. You could also use milk, but I didn’t find it necessary.
- Oil. I used vegetable oil, but any neutral oil would work. If not strictly vegan, use unsalted butter.
- Powdered sugar. To make the lemon glaze for the top of the loaf. You may also see it labeled as confectioners’ sugar.
- Lemon juice. Mixed with the powdered sugar to make a lemon glaze. When I want less lemon flavor, I’ll substitute this for water or milk.
- Vanilla extract. For extra flavor.
How to make a lemon loaf
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1- Prep. Preheat the oven and line a loaf pan with parchment paper.
Step 2- Mix. Combine the dry ingredients in a medium bowl, then whisk in the wet ingredients until the batter is smooth.
Step 3- Bake. Pour batter into the pan and bake until a toothpick inserted comes out with only a few moist crumbs.
Step 4- Make the glaze. Mix the glaze ingredients until smooth, then drizzle over the fully cooled loaf.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Substitute lemon extract for lemon juice. A good rule of thumb is to use 1/2 teaspoon of lemon extract for every two tablespoons of lemon juice called for in the recipe.
- No peaking! I got curious and opened the oven before the cooking time was over, and my first loaf sunk in the middle…Don’t make my mistake!
- Enhance the lemon flavor. Add 1-2 teaspoons of lemon extract.
- Does the lemon loaf taste bitter? It’s likely because too much lemon pith was grated into the batter. When grating the lemon peel, make sure to stop as soon as you see the white of the citrus.
Frequently asked questions
As this lemon bread has no butter in it, the oil is necessary to keep the texture light and fluffy while also being moist.
Lemon extract is generally more potent than lemon juice in terms of flavor concentration. However, lemon juice has a more acidic flavor than lemon extract, which can affect the overall taste of a recipe.
Yes, you can use a gluten-free flour blend, provided it is self-rising and has xanthan gum added to the dough.
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Preheat the oven to 200C/400F. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper and set aside.
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In a mixing bowl, add the self-rising flour, baking powder and superfine sugar/caster sugar, and mix well. Add your lemon zest, water, oil and lemon juice, and mix well, until a smooth batter remains.
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Transfer the batter to the lined loaf pan and bake for 40 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
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Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, glaze the loaf and slice.
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To make the glaze, combine your powdered sugar with either 1-2 tablespoons of lemon juice, milk or water, until desired texture remains.
TO FREEZE: Wrap leftover slices in plastic wrap, place them in a freezer bag, and freeze for up to 6 months.
Variations
Make lemon cupcakes. This recipe works equally well as cupcakes. Simply pour the batter into a cupcake tin lined with cupcake liners and bake for 18-20 minutes.
Make them gluten-free. Use gluten-free self-rising flour.
Swap citrus fruits. I didn’t try this, but I imagine this recipe would work just as well with limes, oranges, or grapefruit!
Serving: 1servingCalories: 204kcalCarbohydrates: 33gProtein: 3gFat: 8gSodium: 42mgPotassium: 36mgFiber: 1gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 3IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 28mgIron: 1mgNET CARBS: 32g
More lemon desserts
Originally updated April 2023, updated and republished January 2025
