Lemon Loaf Cake

Lemon loaf cake is super moist, full of tart lemon flavor and topped with a delicious lemon icing.

Course Desserts

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 55

Total Time 1 10

Servings people

Calories 471kcal

Author Jessica Robinson

Equipment

Ingredients

Lemon Loaf Cake

1 cup vegetable or canola oil (or another neutral oil)
2 ½ cups granulated sugar
6 large eggs room temperature
¼ cup lemon juice
Zest of one large lemon optional
1 cup full-fat sour cream (OR Greek yogurt or buttermilk)
1 tablespoon pure lemon oil
3 ½ cups all-purpose or cake flour sifted
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
a few drops of yellow food coloring (optional)

Lemon Icing

2 ½ cups powdered sugar
3-4 tablespoons lemon juice

Instructions

Lemon Loaf Cake

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Use a sifter or metal strainer to sift the flour into a medium size bowl. Add baking powder, baking soda and salt, set aside.
Use either a stand mixer with a beater attachment or an electric hand mixer, combine the oil and the sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time and mix only until combined.
Add the sour cream, lemon juice, (lemon zest if desired), lemon oil and the dry ingredients. Mix only until the batter is smooth and combined. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the bottom and the sides of the bowl occasionally.
If you want a bit more lemon color, add a few drops of yellow food coloring and stir with a spatula only until combined into the cake batter.
Place paper liners in 9×5-inch cast iron loaf pans or metal loaf pans. Divide the cake batter evenly into two prepared baking pans. Gently spread the cake batter out evenly with a spatula.
Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F oven for 55-60 minutes. Or until you can press on the top and the cake bounces back. You can also check with a toothpick. When a toothpick inserted comes out mostly clean, with only a few moist crumbs the cake is done.
About three quarters through the baking process, VERY carefully rotate your baking pan 180 degrees. This will help the cake bake evenly. Be very careful not to bump the cake or it will fall!
Gently run a butter knife around the edge of the cakes to pull them from the pans if needed. This will help them easily come out of the baking pans.
Let the cakes cool for 10 minutes in the pan. Remove from baking pans and let cool on a baking rack.

Lemon Icing

Mix together the icing ingredients in a medium size bowl with a whisk. Add more lemon juice for your desired thickness.
Once the cakes are completely cooled, spoon the icing over each cake.

Notes

Oven temperatures vary, so always be sure and keep on eye on cakes while they bake. We also recommend an oven thermometer to monitor the temperature.

Baking in a cast iron loaf pans helps distribute the heat more evenly and the cakes will rise better.

We prefer unbleached all-purpose flour for this pound cake recipe. However you can also use cake flour. Be sure and sift flour before adding to the mixer.

Use a rubber spatula to scrape the bottom and sides of the mixing bowl occasionally. This will ensure you mix the cake batter properly.

Lemon icing

We prefer our lemon icing fairly thick. You can adjust the thickness of icing by adding a little more or less lemon juice. If it's too thin, simply whisk in a little more powdered sugar.

Nutrition