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Sweet and swirled Iced Lemon Loaf. Better than any coffee shop, this bread melts in your mouth. Doughy lemon loaf cake with just the right amount of lemon, sweetened with honey, and made fluffy. It’s extra special with a swirl of cream cheese and finished simply with a thick and creamy lemon glaze. This lemon loaf has such a nice spring vibe, plus it’s easier than you’d think to make.
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I’ve definitely said this before, but sometimes I let recipes sit on my idea list for far too long before actually attempting to make them. It’s silly, because the reason I let them sit there is simply because I fear they’re not going to be “special” enough.
In reality, it’s me second guessing myself. Again it is silly. But here’s the upside, I let them sit, but I tend to always come back to them, usually adding something that really does make them extra special.
I’ve had an iced lemon loaf on my list for at least 2 winters now. I wanted to recreate the Starbucks loaf, but at home. So many of you have messaged me asking for a homemade version, but I just wasn’t sure.
Anyway, I finally gave in and I made the loaf. But with a few adaptions to make it more wholesome, less sweet, and even more delicious.
There’s a subtle swirl of lemony cream cheese that really makes this so GOOD.
Details
The first step is to cream the butter with lots of lemon zest and honey. I love to use honey, not only for a little added flavor, but because it’s better for you than using white sugar. And I always find you can use less sweetener that way too.
Eggs, yogurt, and lemon juice follow. What I will note is, at this point, the batter is going to look like it’s curdled. That’s only because it’s more liquid than butter. Don’t freak, it comes together once you add the flour.
Once all the wet ingredients have been mixed in, simply beat in the flour and the remaining ingredients.
Now the special part (that Starbuck’s loaf is really missing) is a pretty swirl of lemony cream cheese. It might not seem like much, but trust me it really does make this loaf just that much more delicious.
Mix the cream with lemon zest, then simply swirl it into the loaf pan full of batter.
While the cake bakes, make the glaze.
While the cake is so good on its own (really, it is), the glaze seals the deal. Literally.
It’s just powdered sugar, lemon juice, and then I love to add honey for a perfect glossy texture. It’s sweet, creamy, and simple.
And that’s it…simple, pretty, perfectly sweet, extra moist, and SO GOOD! Every bite is bursting with sweetness and lemony flavor.
Happiest Tuesday night baking to you all! Hope you guys all enjoy this iced lemon loaf as much as I do!
Looking for other sweets? Here are a few to try:
5 Minute Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread Mug Cake
Dirty Horchata Tres Leches Cake
Earl Grey Blueberry Lemon Cake
Coconut Banana Cake with Fudgy Chocolate Frosting
Lastly, if you make this Iced Lemon Loaf be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Iced Lemon Loaf
Ingredients
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons) salted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup honey
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest, plus 3 tablespoons juice
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup plain greek yogurt or sour cream
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 ounces cream cheese, melted
Icing
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 3-4 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons honey
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Grease a (9×5 inch) loaf pan.2. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter, honey, and 1 tablespoon lemon zest until combined. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until combined, then add the lemon juice, vanilla, and yogurt. It's going to look curdled. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Beat until just combined. 3. In a bowl, whisk together the cream cheese and 1 tablespoon lemon zest. 4. Spoon 1/3 of the batter into the prepared pan. Dollop teaspoon size amounts of the cream cheese over the batter, using half the cream cheese. Gently swirl the cheese using a paring knife. Spoon over another 1/3 of the batter, then swirl in the remaining cream cheese, then spoon the remaining batter over. It's OK if all the cream cheese is not covered. Bake for 45 minutes, or until the center is just set. If the cake is browning, cover with foil to finish baking. 5. Let cool completely before frosting.6. Meanwhile, make the glaze. In a bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and honey. Pour the glaze over the loaf. Let set 1 hour (or so), slice and eat
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
Hi Tieghan! I have been enjoying your recipes for the past year, making at least 1 new one every week. Question about the lemon loaf… I live in CO at 6,500 elevation. Any adjustments on the lemon loaf? I have issues making breads up so high. Thanks for your help! – Laura
Thanks so much for trying so many new recipe, Laura! You can follow this recipe as is without any adjustments, it should work nicely for you!
The texture is incredible so I’m definitely saving this recipe, but the lemon flavor does not really come through except in the icing. I would add lemon extract to the batter next time.
Thanks for sharing your feedback! I’m so glad to hear you will make this recipe again, I appreciate you giving it a try!
It’s good. A little drier then Id like with the omission of oil in the batter, but it’s good
Hi Bailey,
Fantastic! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe and appreciate you making it! Have a great week! xxT
I followed the recipe exactly . it tasted as awesome as it looked!
I would love to try your almond flour recipe; where can I find it? I try to do a grain free eating . Thank You!!
Thanks so much, Cindy! So glad to hear this recipe was enjoyed! Sorry, I don’t have an almond flour version of this. xx
Had to bake mine 15-17 mins longer and the icing came out so runny and tart. Not sure how the picture looks so creamy and white.
Hi Darby,
Thanks for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, so sorry to hear you had some issues. Was there anything you adjusted in the recipe? Did you use a glass pan? Sounds like your icing just needed some more powdered sugar. Let me know how I can help further! xx
Could I do in bunt pan?
Hi there,
Sorry, I would not recommend a bundt pan for this recipe, there won’t be enough batter. Please let me know if you give this recipe a try! xT
I have made this recipe this morning with a few tweaks. Halved the recipe as there are only two of us and I am supposed to be dieting, so made 3 tiny loaf cakes and cooked them in my air fryer. Will be sampling them soon with my afternoon cup of tea!!
Hey Julie,
Happy Monday! I appreciate you trying this recipe and your comment, I’m so glad it turned out well for you! xT
I’m going to make it again, try adding more zest. Didn’t seem to have flavor something was just off. Used sour cream instead of yogurt, sometimes it’s the simple things. She is always spot on!!
Better than sbucks lemon loaf! Literally cannot stop eating it… made it yesterday and it’s over halfway gone in a household of two. Oops!
I made a few teaks – did not have cream cheese so omitted the swirl. I also used cake flour to give it denser texture. The key to getting a strong lemon flavor (really with any recipe like this) is to go heavy on the zest! I probably added about 3 tablespoons into the batter and the flavor really came through. Mine took about 40 minutes to bake.
For the icing, I also added 2 tablespoons of cream and increased the powdered sugar for a slightly thicker icing.
Perfection! xoxo
Hi Jasmine,
Amazing!! I appreciate you making this loaf and sharing all of your notes:) So glad to hear it was enjoyed! Have a great weekend! xT