Description
A better-than-Starbucks lemon loaf recipe featuring a dense, incredibly moist crumb and a thick, sweet lemon icing. Uses oil and sour cream for superior texture that stays soft for days.
Ingredients
**The Loaf:**
1 1/2 cups (190g) all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
2 tbsp lemon zest (approx 2 large lemons)
3 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup (120g) sour cream, room temperature
1/2 cup (120ml) vegetable oil
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp lemon extract (optional but recommended)
**The Glaze:**
1 cup (120g) powdered sugar, sifted
1–2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp milk
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×5 loaf pan and line with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, rub lemon zest into granulated sugar with your fingers until fragrant and yellow.
3. Whisk in eggs until pale. Add sour cream, oil, lemon juice, and extract. Whisk until smooth.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
5. Pour dry ingredients into wet. Fold gently with a spatula just until combined. Do not overmix.
6. Pour into pan. Bake 45-55 minutes. Tent with foil if browning too fast.
7. Cool in pan 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
8. Whisk glaze ingredients until thick and white. Pour over the completely cooled loaf.
Notes
**Why Oil?** Oil keeps the cake softer than butter because it remains liquid at room temperature.
**Lemon Zest:** Don’t skip rubbing the zest into the sugar; it releases the essential oils for maximum flavor.
**Cooling:** You must let the cake cool completely before glazing, or the glaze will melt into the cake.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 55
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 340
- Sugar: 32g
- Sodium: 210mg
- Fat: 16g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 45g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 65mg