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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.
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
Servings: 8
Calories Per Serving: 538 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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
Note: If you had trouble making originally with almond flour, I have edited the recipe to use regular flour for a better result. I am so sorry for anyone who struggled!
I made this and it was delicious ! I could not get the glaze as thick as what is pictured but the taste was perfect. Will definitely make again!
Hey Alicia,
Happy Sunday!! So glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it!! ? xx
Pretty sure the amount of lemon juice in the glaze should be measured in teaspoons, not tablespoons – that’s almost 1/4 cup lemon juice for 1 cup powdered sugar – plus honey, another liquid.
No wonder so many comments mention the glaze being way too runny…
Hi there,
The measurements for the glaze are correct, but more powdered sugar can always be added if needed. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try! xTieghan
Teighan! I made this recipe for an event and it was a hit! Love love love your iced lemon loaf, and I cannot wait to make it again.
Hey Kelly,
Happy Sunday!! So glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it!! ? xx
Great flavor but the textures were off. Loaf was spongy and glaze never set up. Don’t think I’ll make again. Bummed. Had high hopes for this one.
Hey there,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, so sorry to hear it wasn’t enjoyed. Please let me know if I can help in anyway! xTieghan
Another tiny dessert, made it a couple of days ago for my coworkers, and everyone loved it !!
I also made the blueberry cupcakes, but I used almond flower instead, it didn’t raise like a regular cupcake but the flavor was ??. Thank you so much for all the recipes
Hey there,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a go! Have the best week:) xT
Another Yummy dinner! My husband has been loving every meal I have ever tried so far from Halfbaked harvest! He really enjoyed the pairing of the ricotta and pasta. The blending was an enjoyable “sweet and savory dish” Thank you for sharing Tieghan
Hey Donna,
Wonderful!! Love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks a lot for making it! ☘️xx
I never write recipe reviews but I noticed this one had some negatives that I have to object to. Let me just start by saying i got distracted mid-way and completely forgot to add the eggs. In a last-ditch effort, i added them in at the end and the cake STILL turned out amazing. The texture was fantastic and the lemon flavor was absolutely perfect. The glaze added another punch of lemon, which I loved. Everyone here gave it 5 stars.
Hey Michelle,
Wonderful!! Love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks a lot for making it! ☘️xx
2nd HBH recipe I’ve tried. 2nd time I’ve been disappointed. The batter tasted just fine before adding the melted cream cheese; not sure why Tieghan thought the cream cheese was absolutely necessary (it also ruined the white chicken chili recipe I made last week). It became too rich with the icing and almost inedible. The icing, by the way, pretty much drowned the cake. Next time I would only use half and drizzle it over the top. Next time I would omit the cream cheese (weird touch and didn’t add much to the cake besides making it weird) and I would probably use 1 less egg as the cake was very dense. It’s not a light and fluffy traditional lemon loaf that I was expecting. Although, it did smell delicious while baking.
This was my first time venturing out in the dessert world besides chocolate chip cookies and banana bread and I’m a little disappointed.
Hi Rebecca,
Thanks for giving the recipe a try, sorry to hear it wasn’t enjoyed. Sounds like cream cheese isn’t really your thing, so I would start omitting it from recipes. Please let me know if I can help in any other way!! xTieghan
Definitely not a HBH recipe I would make again. I didn’t taste much lemon flavor in the cake at all. It was disappointing.
Hi Cara,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, so sorry to hear it was not enjoyed!! xTieghan
I love HBH but this wasn’t my favorite. The cake was not flavorful and was dense. It burnt on the bottom even though I reduced cooking time by 10 minutes- maybe it was the honey? I don’t know what happened with the icing- mine looked nothing like the pictures and was runny like a glaze. But that’s ok- I’ll keep trying your recipes!
Hi Emily,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, so sorry to hear it was not enjoyed!! xTieghan
So soft and buttery! My kids LOVE it. I love that it’s made with honey instead of sugar!
Hey Tieghan,
Happy Wednesday!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a go!! ☘️Tieghan
Hi! Do you use the 1 lb or 1 1/4 lb USA loaf pan?
Hi Annie,
I used the 1lb loaf pan. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it!! xTieghan
Thank you so much for your response! I made this yesterday in the 1lb loaf pan and it turned out great 🙂
Thanks for trying the recipe Annie!!
As others have said – I have made many HBH recipes and love many of them but this is not one of them. I followed the recipe and the cake lakes flavor – even lemon only really shines in the icing – not in the cake. Yes my icing was runny but it tasted great – yes it could have been thicker to remember the photos more but it tasted great – the cake however lacked flavor.
Thanks, I’ll keep making your recipes because so many are wonderful!
Hey Leslie,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, so sorry to hear it was not enjoyed!! xTieghan
INCREDIBLE! Was nervous to make in my tiny apartment with limited access to cooking tools (aka a standing mixer) however was super pleased by the result here. Hand mixed everything and couldn’t be happier with the result. Have gotten tons of compliments from friends. Wins in both visuals as well as taste. 10/10 couldn’t recommend more.
Hi Madison,
Fantastic!! I love to hear that the recipe was enjoyed, thanks for giving it a try. Have the best week:)) xT
So good!!!
Hey Marissa,
Fantastic!! I love to hear that the recipe was enjoyed, thanks for giving it a try. Have the best week:)) xT
Addendum to post as I did not rate. 5 plus stars!
Thanks again Joanne!!