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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 was super excited about this lemon loaf but I’m a little bummed. Maybe my oven just runs a bit hotter than it should but at the 45 minute mark it was still very runny in the middle and the sides of the loaf were very burnt. The top of it looked beautiful, had a nice rise and good color. I covered it with foil at that point and let it bake 10 minutes longer to try to get the middle to set and not get any more color on the top but the sides of the loaf were toast. I used regular all purpose white flour and I followed the rest of the recipe exactly so I’m not too sure what went wrong.
Hey Morgan,
Thanks for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback!! So sorry to hear about the sides of the loaf! What kind of baking pan did you use? Glass or metal? That could affect how the bread bakes. Let me know! xx
Hi!! Always a fan and always baking your recipes, I was wondering if I could have the original recipe I saw I saw the little disclaimer about the almond floor or if you could help me and tell me how much oat flour should I use. Thank you!!!
Hi Tania,
The flour was a mistake, you will want to follow this recipe as written:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
I’m disappointed in writing this review. I LOVE your recipes Tieghan and have 2 of your cookbooks so I was so excited to make this for my younger brother’s birthday who loves lemon desserts.
I followed everything to a T but the loaf didn’t rise at all so the recipe was barely half full of the 9×5 pan and the temperature/time for the oven caused the outside of the loaf to burn deeply while the inside still wasn’t cooked after an extra 10 minutes on top of the 45 in the oven.
I might try again with double the recipe in the future but just in a bind now for our event since it probably will only feed 3-4 people now
Hi Lesli,
So sorry to hear this recipe was not enjoyed! What kind of flour did you use? Were any of your ingredients expired? Let me know how I can help! Again, sorry for the trouble! xT
Could I make these as a dense cupcake/muffin? Any idea on bake time?
Hi Jean,
Sure, I would start checking for doneness at 25 minutes! I hope this recipe turns out amazing for you, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
This was absolutely delicious. I especially loved how the bread kept its dome shape after I pulled it out of the oven. Highly recommend!
Hi Kathy,
Happy Monday! Thanks a lot for trying this recipe out, I am so excited to hear that it was a hit! xx
Do I need sour cream or yogurt? I don’t have either
Hi Alyssa,
Yes, you will need to use 1 of those:) Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
I’ve made this before and it was a hit! Think I could make this ahead, freeze it, and then add the icing after I thaw it?
Hey Cora,
Totally! That would definitely work well for you:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
Delish! For those struggling with the icing, I’d recommend adding an extra 1/2 cup of powdered sugar. I ran into the same issue but the extra 1/2 cup saved the day!
Hi Lauren,
Wonderful!! Love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks for sharing your review and making the recipe!! xTieghan
So good I could eat the whole loaf! Thank you! I have gluten free friends so I’m going to try out the bobs red mill flour other suggested and I’m sure it will turn out great as do all of your recipes (especially if there are no user errors 🙂 )
Really enjoy your blog.
Hey Katie,
Happy Friday!! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for giving it a try!! xTieghan
I have made this recipe with Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 gluten free flour and it was delicious, just not as pretty as the pics. But extremely delicious!!! I am dreaming about it. I am about to make it a 2nd time!
Hey Rachel,
I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks so much for making it and sharing your review! xTieghan
Question – would you advise swapping the cream cheese for yogurt? I’m not a fan of cream cheese in desserts, but understand it’s to help keep the loaf moist. Thanks for any tips!
Hey Claire,
For this recipe, I would just omit the cream cheese, no big deal! Let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
Pretty good lemon loaf! I added more lemon zest to the loaf and icing. My icing was not thick like the picture here, but still delicious and I like that the ingredients are healthier than the Starbucks lemon loaf. Beware of keeping it out for more than a day, it will dry out on you after cutting into it. I recommend using an air tight container.
Hi Jess,
Wonderful!! Thanks a bunch for trying this recipe out, I am so glad to hear that it was enjoyed!! ?xxT
His turned out soooo good! My family ate the whole thing in one night!
Hey Alex,
Awesome!! Thanks for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Have a great week:) xTieghan
What do you recommend for storing the loaf?
Hi Alicia,
You can store in an airtight container on the counter. Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love the recipe! xx
Question — I flagged this recipe to make for my gluten free relatives. I understand from your notes there were problems but I still want to try it the original way. How much almond flour do I use? Thank you!
Hi Jerri,
Sorry, you will not want to use almond flour in this recipe. You can use an equal amount of a gluten free flour blend, I like Bob’s Red Mill. I hope this helps! xx
Tried this loaf and it was disappointing. Definitely did not taste like the Starbucks iced lemon loaf. The icing was delicious but the cake itself was not nice at all.
Hi Ash,
Thanks for giving the recipe a try, sorry to hear it was not enjoyed. Please let me know if there is any way that I can help:) xTieghan
Wanted to let you know I made the lemon loaf with Bob’s Red Mill Grain Free Flour blend. It turned our very well. Like, so good we have half, and we aren’t sweeter eaters. I messed up the icing a bit, should have started with powdered sugar and added lemon juice instead of the other way around.
Hi Georgine,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it!! Have a great week:) xxT
I’ve made this recipe before and my mom loves it so much she asked for me to make this instead of a birthday cake on her special day. Which is why I wanted to know if it was possible to to make this in a Bundt cake pan or some type of fluted pan? Or anything else that would be able to accommodate a larger crowd? Send help, she’s already very excited!
Hey Jen,
Happy Friday!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks a bunch for giving it a go! You could do a bundt pan, but I would probably double the recipe and then you will want to increase the bake time!? xT