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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!
Since you’re in the mountains are all of your recipes for high altitude? I am also in Colorado and love your recipes. Just wanted to make sure they are high altitude!
Hey Sarah,
You should be able to follow my recipes as written without any issues:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
Hi! How many tablespoons of lemon juice for the batter? It says 3 but I wasn’t sure if that was one for the batter and two for the icing?
Hi Elizabeth,
It’s 3 tablespoons of lemon juice for the batter and 3 tablespoons for the icing. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
The loaf was a little dense for my liking. I prefer a light, velvety lemon loaf. The icing was runny. I ended up adding double the powdered sugar and half a cup cream cheese to the icing to get the perfect white consistency.
Hey Danny,
Thanks for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, sorry to hear it wasn’t a fave! Hope you have a great Friday! xx
Delicious loaf! I like others had a problem with my glaze. It was very runny and not all like the consistency picture on recipe. Will definitely make the loaf again but use a different glaze.
Hi Sherry,
Awesome!! Thanks a bunch for testing this recipe out, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! xT
I have tried this before and really enjoyed it. I was wondering how this would work as a bundt cake. I was thinking of doubling it and cooking it a bit longer. Any suggestions or thoughts? Thanks for all your amazing recipes! My family and I appreciate you a lot!
Hey Nikki,
Lovely!! I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your comment, so glad to hear it turned out well:) I’ve never tested that, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work for you! xx
Hi, can I leave the cream cheese swirl out?
Hi there,
Yes, that is just fine for you to do! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xx
SO YUMM!
Perfect amount of sweetness & lemon flavor.
I subbed Bob Mills Gluten Free flour and came out amazing. Perfect texture & flavor.
Thanks so much!
Hi Adriana,
Happy Wednesday! ⛅️🌈 I’m so glad to hear that this recipe worked well for you and I appreciate you giving it a try! xx
It needs sugar added, but still good
Thanks for sharing your feedback Krystina!!
This is my second time making this and I cannot get the glaze to thicken like yours. Any recommendations?
Hi Shannon,
Thanks so much for making this recipe!! I would try adding more powdered sugar for a thicker glaze. I hope this helps! xx
I reviewed the comments and did 1/4 cup white sugar + 1/4 cup honey instead of 1/2 cup honey. Mine browned too fast and was too high for aluminum foil. The taste is delicious and I will make again, but I will foil it for the first 10 minutes and then release. I will also continue w/ the sugar/honey combo. The batter was wet, but it baked up fine. My icing was also very loose and more confectioners sugar didn’t do the trick…I used a brush to try to get it to soak in. I gave this a high rating for taste, but the directions could be improved.
Hi Rebeca,
Thanks for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback! Sorry to hear you had a few issues, but glad to hear it was enjoyed overall! xx
Amazing! I have never had a recipe call for “melted cream cheese”, but I went with it and the result was an amazing lemon loaf. I added some lemon zest on top for color, and a little extra zing!
Hey Jo,
Happy Sunday!💐 I really appreciate you making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it was a hit! xT
I added way more icing sugar and my frosting still didn’t resemble this white depiction. I was so disappointed as I wanted to gift it to someone. I think the recipe should reflect the exact measurement of ingredients. The cake itself was delish but very rich. Next time I’ll omit the cream cheese swirl.
Hi Patti,
Thanks for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, sorry to hear your icing was not to your liking. All of the measurements are exactly what I used:) Let me know if I can help in any other way! xT
Delicious! Moist, dense with the right amount of sweetness.
Hey Amy,
Happy Friday!! So glad to hear that you enjoyed this recipe, thanks for making it and sharing your comment! xx
This recipe came out perfectly! Not overly sweet and the perfect touch of lemon. I’m already making it a second time in a week because the first loaf did not last in our house!
How would this freeze? I’m hoping to make it ahead of time and enjoy it on my maternity leave.
Hey Ashley,
Happy Friday!! So glad to hear that you enjoyed this recipe, thanks for making it and sharing your comment! This would be just fine for you to freeze! xx
Ugh seriously these recipients come out perfectly every. Time.
Hey Corie,
Wonderful!! Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear that it was a hit! xx
These turned out super yummy! I was a little worried because I didn’t have regular Greek yogurt or sour cream. All I had on hand was Light and Fit fat free Toasted Coconut Vanilla Greek yogurt. I used it instead, and it came out just perfect! It seemed to add a very light coconut flavor, which I love! I also had to use 1/3 fat cream cheese, and it’s still delicious. Another 5 star recipe!!!
Hey Erika,
Happy Monday!!⛅️ Thanks a bunch for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it turned out well for you:)