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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!
My loaf is cooling and looks beautiful!!! I followed the recipe exactly except subbing 1/4 cup of buttermilk for the yogurt. I didn’t have yogurt in hand. Can’t wait to try it.
Hey Michelle,
Happy Friday!! Thanks so much for trying this recipe, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! xx
So good! My icing did run over the cake but it didn’t matter. I just scooped it up and piled back on top of the cake. Moist, so lemony, just amazing! I am obsessed with lemon cake so I thought this was perfection!
Thank you so much Michele! So glad you loved this lemon loaf! 🙂 xT
This lemon loaf was FANTASTIC! It was super easy to prepare and has the perfect lemon flavor. The icing is perfect and the loaf is so moist. This is absolutely going to be a staple of mine.
Thank you SO much Eliza! I’m so glad that you enjoyed this loaf! 🙂 xT
Not bad, but didn’t really taste like anything. Wouldn’t make again.
Hi Chiang,
Thanks for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback! Sorry to hear it was not enjoyed! xx
This lemon loaf is amazing !! It was super easy to follow and it’s the right amount of lemon flavor you’ll need to satisfy that craving!!
Thank you Tieghan for always sharing your delicious recipes.
Hey there,
Thanks for your comment and trying this recipe! I am so glad it turned out well for you! Have a great day:)
It literally was gross
Made this today. Unreal and SO EASY.
Hi Annie,
Awesome!!😎 Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear it turned out well for you! xT
I love your recipes! The loaf is super moist and not over sweet. However the icing is more of a glaze, great snack for summer 🙂
Hi there,
Happy Friday!!🇺🇸🫐🍒 Thanks a bunch for trying this recipe out and your comment, I love to hear that it was a winner! xx
Ooh! This is sure yo be a hit with”Lemon Larry”-my father in law who loves all things lemon 🙂
Want to do for his bday cake…was thinking bundt cake! You think that would work? Double recipe ? Thanks-for this and all of your amazing ness!
Lol love to hear this Raquela!! I would double the recipe and increase the bake time. I hope it turns out well for you, let me know!! xT
I’m a bit confused. Is the cream cheese supposed to be melted (both the first 4 ounces and then the second 4 ounces as well). I’m excited to try this! I love lemon anything.😎
Hey Jeanne,
There’s only 4 ounces of cream cheese in this recipe:) Yes, it’s going to be melted. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xT
My guests & I enjoyed this lemon loaf! I’m an avid comment reader for reviews/variations, so thought I’d post a couple quick notes 🙂 I did 1/4c honey 1/4 sugar since I didn’t have quite the amount of honey needed, and that turned out fine. I think in general this is a less-sweet loaf, *almost* on the more savory side – which I enjoy, just something to note if you’re looking for a sweeter lemon cake type of loaf. But the icing helps give some needed sweetness for sure! If I make this again, would probably add a touch of honey to the cream cheese mixture to bring a little more sweetness into the loaf itself.
Hi Anna,
Happy Monday!!😎 I appreciate you making this recipe and your feedback, so glad to hear that it turned out well for you! xT
Poor mark on the icing. It’s nothing like the picture because there’s no heavy cream. This leaves it runny and clear, and then made the loaf soggy.
The loaf itself had a nice lemon flavor, but I’ve had better. Overall it’s a weak 3 star.
Hi there,
Thanks for trying this recipe and sharing your review, sorry to hear it was not enjoyed. Sounds like your icing just needed a little more powdered sugar:) Please let me know if there is anything else that I can help with! xT
This loaf was even better than I expected. It’s absolutely delicious! Regarding the glaze, I added my lemon juice in increments as I usually do with liquids and powdered sugar. Turns out, I only needed about 2 tablespoons of lemon juice to get the type of glaze I wanted… I’ll definitely be making it again!! Thank you
Hi Sonya,
Perfect!! Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed and thanks so much for making it! Happy Mother’s Day!💐
I FINALLY FIGURED IT OUT!!! I know why the glaze isn’t coming out as it should. I had tried this loaf twice before but had the same problem as others with the glaze, personally it wasn’t an issue taste wise but it wasn’t aesthetically pleasing. So I kept going over it and watched the tik tok linked on here and in the video THE POWDERED SUGAR AND THE LEMON JUICE ARE MIXED FIRST and then the honey is added! I tried it and it worked! Love your recipes Tieghan, I hope those who struggled with the glaze try this again because I personally love this loaf and it deserves 5 stars.
Hey Jen,
Thanks so much for sharing this feedback and what worked well for you!! So glad to hear you love this recipe as much as I do! Thanks again! xT
Thank you for this because it came out nothing like the picture will try again!
The recipe was going fine until I had to bake it. I had to bake it for an hour instead of 45 minutes, because the top was getting brown. When it got brown I put foil on it too. However, even after an hour of baking the cake was still not baked. Maybe it’s because I used a glass loaf pan?
Hi Ashwin,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, so sorry to hear you had to bake longer than expected! Unfortunately, the glass pan is definitely going to require a longer bake time. How did the loaf taste after it was fully cooked? xx
Hi Tieghan and Ashwin. I just made this lemon loaf and used my glass loaf pan, it turned out great. The only thing I did differently was I didn’t use the cream cheese (because my husband is allergic to an ingredient in it) and I put the glass pan on a sheet pan to bake. It turned out perfect. Thanks for sharing this recipe, my husband loved it, and so did I.
Hey Jennifer,
Fantastic!! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks for trying it out! Have a great week:)
If I were to make this the night before, should I do the icing the following day before serving?
Hi Sarah,
Sure, that will work well for you! Please let me know how this recipe turns out! xT
This along with your cinnamon apple bread are on regular rotation in my house! Is there a formula to use to convert your loaf breads to muffins?
Hi Lorelei,
Amazing!! So glad to hear that this recipe is always enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it so often! Typically you would just need to reduce the bake time:) Have a great weekend!! xT