Lemon Loaf with Easy Glaze

When the weather turns gray, I bake lemon bread. It tastes like sunshine, it makes the kitchen smell wonderful, and the snowy white glaze makes even a plain loaf look like it came from a bakery.

This is a butter based loaf with fresh lemon zest creamed right into the sugar. The zest does the heavy lifting, which means you get real lemon flavor, not the sharp, artificial kind. A thin glaze sets into a delicate crackle on top, and a little milk in the batter keeps the crumb soft.

This post contains affiliate links. When you shop the links I may receive a small commission at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting Willow Lane Home.

Lemon Loaf with Glaze: the recipe

Prep: 15 min | Bake: 50 to 55 min | Makes: 1 loaf, 12 slices | Oven: 350 degrees F, 9 by 5 inch loaf pan

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups (190 g) all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (115 g) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) milk
• Zest of 2 lemons
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• Glaze: 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons lemon juice

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and line a 9 by 5 inch loaf pan.
2. Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together.
3. Beat the butter, sugar and lemon zest until pale, about 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the 2 tablespoons lemon juice.
4. Add the flour mixture in thirds, alternating with the milk. Stop when just mixed.
5. Bake 50 to 55 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in the pan, then on a rack.
6. Whisk the glaze until smooth and pour over the cooled loaf. Let it set 15 minutes.

Storage: Cover and keep at room temperature 3 days. Freeze unglazed up to 3 months and glaze after thawing.

The lemon rules

Use fresh lemons for both zest and juice. A Microplane zester removes only the yellow, which is where the oils live, and leaves the bitter white pith behind. Rub the zest into the granulated sugar with your fingertips before you cream the butter. The sugar crystals scrape the oils out of the zest and perfume the whole batter.

Pure vanilla extract rounds out the tartness. Skip it and the loaf tastes flat; use a whole teaspoon.

Equipment

This recipe fits a 9 by 5 inch pan, such as the USA Pan loaf pan, but it also makes six or eight small loaves in a mini loaf pan. Minis bake in 25 to 30 minutes and are the best thing I know to hand to a neighbor. Line the pan with a parchment sheet for easy lifting.

For creaming butter and sugar I use a big glass mixing bowl and a sturdy silicone spatula; whisk the dry ingredients with a balloon whisk. Measure the flour with a kitchen scale or spoon it carefully into measuring cups and level it off.

Tips for the best loaf

Bring the butter and eggs to room temperature so they emulsify instead of splitting. Add the flour alternately with the milk and stop mixing the moment it comes together. Pour the glaze only after the loaf is fully cool, or it will soak in and disappear. Test with a cake tester: it should come out clean from the center.

Whisk the glaze until it falls from the whisk in a thick ribbon, then pour it down the center and let it run to the edges.

Variations

Fold in a tablespoon of poppy seeds for a classic lemon poppy loaf. Swap half the milk for plain yogurt for extra tang. For a blueberry lemon loaf, fold in a cup of berries tossed in flour. Swap the lemons for oranges or limes for a different citrus version, using the same quantities.

Serving and gifting

Lemon bread looks beautiful under a glass cake dome on the kitchen counter, or on a stand at a spring brunch with a bud vase of fresh flowers: these small glass bud vases are my favorite way to dress a table cheaply. Tuck a linen napkin beside each plate.

Wrap mini loaves in parchment and slip them into cellophane treat bags. Present a loaf on a wood serving board with a small knife and some butter. Keep leftovers covered at room temperature for three days, or freeze unglazed loaves for up to three months. A serrated bread knife cuts clean slices through the glaze.

Get the free ebook

This lemon loaf is one of ten recipes in the free Sweet Bread Recipe eBook, along with banana, pumpkin, zucchini, cinnamon swirl, cranberry orange, chocolate chip, apple cinnamon, blueberry and gingerbread. Enter your email and I will send it right over.