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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.
Watch the How-To Reel
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!
This post was originally published on February 22, 2022
Thanks for posting this recipe. I have printed it out and hope it won’t wait too long on my shelf! It looks delicious.
Thanks Susan!! I hope you love the recipe!
Curious how I should alter the bake time if I split the batter between 3 small loaf pans instead of one big one?
Hi Rachel,
It really depends on the size of the loaf pans, but I would probably start checking for doneness at 25 minutes. Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love the recipe!! xTieghan
My family loves all things lemon, including the lemon loaf from Starbucks, so I was excited to make a similar one at home. I really wanted to love this recipe. I followed it exactly and think I probably over baked it by leaving it in for the suggested 45 minutes. Mine was dry and didn’t have much flavor. The glaze was clear and runny and did not stay on the loaf, but made a puddle on the dish 🙁
Love all of your recipes that I have tried before, and remain a big fan.
Hi Gina,
I am so very sorry to hear this!! Was there anything you may have adjusted in the recipe? Please let me know how I can help!! xTieghan
Husbands fav! Thank you so much
Hey Sabrina,
Thank you so much for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Have the best weekend:) xT
I made this again today with half almond flour (3/4c) and half gluten free all purpose flour (3/4c) and all the rest the same. I DID bake it in two smaller pans, just so I could freeze one, but I think it would be fine in the larger one.
It turned out so well! Yay!
Thanks Tieghan for a yummy lemon loaf.
Hey Janyn,
Thank you so much for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Have the best weekend:) xT
Any suggestions for egg substitutes for this recipe?
Hey Sage,
So sorry, I have not tested this recipe without the egg, but you could certainly try an egg substitute. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
I was wondering the same thing. I asked how to veganize the recipe.?
I am glad to have the recipe clarified and know that it was not just me. But everyone is right, it still tasted great even with the crater in the middle. I am going to retry it today using half gf all purpose flour and half almond flour and see how that goes. It’s lovely and lemony for sure! Thanks for the update.
Thanks so much for trying the recipe Janyn! Let me know how it turns out with GF flour!! xT
I love all of Tiegen’s recipes that I’ve tried and this is no exception. I kept the almond flour because I like the texture and GF option. I changed it up slightly and used orange rinds and pineapple juice in the loaf and icing and think it tastes great. The cream cheese did end up at the bottom but who cares? It still tastes the same. 🙂 I’ll definitely try it again with lemons. Thank you!!!
Hey there,
Thank you so much for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Have the best weekend:) xT
We really enjoyed this and it was devoured quickly. The top was flatter than I would have liked, and I’m not sure how I would try to fix that. Certainly, no one cared but me. We will be making this again soon.
Hey Jane,
Thank you so much for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Sorry what do you meant the top was flat? Have the best weekend:) xT
I see the recipe changed from almond flour. I made it two days ago with almond flour, and it sank in the oven. Very disappointing, as everything else I have made from you has gone well.
Have you tried a/p flour and almond flour?
I would stick with just the all purpose flour:)
Hi Jackie,
So sorry about this, it was an honest mistake, the recipe works best with all purpose flour. I hope you will try it again. Have the best weekend! xT
Thank you for sharing your recipes! And for free! Most on IG don’t do that.
I made this with Almond Flour (just bc it’s healthier option) and I think it turned out great! Doesn’t look great (concave in middle LOL) but who cares, taste is spot on!
People…CHILL out on this poor woman. She had a typo error – not a big deal. She is human. Be Kind.
Hey Abbie,
Happy Friday!! Thanks a bunch for giving this recipe a go, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! Thanks for your kind message:) xTieghan
Could you mail these? Or does the extra need to stay refrigerated? Looks great!! Can’t wait to try!
Hey Melanie,
I probably would not recommend making this loaf for shipping. If you check out my post for my cookie boxes, there are some better ideas for desserts that can be shipped:
https://fett-weg.today/2021-holiday-cookie-box/%3C/a%3E%3Cbr /> Please let me know if you have any other questions or if I can help in anyway! xTieghan
Beautiful Lemon Loaf!! Kitchen smelled Soo ? lovely. I sprinkled powdered sugar on top of icing it looked great. My daughter asked if I would make it for the grandkids auction haha.
Hi Debbie,
Happy Friday!! Thanks a bunch for giving this recipe a go, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! xTieghan
What do you do with the rest of the lemon zest?
Hi Vicki,
You will use 1 tablespoon of lemon zest in step 2 and 1 tablespoon of lemon zest in step 3. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Wasted $10 of almond flour on this sadly. It wasn’t corrected to all purpose flour when I printed it. Would really like a gluten free lemon loaf (have a celiac family member). So disappointed. Made a double batch too 🙁
Delicious! Very happy with how mine turned out! Thank you for always coming up with new recipes!
Hey Emma,
Happy Friday!! Thanks a bunch for giving this recipe a go, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! xTieghan
Hi Susan,
I am so very sorry about this, it was an honest mistake! You can use a GF flour blend instead of the almond flour and it should work well for you! I hope you will give it another try! xTieghan
Can you write how much butter in ounces? I ve made but it’s so dripping with fat.
Hey there,
There are 4 ounces in 1 stick of butter or 113 grams. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan