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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
I made this last night. It got a little crispy on the edges and corners so next time I’ll cover it with foil earlier. It was delicious! Not too sweet and fake tasting. Better than the Starbucks loaf in my opinion!
Hey Maggie,
Wonderful!! Love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks a lot for giving it a go:) xTieghan
We made this yesterday and were pretty happy with it. My kids were disappointed that the glaze didn’t look at all like the icing in the photo, but the lemon flavour was REALLY tasty, with the perfect amount of sweetness. I think next time I’ll omit the cream cheese as I didn’t feel like it added much. There’s only one slice left not 24h later, so I’ll take that as a win!
Hey Michelle,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try! Glad to hear it was enjoyed, sorry to hear about the glaze! xT
Big hit! Very tasty. I added a bit more zest than the recipe called for and I added quite a lot more powdered sugar to get the right consistency for the icing ( was way too liquid otherwise).
I might consider adding a touch of honey and vanilla to the cream cheese… I feel like the savoury flavour of the cheese stands out too much in some chunks, but it’s not bad as is.
Hey Amara,
Wonderful!! Love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks a lot for giving it a go:) xTieghan
Absolutely delicious and so easy… I added 2 Tblsp of poppy seeds to give it an extra oomph on flavor and appearance and served it as dessert with fresh berries.
Hi Mary Elizabeth,
Wonderful!! Love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks a lot for giving it a go:) xTieghan
My loaf sadly did not come out well. There seemed to be a reaction maybe from the lemon/baking soda that made the cake fall and have a undesirable outcome.
Hey Alyssa,
So sorry to hear this! Was there anything you may have adjusted in the recipe? Please let me know how I can help! xTieghan
Made this yesterday. There is no way the icing as listed in the recipe will turn out to look like the photo. I completely cooled the loaf and added the icing on top and it all melted into the loaf. I even added more powdered sugar as other reviewers suggested. It was good, but nothing like the photos and videos.
Hey Traci,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, sorry to hear about the icing! Sounds like you just needed more powdered sugar:) xTieghan
After reading some reviews I was hesitant to make this, but I’m so glad I did! I followed the directions to a T with the all-purpose flour. Because of the butter, the outside does bake quickly. I used a silicone pan and I think that helped allow time for the inside to come together. It did not feel “solid” when I took it out but with 10 minute rest it was. I didn’t use the icing, didn’t feel like it needed it, but I imagine it would be delish! Thanks for another great recipe!
Hey Cheryl,
Wonderful!! Love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks a lot for giving it a go:) xTieghan
I made the iced lemon loaf this past weekend and really enjoying the flavor. However, was so time consuming preparing I will probably never make again-too many steps and for only 1 loaf?
Hi there,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, sorry this took longer than expected! xT
I guess I’ll pass on this one. Was going to make it because I love cakes with almond flour but the comments have made me change my mind.
Hi Jenny,
If you want to make it with GF flour that will work, but this does not work well with almond flour:)
This was my first time making a lemon dessert. I used A/P flour and skipped the cream cheese. It smelled so wonderful and lemony baking in the oven, so I was surprised when I really couldn’t taste the lemon in the final product. I used the full 2 tablespoons zest and 3 tablespoons juice. The loaf is also not very sweet. However, the glaze/icing tasted very lemony and sweet so that helped a lot. Using the measurements provided, it was definitely a glaze consistency. I’d prefer an icing consistency next time, but not sure what I would do differently as it was already very sweet. Since I didn’t use cream cheese, I checked on the loaf around 30 minutes and it was already done. Loved the use of honey and yogurt in this so I may try to make it again…maybe with more lemon zest?
Hey Natalie,
Awesome!! I am thrilled that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! Yes, you can definitely use more lemon and zest to your liking. I am trying to use less refined sugar in my baking, which is why it is not super sweet. You can always swap the honey for granulated sugar. Have a great week:) xx
Totally sunk in and raw but delicious! Followed the directions, will try again. Def had to foil the top and baked 5 min longer than recommended. The glaze is the bomb.
Thanks so much for trying the recipe Stefanie!!
Loved this recipe!! Will be perfect for summer!
Hey Katie,
Awesome!! I am thrilled that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! Have a great week:) xx
Delicious! I substituted gluten free flour and used about 1/2 cup of sugar instead of honey as I am allergic. I also added a little less than a tablespoon of butter to the frosting as it added additional flavor. It came out wonderful, bursting with lemon flavor, just sweet enough with a bit of zing. Perfect!
Hey Vanessa,
Awesome!! I am thrilled that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! Have a great week:) xx
Lacks flavor, too salty, tasted more like cornbread somehow. It had a nice texture. Also went from golden brown to almost burnt in 5 minutes. :-/
Hi Kristen,
So sorry to hear this, please let me know if I can help in anyway. xTieghan
This just tasted like straight up lemon butter. Maybe half a stick? And there was something else missing. It just didn’t taste right.
Hi Jessica,
So sorry the recipe was not enjoyed, thanks for making it. xTieghan
Absolutely horrible 🙁 a sunken sloppy grainy brick which is oozing liquid. Big waste of time and ingredients! The loaf pictured can’t possibly be made using the same recipe.
I see the recipe has been amended to not use almond flour since I printed it off.
Hi Gina,
So sorry to hear this! Yes, the recipe works best will all purpose flour, I made a mistake in the original recipe. I hope you will give it another try. xTieghan
So I tried again and the loaf is much better although still sunk a lot. Is it possible there is a mistake in the icing recipe too? I added way more sugar but it was still totally liquid and just seeped into the cake. At least the sunken top meant it didn’t just pour down the sides :/
Hi Gina,
Thanks for trying the recipe again, no mistake in the icing:) xx