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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
Super tasty, but that icing recipe is. not. it.
Hi Britt,
Thanks for giving the recipe a try, I can promise you that is the icing recipe that I used. If you need it to be thicker, just add more powdered sugar:) xTieghan
This is my new go to dessert recipe for the holidays. Followed the directions and nailed it. Really moist and delicious.
Hi Joanne,
Fantastic!! I love to hear that the recipe was enjoyed, thanks for giving it a try. Have the best week:)) xT
Great recipe! Very easy to make and tastes amazing. Thank you for everything you do.
Hi Brett,
Fantastic!! I love to hear that the recipe was enjoyed, thanks for giving it a try. Have the best week:)) xT
I can’t wait to make a GF version, but unfortunately I didn’t see the original recipe using almond flour. Are the measurements the same as with AP flour? I hesitant to substitute Cup 4 Cup without a test. Thanks!
I used Bob’s Red Mills 1:1 GF flour for this recipe and it was delicious! Very moist and not crumbly at all.
Thanks for sharing Janelle!
Hey there,
You should be able to use an equal amount of GF flour, I would not recommend using almond flour. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Haha, I accidentally put the cream cheese to the batter so the outcome was more similar to a cheesecake. But it was still really yummy! :))
Hey Lili,
Happy Sunday!! Lol oops! Love to hear that you have enjoyed this recipe, thanks so much for making it!! xx
So the cake was really good. It baked properly and tasted like it was not littered with white sugar – fantastic. But I follow these recipes exactly and find that when I follow what is listed does not at all appear how it should. This glaze is written at 3 ingredients and mine was straight up clear and runny and not pretty at all…. How is it white and setting the way it does in the videos?
Hey Erin,
Thanks for giving the recipe a try, sorry to hear about your glaze. To make it thicker, just add more powdered sugar:) I hope this helps for next time! xxTieghan
Can I make this recipe without cream cheese? I absolutely loveee lemon loaf
Hey there,
Yes, you can totally skip the cream cheese here. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it!! xx
Ahh-maxing… I couldn’t wait for it to cool before eating it, but I will FOR SURE be adding it to my recipes to make on a very regular basis 🙂 I have already shared this recipe with family and friends!! Love that it’s sweetened with ?!!!
Hi Katherine,
Happy Sunday!! Love to hear that you have enjoyed this recipe, thanks so much for making it!! xx
My batter was pretty curdled looking and thick. I used a full-fat greek yogurt, 10%, so I’m thinking that’s what made it thick. I couldn’t pour it into the pan, I had to scoop it.
BUT – wow delicious! I had to really control myself to stop eating! 🙂
This is going in my arsenal for bake sales and class snacks at schools. I love that there’s no processed sugar in it.
Thanks!
Hey Benje,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, sorry to hear it was curdled. Glad you enjoyed it though!! xTieghan
I can’t stop thinking about this delicious loaf!
I have a major sweet tooth right now so on top of the honey I added 1/2 cup of sugar. I also didn’t really measure my lemon but may have added more than recipe originally calls for – 2 large lemons between the batter and icing.
Hi Mara,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for giving it a try! xx
I used almond flour and it totally worked! Although it didn’t look nearly as pretty as the photo, it tasted absolutely delicious. My icing also didn’t really keep an icing structure and just kind of melted/sunk into the break, but that honestly made it way more moist. Everybody at work loved it!
Hi Christine,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for giving it a try! xx
I was looking forward to making the Almond four recipe because I’m Gluten Free! Where can I find that recipe??!
Hi Tamara,
I made a mistake in the original recipe, if you want you can use a GF flour blend here, but almond flour won’t be your best option. Let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
Can you bake In two smaller loaf pans and if so how long should the baking time be ?
Hi Annie,
Sure, that will work, I would start checking for doneness at 25 minutes. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
This was delicious! My whole family loved it!
Hi Nicole,
Happy Wednesday!! Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed! xT
Torn – love the flavor but if you follow the directions as is then you’ll be disappointed.
Two major things:
1. Remove the loaf from the pan before adding the glaze. If you don’t the cake turns very wet because it’s sitting in the glaze mixture
2. The glaze as written won’t look like the thick icing from the photos. To get that white, creamy mixture add less lemon (stick with 1-2TB per 1C of powdered sugar) or increase the sugar until thicker and pastier, I also added 1TB Cream/milk. Remember icing doesn’t magically appear after glazing. It should look thick before applying
Other than these tweaks I love it & next time I’ll correct it!
Hi Mariana,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try and sharing your feedback!! xx
Loved this! I made this for a family occasion and everyone loved it, it definitely is moist and not dry and that’s why I appreciated it there is a light lemonade taste throughout the cake but not over bearing. 10/10 would recommend.
Hi Amanda,
Thanks a bunch for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad to hear that it was a hit!! xTieghan