Classic Lemon Loaf with Glaze
Everyone has a lemon cake somewhere. This is the one I keep.
It’s easy to end up with more than one lemon cake recipe. Most of them are good. A few stay.
This is the one that does. It’s simple, consistent, and easy to return to. The crumb stays soft, the lemon comes through clearly, and the glaze finishes it without weighing it down.
Nothing complicated, just a cake you’ll find yourself reaching for again.
Classic Lemon Loaf Cake
INGREDIENTS:
240 g all-purpose flour
7 g baking powder
2 g baking soda
3 g fine salt
20 g poppy seeds
120 g sugar
Zest of 3 large lemons
100 g unsalted butter, soft
40 ml olive oil
3 large eggs, room temperature
20 ml fresh lemon juice
150 g full-fat strained yogurt
5 g vanilla extract
Lemon Glaze:
200 g icing sugar
35–45 ml fresh lemon juice
Pinch of salt
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 170°C.
Make sure all ingredients are at room temperature.
Butter and line a 22.5 × 11.5 cm loaf tin.
In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and poppy seeds.
Rub the lemon zest into the sugar until fragrant and slightly damp.
Using a paddle attachment, cream the butter and lemon sugar on medium speed for 3–4 minutes, until lighter in color and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl as needed.
Reduce the speed to medium-low and slowly stream in the olive oil.
Add the eggs one at a time, letting each one fully incorporate before adding the next. The mixture should look glossy and stable, not split.
Mix in the lemon juice and vanilla.
Briefly stir the yogurt to loosen it, then add it to the batter and mix on low speed just until combined.
Add the dry ingredients and fold gently with a spatula just until the flour is fully incorporated. Do not overmix.
Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and smooth the surface. Run a buttered knife lightly through the center to encourage an even crack.
Bake for 45–55 minutes, until golden and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
Let the cake rest in the pan for 15 minutes, then lift it out and cool completely on a rack.
For the glaze, place the icing sugar in a bowl. Add most of the lemon juice, holding some back, and stir to a thick but pourable consistency.
Once the cake is fully cool, place it on a rack with parchment underneath. Pour the glaze down the center, letting it settle and drip naturally over the sides. You can gently tilt the cake to help it spread.
Leave at room temperature until the glaze sets, about 45 minutes. If needed, 15 minutes in the fridge will set it faster.
If the cake is already glazed, you can keep it loosely covered at room temperature for a day or refrigerate it for a few days, but the glaze will lose its clean finish and soften. If not serving the same day, store the cake wrapped airtight at room temperature or in the fridge, keep the glaze refrigerated in a sealed container, and pour it over just before serving.
Kitchen Notes
Dark nonstick loaf pans bake hotter and give deeper color. If using a light aluminum pan, increase the oven temperature slightly to 175°C or allow for a slightly longer bake.