Best Homemade Lemon Loaf
Best Homemade Lemon Loaf, is a delicious moist sweet bread recipe. Made with fresh lemons and a simple lemon glaze. No beaters necessary, just a couple of bowls and utensils! The perfect snack, dessert or even Breakfast Bread.
I love lemons. I love the smell of lemons, I love the taste of lemons, anything lemon is fine by me. When I was a young woman there was a lemon cologne my friends and I would wear, I loved it. Just wish I could find it again!
Recipe Ingredients
- Flour
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Sugar
- Butter
- Zest
- Eggs
- Milk
Glaze
- Juice
- Sugar
How to make the Lemon Loaf
Pre-heat the oven and grease a loaf pan.
In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and 1 1/4 cups of sugar, add the softened butter and with a pastry blender or fork blend together until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the lemon zest.
In a small bowl add the eggs and beat lightly with a fork, add the milk and beat until combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir just until the flour is moistened. Do not over mix.
In prepared loaf pan add the batter and bake for approximately 60 minutes, (this all depends on the oven, could be a little more or a little less) or until tooth pick comes out clean. Cool 15 – 20 minutes then move to a wire rack to cool completely.
In a small pot add the 4 1/2 teaspoons of lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of sugar, over medium heat stirring constantly bring to a boil until thickened. With a pastry brush, brush syrup over the top of the cooled or even warmish bread.
It doesn’t even need a heavy icing because the light lemon syrup is the perfect finish. I can say I have been making this bread for over 20 years. Every time I make this recipe I get asked for it, Lemon Loaf is one of my sister-in-law’s favourites.
What does stir just until moistened mean?
Mix just until moistened means to combine the dry ingredients and the liquid ingredients just until the dry ingredients are thoroughly moistened but the mixture is still slightly lumpy. I stir 15-16 times only and it always turns out perfect.
Lemon Bread is perfect as a breakfast bread or even with afternoon tea. It is so easy to make, no need for beaters, it is very much like making muffins. All you need is a fork or pastry blender, (or your clean fingers will do to make the coarse crumbs, and a wooden spoon or spatula for mixing.
Substituting a Lemon Glaze for the Lemon Syrup
The delicious lemony syrup is the perfect addition to this loaf, but if you prefer you can substitute with a simple lemon glaze. Mix together 1 cup of powdered sugar, 1 – 1 1/2 tablespoons of lemon juice and 1 tablespoon or milk or cream.
You want the glaze to be on the thick rather than thin. So you should start with 1 tablespoon of juice and go from there.
FAQs
If you wish you could substitute with either limes, oranges or even mandarines. Do use fresh rather than bottled they make a big difference in taste.
Yes you can, I would probably bake for about 20-25 minutes, more or less, start to check after 20 minutes.
Wrap the completely cooled bread well in plastic wrap, it will keep for up to 2-3 days at room temperature or up to 7 days in the fridge.
Wrap the completely cooled bread in plastic wrap and place in a freezer safe bread. If you freeze it glazed, let the glaze harden before wrapping. It will keep for up to 3 months in the freezer.
In my opinion this is one of the most delicious Lemon Loaves I have ever tried and I hope you think so too. Enjoy!
More Lemon Recipes you may like.
- Lemon Cheesecake Squares
- Italian Lemon Crostata
- Italian Fresh Cream Lemon Cake
- Easy Lemon Squares
- Tablespoon Italian Lemon Cake
Best Homemade Lemon Bread
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (approximately 1 lemon)
- 2¼ cups all purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt*
- 1¼ cups granulated sugar
- ¾ cup butter softened*
- 3 large eggs
- ¾ cup milk (whole or 2% milk)
*If you use salted butter then use a pinch of salt.
LEMON SYRUP
- 4 ½ teaspoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350° (180° celsius), grease and flour a 9×5 inch loaf pan.
- In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and 1 1/4 cups of sugar, add the softened butter and with a pastry blender or fork blend together until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the lemon zest.
- In a small bowl add the eggs and beat lightly with a fork, add the milk and beat until combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir just until the flour is moistened. Do not over mix.
- In prepared loaf pan add the batter and bake for approximately 60 minutes, (this all depends on the oven, could be a little more or a little less) or until tooth pick comes out clean. Cool 15 – 20 minutes then move to a wire rack to cool completely.
LEMON SYRUP
- In a small pot add the 4 1/2 teaspoons of lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of sugar, over medium heat stirring constantly bring to a boil until thickened. With a pastry brush, brush syrup over the top of the cooled or even warmish bread. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Updated from December 13, 2014.
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My Sis sent me this recipe exactly one week ago. I made one that same day and then another 2 days later and now loaf #3 is in the oven! EVERYONE loves it…it is ridiculously deeeelizioso! I used limoncello in the glaze last time and will do that from now on I think. Brava Rosemary and mille grazie!
(I too wondered if the lemon cologne you mentioned in your post might have been “4711” :D)
Hi Stella thanks so much, so glad you enjoyed it. I’m pretty sure the cologne was Love’s fresh Lemon.
The best Lemon Bread ever.
This is a great recipe, and so simple to make.
Hi Mary, thanks so much, we love it too! Take care.
This is an AMAZING recipe. I am not even a fan of lemon-flavored desserts but I am now. I made this without the glaze and it was the perfect amount of sweetness, and the texture of this bread is absolutely wonderful. I have made this three or four times now and it turns out perfectly every time. My family and I are addicted! Soooo delicious!
Hi Mary, thanks so much, glad you all enjoy it. Take care.
So good and easy. I cut back on flour and sugar (I used 2c F and 1c S). Baked for one hour. I have a lemon tree, so take one guess what will be my go to recipe. Thank you for this recipe. I would appreciate recommendations on loaf pan. Mine tends to overcook the sides and bottom no matter what adjustments I make. I use a nonstick dark pan.
Hi Angela, thanks so much, I have never had a problem with the bread browning too much, I use sometimes use a glass loaf pan which works well for me or , although they do recommend reducing the oven temperature by 25F. I also saw Faberware has pretty good reviews, maybe turn down the oven a bit and see if that helps, you may need to bake it longer though.
Can I toast this lemon tea bread, or is it like a cake and will fall apart ?
Hi Cofy, it is quite moist and holds together, so you could try it.
I was searching for a recipe like this. I’ll let you know how it came out. Interesting comment about the lemon cologne. I also loved one from back in the day called 4711.
I wonder if that’s the one you were thinking of. Regards from Goodyear, AZ by way of Philly, PA. I have relatives in Toronto, Windsor and Roma (parents born in Italia). Thank you for putting your passion to paper, so to speak. Stay healthy. Ciao ciao.
Hi Angela, thanks so much, I haven’t heard of 4711 cologne. Take care.
I loved this recipe. I added more lemon zest and lemon juice as some others had commented. I gave for a gift so I didn’t put on the glaze as easier to cover and transport without that. Loved the dense and moist texture. I just have a question because I’m wondering about the chemistry of this. Most recipes instruct to cream butter and sugar together and this one cuts in the butter more like a pastry or biscuit recipe. How does either method affect the texture or outcome? Thank you.
Hi Mary, I think if you cream the butter and sugar it will become more cake like, although you might want to add a teaspoon of baking powder. Although I have never made it like this so this is just my thought on it. Take care.
Can you use a 8 by 4 pan??
Hi Maryann, I think that should be big enough. Let me know how it goes.
Made this today was so easy to make but I put more zest and added some lemon juice to the mix. It turned out beautiful! So good there is only one piece left. Lol, thank you for the recipe.
I don’t know how to post a picture of it.
This is SO delicious! It got polished off within a day and typically desserts last way longer at my house! I can’t seem to remember whether I’d used unsalted or salted butter – Could you help me out please? I’ve got to make this again as per popular demand at home 🙂
i Karishma, thanks so much, unfortunately I don’t know what kind of butter you used, if you use unsalted just be sure to add the amount specified in the recipe, if you use salted then just add a pinch of salt. Both ways will result in the same tasting bread. Hope that helps.
This looks so yummy!
I will make it this weekend.
Can you tell me is the calories per slice?
Hi Tania, thanks so much. If you look at the bottom of the recipe it says Nutrition and there is the amount. So I calculated 12 slices from the loaf, so each slice is 291 calories. Hope that helps. Let me know how it goes. Take care.
Would this work with other shaped pans, I.e. a small Bundt?
Hi Jennifer, yes it should be fine, I think a 7 inch bundt pan should work. Let me know how it goes.
Wondering if I can substitute Cake Flour for regular flour? Pandemic has me shopping a lot less often now.
Hi Cindy, yes you can it will make for a softer crumb, let me know how it goes.
How do you store this bread? Does it have to be refrigerated?
Hi Brittany yes you can store it in the fridge well wrapped, it will keep for up to a week, at room temperature for a couple of days. It can also be frozen for up to 2-3 months. Hope that helps.
Can you split the batter up to make smaller loaves?
Hi Dee, yes you can, although the baking time will be less. Depending on how small the loaf pans are, start checking them at about 40-45 minutes.
Hello, is this a very lemony flavour with just the zest? Would it be too much if I added some lemon juice aswell? Thank you!
Hi Meera, yes that would be fine. Let me know how it goes.