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glazed moist lemon loaf cake with zest

Moist Lemon Loaf Cake

Soft, tangy bakery‑style lemon loaf soaked with citrus syrup and finished with glossy glaze—your Starbucks copycat fix
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Ingredients
  

  • * 1½ cups 190 g all‑purpose flour
  • * 1½ tsp baking powder
  • * ½ tsp salt
  • * Zest of 2 lemons
  • * ½ cup 115 g unsalted butter, melted & cooled
  • * 1 cup 200 g granulated sugar
  • * 2 large eggs room temp
  • * 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • * ½ cup 120 ml buttermilk
  • * ¼ cup 60 g plain yogurt
  • * 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • * **Lemon Syrup**
  • * ¼ cup lemon juice
  • * 3 Tbsp sugar
  • * **Glaze**
  • * 1 cup powdered sugar sifted
  • * 1–2 Tbsp lemon juice

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350 °F. Grease and parchment‑line a 9×5‑inch loaf pan.
  • Whisk flour, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest.
  • In another bowl whisk melted butter, sugar, eggs, lemon juice, buttermilk, yogurt, and vanilla.
  • Pour wet into dry; fold until just combined. Spread into pan.
  • Bake 45–50 min until toothpick comes out clean.
  • Meanwhile simmer syrup ingredients 1 min; brush over hot loaf.
  • Cool loaf 1 hr. Whisk glaze ingredients to thick drizzle; pour over top. Let set 20 min.

Notes

* Lime variation: swap lemons for limes.
* Freezer‑friendly: wrap slices and freeze up to 3 months.