Iced Lemon Loaf Pound Cake

5 from 5 votes

This fluffy and moist Iced Lemon Loaf Pound Cake is a little sunshine in sweet form to share for breakfast, brunch or any time during the Spring!

Prep Time10

Cook Time1

Total Time1 10

Course: Brunch, Dessert

Keyword: baked, baking, brunch, cake, dessert, easter, easy, gluten-free, kid-friendly, lemon, lemon loaf, loaf, pound cake, spring

Servings: servings

Calories: 411kcal

Author: Shanika

1 ½ cups organic all-purpose flour
1 cup unsalted butter, softened at room temp.
1 cup organic cane sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon sea salt
Pinch of ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon lemon zest
3 large organic eggs, at room temp.
1 lemon, freshly-squeezed (That's about 2-3 Tbsps)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup buttermilk (That's heavy cream + 1 tablespoon lemon juice; You can also use sour cream or plain yogurt)

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and lightly grease a standard loaf pan using butter or oil and line it with parchment paper (with the sides hanging out for an easy pull out).
BUTTERMILK: In a bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the heavy cream and lemon juice and set aside for 5-10 minutes until everything "activates" to create the buttermilk. NOTE: Skip this part if using yogurt or sour cream.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, lemon zest, cinnamon, and salt until combined.
In a bowl, add the butter and sugar, beating them together using a hand-mixer (on high-speed), until pale and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
Add the eggs (one at a time) followed by the freshly-squeezed lemon juice and vanilla, mixing until combined. On low-speed, add in the dry ingredients followed by the buttermilk (or alternative) and continue to mix until combined and the batter is smooth, about 3-4 minutes. NOTE: The batter should be thick and scoop-able. DO NOT OVER-MIX!
Pour/scoop batter in the prepared loaf pan (evenly spreading it out).
Bake for 55-60 minutes, or until a toothpick or knife that is inserted in the middle comes out clean. NOTE: Midway, I like to poke VERY SMALL holes all over the loaf to allow heat to penetrate through and to ensure it cooks through.
Once done, remove cake from oven and let it cool for 10-15 minutes before gently removing it from loaf pan to cool completely.

In a bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and milk, until smooth and the icing is thick enough, but slowly slides off whisk when lifted. NOTE: If too thick, add 1 tablespoon of milk; if too thin, add 1-2 Tbsps more of the powdered sugar.
Once cake is cooled, spoon the icing atop pound cake until fully covered, let it "set" for 1-2 minutes and then slice and enjoy!
Bon Appetit!

STORAGE: Keep cake leftovers stored for up to 4-5 days at room temperature. Keep it in an airtight container to keep the cake from drying out. However, by day 3, it's best to refrigerate any leftovers for longer freshness. You can also freeze the cake tightly wrapped in plastic wrap for up to 3 months. Before serving, defrost the cake on the counter.
FLOUR: You can also use cake flour in place of all-purpose flour for a fluffier texture.
GLUTEN-FREE VERSION: To make this cake GF, I recommend using a GF Baking Flour Blend (Bob’s Red Mills has a great version!). NOTE: If the cake mixture is too ‘thin + runny’, simply add additional GF flour, ¼ cup at a time.
MAKE AHEAD OPTION: See Post for details!