Lemon loaf

Posted: February 2, 2018 Last modified: June 13, 2024

This moist lemon loaf has a nice fresh flavor and is easy to make. A delicious lemon cake that will make your mouth water!

Moist lemon cake

Besides cookies, cakes are my other favorite recipe to bake. If I don’t bake a cake for too long, it starts to itch. My head is full of ideas and I prefer to bake them all in one day. My inspiration for this creamy lemon cake came during a trip to Lisbon.

When I was there in early January, the hotel served lemon cake slices for breakfast every morning. Of course, I don’t have to tell you that I put a piece of cake on my plate almost every morning. The cake was deliciously creamy, fresh and smooth. I wanted to make it again at home.

Successfully, because this recipe makes it even more delicious than it was in Lisbon.

Baking tip: I used a 25cm loaf pan for this cake, but you can easily convert this recipe to another size using the conversion tool on the recipe card.

Lemon yogurt cake

You are used to it from me, but of course this is a recipe for an easy lemon cake. Within 20 minutes you will have this delicious cake in the oven, really. With a deliciously moist yet airy result.

Are you curious how I managed to make this lemon cake so moist? The answer is yogurt! This ingredient gives the cake a creamy texture without being greasy. In this cake, I specifically chose Greek yogurt 10%, but I have made it with other (lower-fat) types of yogurt as well. All can be used, but I find that whole yogurt works best.

Lemon glaze for cake

This cake is irresistibly delicious on its own, but if you want to make it more festive, you can add a glaze. Personally, I like a nice sour lemon glaze with lemon juice. You can also combine lemon juice and Greek yogurt, but adding Greek yogurt would require you to store the cake in the refrigerator, and since cakes dry out, that is not my preference.

How to make a lemon glaze

After the cake has cooled completely, make a glaze in a small bowl using 100 grams of powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. It should be a thick but pourable glaze. Pour this over the cake and garnish with extra (yellow) lemon zest if desired. Allow to set completely before cutting and serving the cake.

Why did my cake sink in the middle?

Did your lemon cake sink in the middle? Of course you don’t want it to. Your cake can sink for a number of reasons:

A batter that is too airy (too long mixed or too much leavening agent).
The oven was opened too soon.
The cake is not yet done, always test with a skewer or a cake tester.

Why is my cake cracked open?

Did the top of your cake crack open and you didn’t mean for it to? Next time, bake your cake at a lower temperature and leave it in the oven a little longer. Personally, I like the look of a cracked cake, nice and rustic.

How do I store this cake?

Cake should not be stored in the refrigerator; it dries out. It is best to store cake in aluminum foil or in a container. It will keep for at least a week.

Cake can also be frozen very well! Properly wrapped in an airtight container, it will keep for up to three months.

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4.60 from 35 votes

Lemon loaf recipe

A delicious cake that will make your mouth water: moist lemon cake. Deliciously fresh in flavor and easy to make.

Prep Time10

Cook Time55

Total Time1 5

Servings: servings

Ingredients

Metric | US Customary

220 grams of unsalted butter
200 grams of white caster sugar or Dutch white basterdsuiker
100 grams of Greek yogurt
1 lemon zest + juice
4 eggs
275 grams of all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
Pinch of salt

Equipment

25 cm loaf pan

Instructions

Cream together butter and sugar. Add Greek yogurt, lemon zest and lemon juice and mix until incorporated.
Add the eggs one at a time. Mix until incorporated.
Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt at the same time and mix until you have a nice smooth batter. Once the dry ingredients are incorporated, stop mixing.
Line a loaf pan with baking paper or grease and dust with flour. Pour the batter into the pan and spread evenly with a spatula.
Bake the cake at 175 °C/350 ℉ (conventional) for 55-60 minutes until done and golden brown.
After baking, let the cake cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then transfer it to a wire rack to continue cooling.

Tips

If the cake gets too brown at the end of the baking time before it is done, cover it with aluminum foil. It will continue to bake but will not get darker.

How to store

Cakes are best stored in aluminum foil or in a container. It will keep for at least a week. Do not store a cake in the refrigerator, as it will dry out. If you want to freeze a cake, wrap it well in foil and put it in a bag.

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