This lemon loaf cake with icing is the only lemon cake recipe that you'll need. It's buttery, moist, and bursting with fresh lemon flavor! Our readers agree that this iced lemon loaf tastes way better than the Starbucks lemon loaf!
Mix all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl using a spoon. Set aside.
Wet Ingredients
Cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, using a handheld whisk for 10 minutes. If using a standing mixer, whisk for 4-6 minutes on medium-high speed using the paddle attachment.
Whisk in vanilla extract, lemon zest, and 1 egg. Then add the rest of the eggs one by one, mixing well after each addition.
Add half of the dry ingredients on low speed, mixing just to combine from this stage onwards. Whisk in yogurt and lemon juice and then finally, the rest of the flour.
Bake
Pour batter into the pan and spread it evenly. Bake for 60 minutes on the lower ⅔ rack until it's fully cooked or a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
Once cooked, remove it from the oven and immediately prepare the lemon syrup.
Lemon Syrup
Add sugar and lemon juice into a bowl. Heat gently in microwave until sugar is dissolved.
Poke holes all over the cake using a skewer. While the cake is still hot, pour the lemon syrup on top and brush evenly. Leave the cake to cool completely in the pan. Once it's cooled, transfer it to a serving plate.
Lemon Icing
Mix powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon lemon juice in a bowl using a spatula. Gradually add more lemon juice until you get a thick icing but still pourable. Too much lemon juice will make the icing transparent.
Pour the icing on the cake and spread it evenly using a spatula. Let the icing hardens before slicing. Enjoy!
Notes
Use the spoon and level method if using cup measurements. I highly recommend using a kitchen scale as it's more precise.