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–+ servings
Top down view of lemon bread, with half of the loaf sliced and sliced pieces stacked to show texture inside the loaf.

Lemon Bread

30 mins prep + 55 mins cook + 30 mins Cooling Time
413 kcal
Yields: 8 slices
This refreshingly delicious lemon bread is baked to soft cake-like perfection and topped with a shell of homemade lemon glaze. Perfect for snacking or gifting!

Ingredients

Lemon Bread
Lemon Glaze
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

For the Lemon Bread
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9x5 bread loaf pan with baking spray, then set aside.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set bowl aside.
    2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • Using a stand mixer (or a hand mixer + large bowl), whip together sugar, olive oil, milk, eggs, vanilla extract, and lemon extract on medium speed until smooth, about 2-3 minutes.
    1 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup milk, 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon lemon extract
  • Drop mixer speed to low and slowly scoop in the dry ingredients, about 1/2 cup at a time. Mix until dry ingredients incorporate and there are minimal clumps, about 2-3 minutes.
  • Remove bowl from mixer. Add lemon zest to bowl and use a spatula to gently fold it into the batter.
    2 tablespoons lemon zest
  • Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Batter should be thin enough that it settles easily within the pan. If not, tap the tap a few times on the counter to even it out and release any air bubbles. Make a small, lengthwise cut, about 1/2 inch deep, along the center of the bread.
  • Bake bread for 50-55 minutes or until a tester toothpick comes out clean. Tip: Check the bread after 30-35 minutes. It if appears top is getting too brown, cover pan with a piece of aluminum foil for the remaining 20-25 minutes.
  • Allow bread to cool in the pan for 15-25 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
For the Lemon Glaze
  • In a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest until smooth.
    1 cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon lemon zest, 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • If you’d like the frosting to be thinner, add a small splash of lemon juice until desired consistency is reached. If you’d like the frosting to be thicker, add 1 tablespoon powdered sugar at a time until frosting is thick enough.
Putting it All Together
  • Once bread has cooled, drizzle lemon glaze on top.
  • Serve immediately.