Glazed Lemon Tea Bread (From Scratch)

Brighten up your day with the best homemade Lemon Tea Bread!! Made with a combination of fresh lemon juice and lemon zest, this moist and buttery loaf is bursting with lemon flavor in the bread and in the simple lemon glaze. A delicious twist to the traditional lemon tea bread, this effortless quick bread recipe takes just 15 minutes to prep using two bowls and a whisk (no stand mixer here) and bakes up in under an hour!!

This rich, citrus scented tea bread is my go to recipe whenever I find myself craving a lemony treat. If you’ve been around the blog long enough, you know how much I love elevating classic family recipes. And I am happy to say that after testing this lemon bread four times, I created an elevated version they would be proud of!! 

While my family's classic recipe is absolutely delicious, this updated lemon tea bread features some upgraded ingredients and is even more simple to make. My version stays super tender and moist due to the addition of cake flour, melted butter, and sour cream, which all work in harmony to create a light and fluffy texture. Since we are using the muffin method here the batter literally takes 15 minutes to prepare and then it's off to the oven. It couldn't get easier than that.

Just like my classic lemon buttermilk pound cake, this loaf features both fresh lemon juice and zest for the perfect pop of lemon flavor with a sweet and slightly tart glaze. I cant wait to show you how to make this elevated lemon tea bread!! Let's get baking!!

If you are a lemon lover like me, you must try my elevated lemonade bundt cake with fresh strawberry glaze it's perfect for serving a crowd!!

How to Make It

I LOVE this recipe because it uses the quick bread or muffin mixing method which is perfect for when a craving hits but you don't have a lot of time to bake.

It's super easy, everything is mixed by hand, and it only requires three steps: combine all of the wet ingredients, combine all of the dry ingredients, add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and gently mix them together. That's it!!

Step 1: Make the lemon sugar. In a large bowl, rub the lemon and sugar together. This releases the natural oils in the lemon peel for a bright lemon flavor.

Step 2: Shift and whisk the dry ingredients together. To the large bowl with the lemon sugar, sift in the dry ingredients then whisk every thing together until combined. 

Step 3: Whisk the wet ingredients together. In a separate bowl, whisk together the room temperature sour cream and eggs. Next, whisk in the milk, cooled melted butter, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. 

Step 4: Combine. Add the wet ingredients to the sugar mixture and fold the two together with a rubber spatula until just combined. 

After mixing, the batter will be thick and lumpy. Don't worry, that is expected. You want a thick batter not smooth like you would see when making cake batter.

Step 5: Pour the bread batter into a lined 9x5 pan then bake for 45 minutes. Check for doneness by inserting a wooden skewer or toothpick in the center of the bread. When done, it should come out clean or a few moist crumbs but no wet batter. 

Step 6: Let the cake cool on a wire rack. Cool the lemon bread on a wire rack. It should look like this fresh from the oven!!

Lemon Glaze

This glaze is super simple and only requires two ingredients: powdered sugar and lemon juice. To amp up the lemon flavor, I also like to add the zest of one lemon.

While this lemon glaze is a little on the thinner side, which I like, you can thicken it up by either decreasing the amount of lemon juice or by adding a little more powdered sugar until it reaches a consistency you're happy with.

Step 1: Make the lemon glaze. In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice until smooth. 

Step 2: Pour the lemon glaze over the top of the loaf. Allow the icing to set for at least ten minutes before slicing. 

Bought a bag of lemons and happen to have a few leftover? Use them to make my traditional 7 UP pound cake - it's absolutely delicious.

Baking Tips for Success

Whenever I am elevating family recipes, it is important to me that the end product is just as good if not better than the original. And that often requires a lot of trial and error to ensure I am creating something so delicious that you are reaching for your second slice as soon as you're done with your first. I found that these were the best ingredients and tips to achieving my version of the best moist lemon loaf:

1. Use Organic Lemons - For the best results I recommend using organic lemons if possible. Regular lemons are covered in a wax coating which affects the flavor of the zest. Organic lemons are free of this coating therefore their zest will have a stronger lemon flavor.
2. Cake Flour - Since quick breads have a more dense texture, I decided to use cake flour for a tender, moist crumb.
3. Sour cream - One of the changes is made from the original recipe is using sour cream instead of milk. Sour cream adds a ton of more moisture and slightly thickens the batter creating a tender and soft texture and a rich bread at the same time.
4. Loaf Pan - I recommend only using a metal loaf pan. Glass and ceramic pans conduct heat differently and take longer to bake.
5. Don't Over-Mix- Mixing until just combined will keep your tea bread light and fluffy. Over-mixing creates an excess of gluten development and will result in a dense and dry texture.

Storage

For that melt in your mouth texture and flavor, keep any leftover bread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. You can also store it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. I recommend heating a slice in the microwave for 10 seconds for that fresh out of the oven texture!!

It brings me so much joy when you make one of my recipes!! If you try this recipe and love it much as I do, please give it a star rating in the recipe card below. And don't forget to tag me to share your creation with me!! You can find me on Instagram @vintage_confections.

📖 Recipe

Glazed Lemon Tea Bread (From Scratch)

Lauren Caras

This moist and tender homemade lemon tea bread is infused with fresh lemon juice and zest for the perfect pop of lemon flavor in every bite!! It is made with sour cream and melted butter for a plush, buttery texture and drizzled with a sweet-tart lemon glaze. Whether you're serving it for brunch, dessert, or enjoying it with your morning cup of coffee, this sweet loaf is bursting with bright lemon flavor and is sure to impress!!

5 from 2 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Recipe Saved!

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Cooling Time 2 hours hrs

Total Time 3 hours hrs

Course Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert

Cuisine American

Bake ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Servings 12 slices

Calories 229 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

Lemon Bread Batter

• 1 (200 g) cup Granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons Fresh lemon zest from about 4 large lemons
• 1 ¾ (219 g) cups Cake flour sifted
• 2 teaspoons Baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon Baking soda
• ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
• 2 large Eggs room temperature
• ¾ (180 g) cup Sour cream room temperature
• ½ (113 g) cup Unsalted butter melted and cooled
• ¼ (60 g) cup Whole milk room temperature
• 2 tablespoons Fresh lemon juice from one lemon
• ½ teaspoon Vanilla extract

Lemon Glaze

• 1 (120 g) cup Powdered sugar sifted
• 2 tablespoons Fresh lemon juice from 1 lemon
• 1 tablespoon Fresh lemon zest from 1 lemon

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 350F/180C. In a large mixing bowl, rub the lemon zest and sugar together until it resembles coarse sand.
  1 (200 g) cup Granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons Fresh lemon zest, 1 ¾ (219 g) cups Cake flour, 2 teaspoons Baking powder, ¼ teaspoon Baking soda, ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
• To the bowl with the lemon sugar, sift in the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Then, whisk every thing together until combined. 
• In a separate medium mixing bowl, whisk together the room temperature sour cream and eggs for 30 seconds. Next, whisk in the cooled melted butter, whole milk, lemon juice, and vanilla extract until combined.
  2 large Eggs, ¾ (180 g) cup Sour cream, ½ (113 g) cup Unsalted butter, ¼ (60 g) cup Whole milk, 2 tablespoons Fresh lemon juice, ½ teaspoon Vanilla extract
• Add the wet ingredients to the sugar/flour mixture and gently fold the two together with a rubber spatula until just combined. After mixing, the batter will be thick and lumpy. Don't worry, that is expected.
• Spray a 9x5 loaf pan with non stick baking spray and line the long side of the pan with parchment paper. The parchment paper should make a sling and hang off the sides for the pan for easy removal. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with the back of a spoon or offset spatula. Tap the pan a few times on the counter to remove any air bubbles.
• Bake the lemon bread for 45 - 50 minutes or until a toothpick or skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. When done, the skewer should come out clean or a few moist crumbs but no wet batter. 
• Allow the lemon bread to sit in the pan on a cooling rack for 10 minutes. Then, using the parchment overhang, lift the bread out of the pan and place onto the cooling rack. Let the bread cool completely before glazing.
• Once cooled, in a medium mixing bowl whisk together the sifted powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Pour the lemon glaze over the top of the cooled lemon bread and top with extra lemon zest if desired. Allow the glaze to set for 10 minutes then slice and enjoy!!
  1 (120 g) cup Powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons Fresh lemon juice

Notes

Expert tips:

• Measure your dry ingredients properly - Be sure to weigh your flour using a kitchen scale or spoon it into a measuring cup and level it off with a knife. Avoid scooping directly into the flour. Doing so will compact the flour into the cup adding more flour than what is needed for the batter.
• Loaf pan - I used a 9x5 loaf pan here but you can also use a 8x4 sized baking pan. Just know that it will take a longer time to bake and will be taller than the loaf in the photos.
• Storage - Store any leftover lemon bread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. 
• Freezing and make ahead - If making ahead, wrap the unglazed loaf in plastic wrap and foil and glaze when you are ready to serve.  For freezing, wrap the whole loaf or individual slices in plastic wrap, then foil.  Store the wrapped loaf in a ziplock bag in the freezer for up to 1 month. Allow the bread to defrost at room temperature when ready to serve. 
• Flour - This recipe uses cake flour. I recommend sticking with cake flour and not swapping for all purpose to maintain a soft texture. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1sliceCalories: 229kcalCarbohydrates: 39.6gProtein: 4.5gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 3.8gCholesterol: 74mgSodium: 570mgPotassium: 181mgFiber: 1.6gSugar: 18.6gCalcium: 754mgIron: 2mg

Keyword lemon bread, lemon tea bread

Tried this recipe?Tag @vintage_confections on Instagram and write a star review below!!