Glazed Lemon Tea Bread (From Scratch)
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!!
Ingredients
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.