This Citrus Loaf Cake has fresh lemon juice and lemon zest in the batter, is swirled with lime curd and finished with lemon glaze. The result is a cake with an extra tangy-sweet flavor. The texture is soft and dense rather than light and airy. So you might think this cake is heavy, but that’s not the case.
You can use store-bought lime curd, as I did for this recipe. But you can also make it from scratch. Please keep in mind that the curd needs to cool completely before you can use it. Therefore, I suggest to make the curd the day before and keep it in the fridge until ready to use.
Tools & Equipment
- 22,9×12,7cm/9×5-inch loaf pan
- Fine-mesh strainer
- Lemon squeezer
- Microplane
- Parchment paper
- Silicone spatula
- Skewer
- Small bowl
- Stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment
- Whisk
- Wire rack
Recipe Tips
Lemon Juice: If you want an intense lemon flavor, I definitely suggest using fresh lemon juice. Concentrated lemon juice will not taste as sour or intense. Since you need lemon zest for the cake and the glaze anyway, you can squeeze the lemons directly and use the juice. Feel free to use fresh limes, oranges or grapefruits instead of lemons if you prefer other kinds of citrus.
Lime Curd: I used store-bought lime curd in this recipe because I had some leftovers. You can of course make lime curd from scratch. For that you could use my mango curd recipe and replace the amount of mangos with fresh lime juice.
Lemon Glaze: Based on whether you prefer the glaze to be more solid or liquid, the ratio between the amount of powdered sugar and lemon juice may change. Add more powdered sugar for a more solid glaze and more lemon juice for a more liquid glaze.
Ingredients for Citrus Loaf Cake
Directions – How to Make Citrus Loaf Cake
Make the Cake
Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C. Grease a 22,9×12,7cm/9×5 loaf pan with cooking spray and line with parchment, leaving an overhang on both sides. Combine flour, baking powder and salt.
In a bowl of a stand mixer combine sugar and lemon zest on medium, for about 3-4 minutes. Add the butter and beat on medium-high until light and fluffy, for about 3-4 minutes. Then add the oil and mix on medium-high until combined, for about 2 minutes.
Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat on medium-high for about 1 minute after each addition. Mix in lemon juice on medium-high, for about 1 minute. Add sour cream and mix on medium-high to combine, for about 1 minute.
Gently fold in the dry mixture with a silicone spatula. Place ⅓ of batter in the prepared loaf pan and add ⅓ of lime curd in dollops on top.
Use a skewer to slightly swirl the curd. Repeat this process 2 more times ending with lime curd.
Bake for 30 minutes then place a piece of foil on top to prevent the lime curd from turning to dark. Bake for 20-30 more minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes. Carefully lift the cake out of the pan and let cool completely.
Make the Lemon Glaze
Sift powdered sugar into a medium bowl. Add lemon juice and lemon zest and whisk until smooth. Drizzle the glaze on top of the cooled cake, garnish with lemon zest and let it set in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Storing and Freezing Instructions
Storage: Because of the glaze, store any leftover cake well wrapped or under a cake dome in the fridge, for up to 4 days.
Freezing Instructions: You can freeze unglazed cake, well wrapped in plastic for up to 3 months. Cake that has already been glazed can be frozen for up to 1 month in an airtight container. Thaw overnight in the fridge and bring to room temperature before serving.
My Summary for Citrus Loaf Cake
Difficulty: Simple.
Taste & Texture: This citrus loaf cake tastes sweet and tangy. The texture is more soft and dense rather than light and airy. But even though, this cake is not too heavy.
Time: Making the batter takes about 40 minutes. Baking time is between 50-60 minutes. After baking, the cake must cool completely, this takes about 1 hour. Making the lemon glaze takes 5 minutes.
More CITRUS Recipes
- Cranberry Orange Bundt Cake
- Lemon Bars
- Moelleux au Citron
- Pineapple Upside Down Cake
- Spanish Almond Cake