My Buttermilk Lemon Bread is a tangy lemon loaf that practically sings with fresh lemony flavor, and I’m spilling all the secrets to this perfect citrusy pound cake right here!
This lemon cake has a lovely classic soft texture (just look at that crumb!) and a tangy flavor (can you say buttermilk and fresh lemon?) I crave lemon from time to time, and a great lemon loaf can’t be beat. Baking up this easy bread at home means you get a true, natural lemon flavor that you just won’t get from commercial products, and if you’re lemon-obsessed like I am, a classic lemon loaf like this is the holy grail of lemon recipes.
Secret #1 Buttermilk makes this cake impossibly tender
You can always count on me to make little improvements to any recipe, and this one is no exception. I swapped out regular milk for thick tangy buttermilk, the cultured kind you can find in your regular supermarket. It’s been fermented, like yogurt, and is low fat and super healthy. I love the stuff, it makes such a difference in so many recipes. Buttermilk is acidic, and actually tenderizes cakes, but also adds lots of flavor.
Fresh out? Here’s how to make your own buttermilk
- Add a tablespoon of fresh lemon juice to a cup of whole milk. Let sit for 15 minutes before using. While this doesn’t result in the thick cultured style buttermilk you find at the supermarket, it works in a pinch.
Secret # 2 I use cake flour
Cake flour is an easy switch that results in a more tender bread. Cake flour is a lower protein flour, which means it forms less gluten than regular flour in baked recipes. When I have it in the pantry I tend to use it a lot, because I prefer a delicate tender crumb in my baked goods.
Fresh out? Here’s how to make your own cake flour
- To make a cup of cake flour, measure out a cup of all purpose flour, then remove 2 tablespoons. Add 2 tablespoons of cornstarch, and sift to combine. Now you can use it just like you would use regular flour. If you’d like to make it in bulk, remove and replace 1/2 cup flour with cornstarch for every 4 cups of flour.
Secret # 3 I make my easy lemon sugar to amp up the lemon factor
This is a secret I just love, I’ve used it in my Scottish Lemon Sugar Shortbread and my Lemon Sugar Crumb Cake. Instead of grating lemon zest to add to the batter, I process the lemon peels with granulated sugar in my food processor. The result is a moist, fragrant, and insanely lemony sugar with the essence of fresh citrus infused into every crystal.
Here’s how to make lemon sugar
- I remove the zest of a lemon with a vegetable peeler. I love my serrated peeler, it allows me to easily peel off just the yellow, but none of the bitter white, zest. Add that to the cup of sugar listed in the recipe, and give it a good whiz! The result is a pale yellow, insanely fragrant lemon sugar ready to use.
Secret #4 I use Meyer Lemons
Since Meyer lemons are in season I used them, and their delicate flavor makes this cake super special. You can especially tell the difference in the glaze, which is made simply with powdered sugar and fresh Meyer lemon juice.
What’s the difference between Meyer lemons and regular lemons?
- I’m so glad you asked! I love lemons and I love talking about them almost as much as I love cooking with them. Meyer lemons are a very old natural hybrid citrus, so old and mysterious that no one really knows for sure how they came about, but it’s thought that they resulted from a cross between 2 of the original citrus fruits (a citron and a mandarin/pomelo hybrid) in China.
- Meyers are plump, thinner skinned, and more of a warm orange=y yellow than regular lemons.
- Their flavor is much sweeter, less acidic, with a definite hint of orange, and a little bit floral.
- While regular lemons are always in the supermarket, you’re more likely to find Meyer lemons from December up until spring.
- Use Meyer lemons exactly the same way you use regular lemons.
More Meyer lemon recipes to try ~
- Poached Halibut Salad with Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette
- Meyer Lemon Roast Chicken
- Meyer Lemon and Rosemary Focaccia Bread
Reader Rave ~
“Wow this bread was moist, fragrant and delish! The buttermilk does wonders in breads, going to make sure I always use it in my breads. Thank you for the lemon sugar tip too.” ~ Yvonne
Ingredients
- zest of 1 lemon
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 3/4 cups cake flour (use all purpose flour if you like)
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- lemon juice to thin, start with 1 tablespoon and add more as necessary
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F Lightly butter a 9x5 loaf pan and line it with parchment paper with long ends so you can lift the bread out later for glazing and slicing.
- Remove the peel from the lemon with a vegetable peeler. A serrated peeler works best for this. You want to remove just the yellow part of the peel, with little of the bitter white part.
- Put the sugar and lemon peelings in a food processor and process until the peels are completely incorporated into the sugar.
- Put the lemon sugar and butter into a stand mixer and cream until light and fluffy ~ a full 5 minutes.
- Beat in each of the eggs, one by one, making sure each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next one. Continue beating for another 2-3 minutes.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt and add to the mixer, alternately with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Finish mixing by hand, to make sure everything is thoroughly mixed, but don't over beat.
- Turn the batter into the prepared pan, spread out evenly, and bake on the center rack for 50-55 minutes, or until fully risen and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out without wet batter clinging to it (moist crumbs are fine.)
- Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove, using the parchment paper handles, and let fully cool on a rack.
- Meanwhile whisk together the sugar with enough lemon juice to make a thick glaze. Spread the glaze over the cooled bread.
Notes
The success of any cake or quick bread is in the details. Make sure your oven is accurate. Make sure you measure correctly. Use the fluff/scoop/level method for measuring flour: fluff up the flour first to loosen it, then scoop it with your cup measure, then lightly level if off with the flat side of a knife or your finger. Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit
Thanks for pinning my Buttermilk Lemon Bread!
31 Comments
Amber
June 11, 2019 at 9:23 pmI hate lemon bread but my friend wanted me to make it for her. I tried some and I absolutely loved it. I was amazed how good it was. The lemon wasn’t overpowering like some I’ve tried. Thank you for this recipe I now love lemon bread. :)
Sue
June 12, 2019 at 2:41 pmI’m so happy I made a lemon bread convert ;)
Megan
June 10, 2019 at 9:16 amMade this last night and it came out absolutely perfect! Followed everything exactly, even the cake flour, but I didn’t have a food processor so I zested 2 meyer lemons and mixed in thoroughly with the sugar. Baked the loaf for 50 mins exactly when the toothpick came out clean! Then I waited for it to cool before spreading the lemon glaze on top (I used about 2 tbsp of lemon juice to get the thick consistency). Was pleasantly surprised to see how well the glaze sets also, was able to cut into nice clean slices without the glaze getting messy in any way. Thank you Sue!!
Sue
June 10, 2019 at 9:20 amSounds like a perfect success, thanks Megan :) The key with the glaze is to give it enough time to dry down before cutting. I’m often too impatient.
Barb
May 7, 2019 at 1:34 pmCan I add blueberries to this? It looks so yummy. We’re doing a Mother’s Day tea this Saturday. I’d love to make this.
Sue
May 7, 2019 at 2:07 pmOh gosh yes!
Bernadette Gomms
April 16, 2019 at 10:38 amThis cake looks delicious – quick question can i bake in a small 6″ round pan instead of a loaf pan? or will I need to double the recipe for fit in a round pan?
Sue
April 16, 2019 at 10:42 amI think it would fit in a round pan, but be aware that this has a denser pound cake/sweet bread texture, rather than a fluffy cake texture.
Sandy
February 24, 2019 at 11:31 amOur family absolutely loved this lemon bread!! I enjoyed learning a new technique (combining the lemon zest and sugar).
Sue
February 24, 2019 at 11:36 amI’m so happy Sandy ~ I love that technique and I’ve used it in several other recipes. I’m working on an orange sugar shortbread this week :)
Sandy
February 24, 2019 at 11:39 amHi Sue- can’t wait for the shortbread cookie recipe. Shortbread cookies are my husband’s favorite cookie.
carol
February 10, 2019 at 7:04 pmmade it ! yummy, a must make. I made the meyer sugar and followed the recipe except for the icing. I didn’t want to use as much icing. thought it might mask the cake. so I just cut the amount of conf sugar and added lemon juice as needed to reach the consistency I was looking for. Hope it lasts for morning share
Sue
February 10, 2019 at 7:41 pmThanks for the report Carol :)
Yvonne
January 28, 2019 at 5:39 pmWow this bread was moist, fragrant and delish! The buttermilk does wonders in breads, going to make sure I always use it in my breads. Thank you for the lemon sugar tip too.
Sue
January 28, 2019 at 6:37 pmI love how long buttermilk keeps, Yvonne, and truth be told, I use it a little beyond the date on the carton, it just gets tangier :)
Barbara Abebe
March 29, 2019 at 2:06 pmMade this recipe today. Absolutely delish!! Loved the buttermilk & lemon sugar tip. This batter will great muffins with poppy seeds.
Thanks
Sue
March 29, 2019 at 3:53 pmGreat to hear you loved it Barbara, and yes to the poppy seeds!
Valerie Klobuchar
January 26, 2019 at 4:54 pmWow, 2 sticks of butter! Oh well, you only live once! Going to the store to get what I need. Morning coffee and lemon bread, heaven!
Linda
January 25, 2019 at 3:24 pmThere are several serrated peelers on the Amazon site. Which do you prefer?
Sue
January 25, 2019 at 8:22 pmI like this style, and this is a good brand: https://www.amazon.com/Zyliss-E950018U-ZYLISS-Soft-Peeler/dp/B078YNXVFT/ref=dp_ob_title_kitchen
Laura | Tutti Dolci
January 16, 2019 at 2:49 pmGorgeous, Sue! This loaf looks perfect! :)
Gerlinde @ Sunnycovechef
January 15, 2019 at 9:35 pmSweet breads like this are my favorite to have with my afternoon tea .
2 Sisters Recipes
January 14, 2019 at 1:33 pmSue this bread looks so good! We love anything with lemons and you had me with Meyer lemons ! Pinning!
Priscilla Rochin
January 14, 2019 at 12:11 pmHi Sue– I love your recipes and am going to try this one but I need some help.
We have a wonderful lemon tree but our lemons are rather large so I need to know
how much lemon juice to use for this recipe? You only mentioned using 1 lemon.
Thanks!
Sue
January 14, 2019 at 12:18 pmThe cake itself only uses the peel, processed with the sugar. The glaze uses enough lemon juice to thin to a drizzle consistency, which will be about 1/2 the lemon, you could start with a tablespoon and go from there. I’ll see if I can clarify this in the recipe Pricilla.
Gayt
January 14, 2019 at 8:51 amDear sue,
I love ur recipes but here in holland we use grams instead of cups. Can u tell me how much grams is 1 cup flour ? Thx so much
Sue
January 14, 2019 at 9:28 amThat would be 120 grams Gayt.
Priscilla Rochin
January 14, 2019 at 12:30 pmOh, I feel so stupid, sorry. I just re-read the instructions. Thanks for quick reply. :)
Sue
January 14, 2019 at 1:29 pmNo no! I clarified it after reading your comment, thank you!
angiesrecipes
January 14, 2019 at 3:42 amI love that tender smooth crumb…almost like pound cake!