Enjoy a burst of tangy lemon with this fluffy, moist lemon curd loaf cake. Easy to make and perfect for any occasion—afternoon tea or a simple dessert.
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Loaf cakes are the ultimate no-fuss dessert—quick, easy, and always satisfying.
They’re simple to whip up, freezer-friendly, and perfect to have on hand for rainy days or surprise guests.
👩🍳 Why not make your own lemon curd using my microwave lemon curd recipe?
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✔️ Why should you try it?
- This easy lemon curd cake is simple and straightforward to make.
- The combination of tangy buttery lemon curd and rich, fluffy cake crumb creates a perfectly balanced sweet treat.
- You can serve this cake for afternoon tea or as a quick and easy pudding with cream.
🥘 Ingredients
To make this simple lemon curd loaf cake, you will need:
Butter - 175g of unsalted butter that has been softened.
Sugar - caster sugar is best.
Eggs - 3 large eggs (at room temperature).
Lemon Curd - homemade or store-bought lemon curd.
Lemon juice and zest - use unwaxed lemons for maximum flavour.
Creme Fraiche - helps make the cake lovely and moist.
Self Raising Flour - the raising agent used in the cake.
Icing Sugar and Lemon juice - for the drizzle topping.
🔪 Instructions
The recipe card with ingredient quantities and detailed instructions can be found at the bottom of the post
One: Preheat the oven to 170°c (150°Fan/320°F/Gas 3) and line a 2lb (1kg) loaf tin with baking paper. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar and beat in the eggs.
Two: Add the lemon juice, zest, lemon curd, and crème fraiche and mix in.
Three: Fold in the self-raising flour until everything is combined.
Four: Spoon the cake batter into the loaf tin and bake for 1 hour.
Five: Mix together the icing sugar and lemon juice then drizzle over the top of the warm cake.
🍴 Serving suggestions
You can top the lemon curd loaf with fresh cream or berries for a colourful pudding.
Warm it up and serve it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a decadent dessert that's perfect for any occasion.
Or simply enjoy a slice with a cup of tea or coffee for a relaxing afternoon treat.
📖 Variations
Here are some variations to try:
- Add fresh blueberries or blackberries to the batter for a burst of fruity flavour that complements the tangy lemon.
- Mix in poppy seeds for a fun texture and nutty flavour that pairs well with the lemon.
- Add desiccated coconut to the batter for a tropical twist on the classic lemon loaf cake.
- Mix in fresh raspberries to the batter for a sweet and tangy flavour combination that's perfect for summer.
🥡 Storage
If you plan to eat the cake within a day or two, you can store it at room temperature in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic wrap.
The lemon curd loaf cake will keep fresh for up to 4 days. Cut slices only as needed because pre-cutting the cake will cause it to dry out more quickly.
🧊 Suitable for freezing?
If you want to store the lemon curd cake for longer than a week, you can freeze it for up to three months. Wrap it tightly in cling film and then in aluminum foil or place it in an airtight container before freezing.
❓ FAQS
Lemon curd, or lemon cheese as it is sometimes known, is a silky smooth sweet condiment made with lemons, eggs and sugar.
Lemon curd can be used in a variety of ways including as a scone topping, in cakes, muffins and cupcakes, as well as in tarts and lemon meringue pie.
Yes, you can use store-bought lemon curd instead of making your own. Just be sure to choose a high-quality brand for the best flavour.
Yes, you can use gluten-free flour instead of regular flour to make this recipe gluten-free.
Yes, you can make this recipe ahead of time and store it in the fridge or freezer until you're ready to serve it.
Yes, you can use other citrus fruit curds, such as lime or orange, instead of lemons.
Yes, you can make this recipe vegan by using plant-based substitutes for the eggs and butter. For example, you can use flax eggs and vegan butter instead.
😋Related recipes
Some more easy loaf cakes for you to try:
- Lime and Coconut Loaf Cake - A tropical lime and coconut loaf cake with a zingy lime drizzle, bringing a taste of sunshine to your home any time of the year.
- Chocolate Chip Banana Bread - An easy one-bowl chocolate chip banana bread recipe loaded with mashed sweet bananas and chocolate chips!
- Madeira Loaf Cake - A simple and classic British bake that's perfect with a cup of tea.
- Blackberry Loaf Cake - An easy blackberry loaf cake with foraged blackberries and a zingy lemon drizzle topping!
- Marzipan Loaf Cake - An easy marzipan loaf cake, with a layer of soft white marzipan running through the moist almond and orange sponge!
- Lemon Blueberry Polenta Cake - A rustic Italian-style lemon blueberry polenta cake, perfect for afternoon tea or served as an easy dessert with cream. Naturally gluten-free, the cake is zesty with pockets of fruity blueberries and a moist golden polenta crumb.
- Golden Syrup Cake - An easy and moist golden syrup cake with a sweet sticky glaze. Perfect with a cup of tea and a great cake for freezing! You won’t be able to stop at one slice!
- Apple Loaf Cake - A quick apple loaf cake with a glossy caramel glaze. A great way to use up those Bramley apples.
👩🍳 More recipes using lemon curd
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Recipe
Simple Lemon Curd Loaf Cake
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Equipment
- Wooden Spoon
- Citrus Juicer
- Baking Paper
Ingredients
- 175 g Butter unsalted and softened
- 175 g Caster Sugar
- 3 Eggs large
- 2 tablespoon Lemon Curd
- 1 Lemon zest and juice
- 100 g Creme Fraiche
- 200 g Self Raising Flour
Drizzle Icing
- 2 tablespoon Icing Sugar
- ½ Lemon juice only
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 170°c (150 fan/ 320F/ Gas 3) and line a 2lb (1kg) loaf tin with baking paper. Make sure the baking paper overhangs the tin at two ends, which makes removing the cake from tin that much easier.
- In a bowl cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.175 g Butter, 175 g Caster Sugar
- Beat in the eggs.3 Eggs
- Mix in the lemon curd, lemon juice and zest and creme fraiche.2 tablespoon Lemon Curd, 1 Lemon, 100 g Creme Fraiche
- Fold in the self raising flour and continue to mix until everything is combined.200 g Self Raising Flour
- Pour into the loaf tin and bake for 1 hour. Allow to cool in the tin
- Whilst the cake is cooling, mix together the lemon drizzle icing. Once the cake is fully cooled spoon over the drizzle and allow to set before removing the cake from the tin.2 tablespoon Icing Sugar, ½ Lemon
Helen - Cooking with my kids
I love lemon cakes, and lemon curd so adding the two together sounds like a great idea!
Cat | Curly's Cooking
You cannot go wrong with a good lemon cake. I really like that you've added lemon curd to the cake, it adds so much flavour. Thanks for linking to #CookBlogShare.
Kat (The Baking Explorer)
Yummy, lemon curd is my fave!
Chloe Edges
It's not all that often that I make lemon curd but when I do I struggle to not just eat it all with a spoon. I shall try my hardest next time to save some to make cake 😂
Michelle Rolfe
You had me at lemon curd! This looks delicious, think it will be on my baking list this weekend! Thanks for linking up to #CookBlogShare. Michelle x
Carole
Lemon and cake perfection.
I don't generally buy creme fraiche is there anything else I can use as I'm looking forward to making this😋
Beth Sachs
Soured cream would also work.