This zingy lemon curd loaf cake is the perfect sweet pick me up! It's fresh, moist and oh so moreish, you definitely won't be able to stop at one slice!
Serve for afternoon tea or as a quick and easy pudding with cream.
If you follow this blog regularly (or my Cornish Food Blog) you'll know that I do LOVE a loaf cake!
Loaf cakes are quick, simple to make, but oh so tasty. They also freeze really well too, and I always like to have one stashed away in the freezer for a rainy day or unexpected visitors.
👩🍳 Why not make your own lemon curd using my microwave lemon curd recipe?
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✔️ Why should you try it?
- Simple to make
- Can be frozen
- Easy to adapt flavours
🥘 Ingredients
To make this lemon curd loaf cake you will need;
- Butter - 175g of unsalted butter that has been softened.
- Sugar - caster sugar is used in this recipe.
- Eggs - 3 large eggs (I try and use free-range organic eggs).
- Lemon Curd - homemade or store-bought lemon curd is fine.
- Lemon juice and zest - try and use unwaxed lemons for maximum flavour.
- Creme Fraiche - gives the cake a lovely moistness.
- 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 160°c (140 fan/ 300F/ Gas 1) 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 beat 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. Drizzle over the icing sugar and lemon glaze once the cake has cooled.
🍴 Serving suggestions
I usually serve this easy lemon loaf as an after-school snack for the kids, with a glass of cold milk or a cup of tea.
You can also serve it as a pudding, warm out of the oven. A dollop of clotted cream or a scoop of homemade honeycomb ice cream would go well with it.
📖 Variations
There are lots of ways you could vary the flavours of this loaf cake. Here are some ideas for you to try;
- A handful of fresh blueberries or raspberries folded into the cake batter would give a lovely fruity tang.
- Instead of an icing sugar glaze, you could make a lemon buttercream topping and grate over more lemon zest to finish.
- White chocolate chips would give the cake a lovely sweetness.
- Make it gluten-free by using a gluten-free cake flour.
- Use lemon yogurt instead of creme fraiche for an extra lemony hit.
🥡 Storage
The cooled cake will keep in an airtight cake tin or storage container for up to 5 days. Cut slices only as needed because pre-cutting the cake will cause it to dry out more quickly.
🧊 Suitable for freezing?
The lemon curd cake freezes really well. Simply wrap the cooled cake in a layer of baking paper and then 2 layers of foil. Place in the deep freeze until needed (you should allow 6 hours for it to defrost before serving).
❓ 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.
😋Related recipes
Some more loaf cake 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!
- Creme Fraiche Banana Loaf Cake - A simple banana loaf cake made with creamy crème fraiche. Great for a mid-morning snack for hungry kids (and adults)!
- Apple Loaf Cake - A quick apple loaf cake with a glossy caramel glaze. A great way to use up those Bramley apples.
👩🍳 More recipes you might like
Recipe
Easy Lemon Curd Loaf Cake
Equipment
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 160°c (140 fan/ 300F/ Gas 1) 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.
- Beat in the eggs.
- Mix in the lemon curd, lemon juice and zest and creme fraiche.
- Fold in the self raising flour and continue to mix until everything is combined.
- 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.
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