This raspberry lemon loaf cake is a moist lemon cake studded with raspberries and covered in lemon glaze. Careful. It might just become your new favorite.
Raspberries and lemons go so beautifully together. The tartness of lemon complements the sweetness of the raspberries making them an unstoppable combination, especially in baked goods. Don't believe me? You will once you try this raspberry lemon loaf cake.
A subtly sweet, wonderfully moist, dense yet just-the-right-amount-of-fluffy lemon cake serves as the base for this glorious confection. Sweet raspberries are suspended throughout the loaf which is topped with a bright, lemony glaze. It's perfect for dessert with a scoop of ice cream or with your morning cup of coffee.
Why You'll Love This Lemon Raspberry Loaf Cake
Get ready to meet your new favorite summertime dessert (or breakfast!). Here are a few reasons why I love this raspberry lemon loaf so much. I bet you will too.
- Breakfast OR dessert. This cake is delicious any time of day. It is not overly sweet, so it can easily pass as a delicious breakfast treat when spread with a bit of butter. It is sweet enough, however, to satisfy that dessert craving. The choice is yours.
- So flavorful. The zing of the lemon and the sweetness of the raspberries come together in a symphony of summery flavor. You won't be able to resist.
- Texture. This loaf cake strikes the perfect balance between dense and fluffy. It is just dense enough to make it immensely satisfying to sink your teeth into but it's not so dense that it weighs you down.
What You'll Need
Here is a list of ingredients needed to make this bright, flavorful raspberry and lemon loaf. Don't forget to scroll to the recipe card below for exact measurements.
Loaf Cake
- All-Purpose Flour - Feel free to use your favorite 1:1 gluten-free flour instead.
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Granulated Sugar
- Unsalted Butter - Allow the butter to come to room temperature before using. Otherwise, it will not cream properly with the sugar.
- Lemon Zest
- Eggs - The eggs should be at room temperature. They will incorporate more easily with the other ingredients.
- Fresh Lemon Juice
- Greek Yogurt or Sour Cream - It is best if the Greek yogurt (or sour cream) is at room temperature. It will mix into the other ingredients more smoothly and easily.
- Raspberries - fresh or frozen-if frozen keep frozen until you fold them in the batter
Lemon Glaze
- Powdered sugar - Don't forget to sift the powdered sugar before making the glaze. You will end up with a much smoother topping for your cake.
- Lemon Juice
- Lemon Zest
How to Make Raspberry Lemon Loaf Cake
In only 10 minutes of prep time and a little over an hour in the oven, you will have a loaf cake that is more than worth writing home about. Here's how to make it. Be sure to scroll to the recipe card below for more detailed instructions.
Loaf Cake
- Prep. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease a 9X5 loaf pan.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Beat the sugar, butter, and lemon zest for 3-4 minutes until fluffy.
- Add in eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition.
- Add the lemon. Mix in the juice.
- Combine the wet and dry ingredients. Fold the dry mixture into the wet ingredients.
- Finish it off. Fold in the Greek yogurt. Fold in raspberries.
- Bake. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 60-70 minutes
- Cool. Allow the loaf to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Lemon Glaze
- Whisk together the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon rind.
- Drizzle the glaze on top of the cooled cake.
Tips for Success
Who wants to make the perfect raspberry lemon loaf cake!? If you raised your hand, you are well on your way. Just follow the recipe and keep these simple tips and tricks.
- Room temperature ingredients. It is best that the butter, eggs, and Greek yogurt are at room temperature before use. If the butter is too cold or too melted, it will not cream together with sugar properly resulting in a less fluffy loaf. As for the eggs and the Greek yogurt, they will incorporate more easily with the other ingredients if they are at room temperature. This will help to prevent you from over-mixing.
- Don't over-mix. When mixing the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients and when folding in the sour cream and berries, mix just until incorporated. No more. Over-mixing can cause the glutens in the flour to overdevelop which will end you with a tough, overly dense cake.
- Sift. Be sure to sift the powdered sugar before measuring and incorporating it into the lemon glaze. This will ensure that you have a lump-free glaze.
- Let it cool. Before drizzling lemon glaze over the cake, make sure that it has cooled completely. Otherwise, the glaze will melt right into the cake.
Serving Suggestions
This lemon raspberry loaf is delightful on its own but it is even better when served with a yummy spread, alongside a warm beverage, or with a sweet topping. Here are some of my favorite ways to enjoy it.
- Butters and spread. Spread a bit of butter over a toasted slice for breakfast or, if you're in the mood for dessert, enjoy this cake with my Lemon Curd.
- With a warm beverage. Another breakfast favorite. Enjoy this raspberry lemon loaf cake with a cup of hot tea or coffee and the Sunday paper.
- Whipped cream. Serve a slice with store-bought or homemade whipped cream and fresh berries.
- Ice cream. I love scooping vanilla ice cream on top of a slice of this fruity cake.
How to Store Raspberry and Lemon Loaf Cake
If you find yourself with leftovers, allow the cake to cool completely and the glaze to set before lining an airtight container with a paper towel and placing the whole loaf on top of it. Top the cake with another paper towel and seal the container. The paper towel will help absorb moisture and keep the cake from getting soggy. Store it at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Can I Freeze This?
You can. Allow the cake to cool completely and the glaze to set before sealing it in an airtight container. Store raspberry lemon loaf cake in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you are ready to enjoy, allow it to thaw at room temperature before diving in.
More Lemon Recipes:
Summer is coming and I don't know about you but the bright zing of lemon always gets me in the mood for these warm weather months. I love this raspberry lemon loaf cake but here are a few other fabulous lemony recipes for you to try. Happy baking!
- Lemon Cheesecake
- Lemon Crinkle Cookies
- Lemon Curd Cheesecake
- Lemon Olive Oil Cake
- Lemon Zucchini Cake
- Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake
Recipe Card
Raspberry Lemon Loaf Cake
Raspberry Lemon Loaf Cake is a Moist Lemon Cake is studded with Raspberries and Covered in a Lemon Glaze. This easy Raspberry Lemon Loaf Cake recipe will be your new favorite snack!
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 10-12 Slices 1x
Ingredients
Loaf Cake
- 188 grams (1 ½ cup) All-Purpose Flour
- 1 ½ Teaspoon Baking Powder
- ½ Teaspoon Salt
- 266 grams (1 ⅓ cup) Granulated Sugar
- 6oz (¾ Cup) Unsalted Butter, at room temperature
- 1 heaping Tablespoon Lemon Zest
- 2 Large Eggs, at room temp.
- 3 Tablespoon Fresh Lemon Juice
- 4oz (½ cup) Greek Yogurt or Sour Cream, at room temperature
- 8oz Raspberries (fresh or frozen-if frozen keep frozen until you fold them in the batter)
Lemon Glaze
- 188 grams (1 ½ cup) Powdered sugar, sifted
- 3 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
- 1 Teaspoon Lemon Zest
Instructions
Loaf Cake
- Preheat oven to 350F/180C and grease a 9X5 loaf pan.
- In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a bowl of an electric mixer combine sugar, butter, and lemon zest for 3-4 minutes, so it's nice and fluffy. Add in eggs one at a time. Mix in lemon rind and juice. Fold in the dry mixture. Then fold in Greek yogurt, then gently fold in raspberries.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and bake for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before inverting on to a wire rack to cool completely. Then start the glaze.
Lemon Glaze
- While the cake is cooling prepare the lemon glaze. In a bowl combine powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Drizzle on top of the cake when it is completely cool. Store the cake in an airtight container at room temperature or store it in the fridge to last longer.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 70
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: raspberry lemon loaf, lemon raspberry loaf, raspberry and lemon loaf
Laura says
Loved this recipe, it was a huge hit! Super flavorful! I'm making it for the second time now but will be trying them as muffins this time!
★★★★★
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Laura, thank you so much for coming back to review the recipe I am so grateful!!! So pleased you enjoyed it 🙂 Happy Weekend! XX Liz
Karen N says
Made this for the 2nd time and did 3/4 raspberries and 1/4 blueberries. Loved it! I asked the family if I should cut back on the sugar in the glaze which I was told “No!, it’s perfect”. Very easy to follow for a non baker! Made the orange one too and that was gone in a few days. One positive thing from this whole COVID mess and being at home is I found you!!
★★★★★
Elizabeth Waterson says
Thank you so much for coming back to leave a star rating and review Karen, I am so happy you all enjoyed the recipe!! Your comment really made my day 🙂 Take care. XX Liz
Debtfree_yyc says
Delish!!
I made this lovely recipe thud evening using the Greek Yogurt variation and subbed in Robin Hood gf flour and it was PERFECT! Fresh raspberries and fresh squeezed lemon finishes the palate off wonderfully! Thanks for sharing - I will definitely be making this again!
-DFYYC
★★★★★
Elizabeth Waterson says
Thanks for coming back to review the recipe, I appreciate it more than you know!! So glad you were able to make it work well with GF flour!! XX Liz
Abigail says
Delish! Used buttermilk in place of yogurt and it turned out great
★★★★★
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Abigail, thanks so much for coming back to star rate and review the recipe! I am so pleased you were able to use buttermilk instead and it worked well for you!! Take care. XX Liz
Donna says
Super delicious. I have an addiction for raspberries and lemon. They go together like no other combination. Made the recipe as written except wanted to use up the berries in my fridge so it was raspberries, blackberries and blueberries. Baked for 60 minutes. Made a sling with parchment paper to remove the cake easily. This will definitely be my ‘go to’ recipe. I’m printing it out right now to save. My favorite of all the lemon/berry cake recipes that I’ve made. Thank you.
★★★★★
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Donna, thanks so much for coming back to star rate and review the recipe! I am so pleased you enjoyed the cake, a sling of parchment is a great idea for easy removal. Makes me smile that this is going to be your new go-to!! Success!! Take care. XX Liz
Audrey says
Hi like these two recipes for lemon and orange cakes .haven’t tried them yet they sound fantastic
Question. Years ago had a recipe for orange cake that called for baking soda
Assumed that was because of the acidity of the juices
Can you comment on that
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Audrey, thanks for reaching out. That could potentially be the reason yes since baking soda needs to be activated by acid, I have never activated it by just using citrus juice but that could be it, hard to know exactly without seeing the whole recipe. Generally, for quick breads, I use baking powder. Please let me know if you have any further questions or if I can help! And do report back if you try the recipes!! Take care. XX Liz
MARY says
Can I freeze the baked cake?
Lori grinslade says
Absolutely loved this loaf cake and so did everyone else , I also favor the lemon glaze and added candied lemon twist rolled in pink sugar. Lol. My honored guest was very pleased, thank you Elizabeth.
★★★★★
Ashley says
I wanted to print this recipe for my daughter to bake this with me but when I click on the "print" button it brings up a page with several ads on it and it takes a copious amount of ink and 4 pages for this one (relatively) short recipe. It looks so good and can't wait to try but don't want all the ads staring at us if I print it or just try to view it all one one page. Am I doing something wrong?
Rose says
I originally had the same problem. Don’t go to jump to recipe and hit print. If you do, you get 23 pages with ads to print. You have to scroll down to the recipe and click print there and then print. This way, it’s only 3 pages. Good luck!
Chrissie says
Baking in the oven right now- my oven has hot spots so when I bake is bake it at 15° cooler than a recipe suggests (baking at 335) its browning beautifully on top! I subbed cream cheese w just a little bit of milk to thin it out instead of greek yogurt bc well, I didn’t have any.. it’s going on 90 minutes now bc every time I check the top is still jiggly and the toothpick doesn’t come out clean and dry- is this okay? Should I keep baking until it’s firm and toothpick comes out clean and dry? Anything baking at 350 burns in my oven and I didn’t want to take that chance (bringing it to the in-laws tonight) thanks:)
★★★★★
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Chrissie, so sorry you are having trouble with the baking. If your oven is not properly calibrated and you keep checking it can definitely prolong the baking. And I have never made it with a bit of cream cheese and milk. I would have tented it by placing a greased piece of foil on top so it prevents the top from browning too much but the middle can finish baking. Next time please feel free to Instagram direct message me you can send me photos and we can troubleshoot together. Please let me know how it turns out, crossing my fingers it's beautiful still! XX Liz
Eryn says
Super delicious!! I made this loaf last March at the beginning of lockdown. I really want to revisit this recipe and make it again!
★★★★★
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Eryn, thank you so much for coming back to star rate and review the recipe. I cannot believe it's been a year since then, time has moved so weirdly this year so fast but so slow!! Good thing we can make the cake to enjoy it! Take care XX Liz
Sian says
Beautiful recipe - very easy to follow. Made for a friends birthday and she was really happy!
★★★★★
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Sian, thanks so much for coming back to leave a review, I truly appreciate it! This is my Dad's favorite dessert! So glad your friend enjoyed the cake!! Take care. XX Liz
L. Walsh says
Delicious! I used buttermilk instead of the Greek yogurt, because I had it on hand. I also made 4 mini loaves and baked it for 35 - 40 minutes. I'm addition, I used a toothpick to poke holes on the top of each loaf, so the glaze could seep into the cake. I will definitely be making this again. Next time, I'll use Greek yogurt. I put one of the loaves in the freezer. What do you think about freezing?
Elizabeth Waterson says
I think freezing would be great, I would freeze without the glaze ideally though. Wrap twice in plastic wrap tightly then once on foil. Thaw in the fridge overnight! Please let me know how you get on, so glad you enjoyed the reicpe! Thank you so much for coming back to review it! XX Liz
laura says
I had the same problem as Chrissie - top was browning, getting darker & darker & tooth pick was still coming out with uncooked mix 🙁
I left it in 1hr 20 in the end but when we cut it open there was still too much moisture making the middle more pudding than cake like and the edges were much more browned than ideal. I'm in England so didn't use cups - have you tried the cake with the other measurements as I noticed you switched imperial & metric? The flavour mix was really nice and it'll all get eaten but it was not a presentation piece unfortunately!
★★
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Laura, I am so so sorry that you have had trouble. I recently made three of these loaves in two days and each of them turned out great. I would check your oven is properly calibrated. If your oven is not properly calibrated and you keep checking it can definitely prolong the baking. I would have tented the loaf by placing a greased piece of foil on top so it prevents the top from browning too much but the middle can finish baking. I always personally use a scale and measure liquid in ounces and dry ingredients in grams. I don't like baking with "cups" I find it's too inconsistent. Please let me know if you have any other questions or if I can help with anything, I am so very sorry it didn't work out. XX Liz
Gurpreet Kaur says
Loved it. The perfect balance of lemon and raspberry. No words to explain how moist and fluffy it was.
Thank you so much
Elizabeth Waterson says
Yay! Thanks so much for coming back to review the recipe!! Lemon and raspberry are such a great flavor combo!! Take care. XX Liz
Mekah says
This turned out really weird. I made it twice, one with raspberries and one without. The raspberries became really mushy and not very appetizing... I used fresh so maybe frozen would be better. Also, both of them sunk in the middle. My leavening was good, my oven is good, and I've never had this problem before so I'm not sure why it happened.
★★
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Mekah, I am so sorry to read you had issues with the recipe. Cakes sinking can be a few different reasons, I would double-check that your oven is calibrated correctly a few degrees can make a big difference, usually, the sinking is caused by the cake not being fully cooked, which can be because the oven isn't set to the proper temperature or if the oven door has been opened multiple times it can let the hot air our reducing the temperature drastically. Also, you want to make sure you don't overbeat your batter, that your ingredients were measured properly and that they were at room temperature. I am sorry I cannot pinpoint it exactly for you but hopefully, this helps. Please let me know if I can help with anything else! XX Liz
Rose says
Hi,
I was invited by a friend to stay at their family vacation house. I’m wondering if this could be made in a Bundt pan?
Rose
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi, Rose thanks for reaching out. I have never made this in a bundt pan, but you could try doubling the recipe for a 10-cup bundt pan and for the bake time I would guess 45-60 minutes but seeing as I have never made it I cannot promise you this will turn out. Please let me know if I can help with anything else and please report back if you try I would love to know your results! Thanks, XX Liz
Chris says
I made this cake and came out amazing! Perfectly moist with a nice subtle lemon flavor. When you a raspberry in a bite it’s wonderful. The icing adds quite a bit of sweetness but also has a nice tartness to it. Definitely recommend this recipe!
★★★★
Sara says
This is DELICIOUS! Do you think it is possible to turn it into a birthday cake with some king of frosting? This idea is stuck in my head!
Thank you!
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Sara, thanks for reaching out, so glad you enjoyed the cake. Since this is a loaf-style cake it's quite thick and dense, not super ideal for a layer cake. But you could. I know plenty of people who make it as a loaf and then really decorate the top pretty. Let me know if you have any other questions, always happy to help where I can! Thanks! XX Liz
Cat says
I just finished making 3 loaves. I have to say, this is delicious! This will be one of my Christmas breads I’ll make every year. Thank you so so much for sharing this recipe. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!
★★★★★
Elizabeth Waterson says
Aww yay!! Thank you so much for coming back to leave a star rating and review. It really helps my business, so thank you!!! And the best compliment to hear you will make it 3evbery year!! I hope you're having a lovely Christmas and Happy New Year! XX Liz
Marah L. says
The raspberry bread was a total flop, which I'm pretty sure would not have happened if the recipe had called for just frozen berries. Because the recipe gave the option of fresh raspberries I went with that. What happened was the fresh berries steamed and added extra water into the bread creating pockets in the bread and when the bread went through its cooling cycle the pockets collapsed and the bread fell in and though I could tell the flavor was excellent, the texture was gummy and inedible. Please adjust your recipe to use frozen berries only. Thanks.
★★
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Marah, in the video of this recipe on this page you can see I use fresh raspberries. I would presume you needed to bake your cake longer, each oven works a little differently. I am so sorry yours did not turn out properly. But it is not because of the fresh or frozen, I have made this cake numerous times with both. Please let me know if you have any questions, I would love to help you make this recipe! XX Liz
Merrill Dellas says
Followed directions to the EXACT! Baked for 70 minutes and it turned out beautifully! I just had a piece (well 2!) because I am taking this to dinner/movie night with friends. It's soooo delicious! I used GF flour 1:1 and you can NOT tell the difference for those gluten free peeps reading this! Moist and delicious! This one is a KEEPER for the "files!" It's posted on my instagram!
★★★★★
Marie W says
I’m usually good at baking, but this was a complete flop - which was a surprise given all the shining reviews.
So the mix looked good. Baking though….
At a hour it was getting very dark on top so I put a piece of baking paper over to stop it burning.
It took until 90 minutes for me to think it might be done (skewer was clean)
It then proceeded to collapse and was a dense inedible mush - really was bad enough t9 go straight in the bin - I couldn’t even recover the edges as they had a slightly bitter taste (clearly had started to burn).
Fortunately had time to bake cupcakes for Father’s Day so I wasn’t empty handed - and they worked fine, so not a problem with me or my oven.
★
Calibaker says
I made this today. The bread came out doughy in the center. It browned too fast, my kitchen was smelled like something was burning. It tasted good.
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi there, you may need to tent the cake while you bake it some ovens have more hot spots which can brown the top too quickly. I just place a piece of parchment paper over top about half way through, that should give it enough time to bake in the center while not burning the top. Please let me know if you try it again, I hope you love it! XX Liz
Jacqui says
Let me tell you that I am not a BAKER but I am so happy with this recipe that it turned out just like it said. Such a amazing recipe. I love it!
★★★★★
Elizabeth Waterson says
Thank you so much for the 5-star review Jacqui, so pleased you enjoyed this raspberry lemon cake!! Take care. XX Liz
Beth says
Absolutely delicious! Swapped the Greek yoghurt for a fat free/ sugar free strawberry and it was amazing. Moist and tasty. Great reviews from my workmates!
★★★★★
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Beth, thank you so much for the lovely 5-star review. So glad you all enjoyed the cake. Take care. XX Liz
Beth says
I made this gluten free by switching out the flour and adding 1 tsp xanthan gum. This is absolutely amazing!
★★★★★
Elizabeth Waterson says
Thank you so much for the lovely review, Beth. So pleased to read it worked well with you for Gf flour! Take care. XX Liz
Elizabeth De Ramus says
I love everything lemon! When I saw this recipe I knew I had to try to make it. Wow, simply LUV at first bite. It turned out way better than I could have imaged. I used a lemon flavored Greek yogurt and I put the fresh raspberries in a little flour and placed them in the freezer for about 20 minutes before mixing into the batter. I plan to make this my secret weapon for my next potluck.
Thank you for sharing your recipe.
★★★★★
Nancy says
This was delicious! It didn’t rise, but I am at 5500’ feet. Any suggestion on what to do to make this high altitude friendly? Ty.
★★★★
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Nancy, thanks for reaching out. Glad you liked the cake. I, unfortunately, have had no experience baking in high altitudes but based on what I know you should generally increase the oven temperature by about 25% and decrease the baking time by about 5 minutes per 30 minutes. You may need to decrease the sugar by a tablespoon or two, you may need to increase the liquid by 1-4 tablespoons, and you may need to decrease the chemical leavening agents by 1/8 teaspoon- 1/4 teaspoon. Hope that helps, good luck please do report back if you try any high altitude swaps XX Liz
Ana says
Hello is 180C fan forced or conventional ?
Many thanks 🙂
Elizabeth Waterson says
Just conventional no fan 🙂 Please let me know if you try the recipe and what you think! XX Liz
Lori Jankowski says
I made this recipe for the first time yesterday; as usual, the recipe is simple to follow. Raspberries are in season here in Barrie, ON so they were fresh and flavourful. I felt that there could have been more flavour to the cake, however -- maybe a splash of pure vanilla? It was a perfect bake at 60 minutes with a good texture to the cake.
★★★★
Elizabeth Waterson says
Thanks so much Lori, you could most certainly add a splash of vanilla if you would like!! Happy Baking! Take care. XX Liz