Whenever I see a slice of lemon loaf on the table, I want it. Preferably glazed or frosted, but done right I’ll eat it bare too. I recently polled followers to see their preferred cake form; surprisingly, the majority voted for a loaf (the options also included tiered, cupcake, and sheet). It might shock people but I would probably vote cupcake last, not because they can’t be amazing but because of the four, if you’re at a bakery and can pick, the cupcake is more often than not gonna be dry, in my experience, so it’s not a safe bet. And I want a delicious bet every time OK?

Now, I say it all the time but, I love baking with rosemary. It’s one of those flavor adds that just adds a hint of herby savoriness that makes people go “Ohh what is that?” and then bow and kiss your feet. Just kidding, but besides the rosemary haters (of which, I cannot trust you) everyone loves these bakes. If you want some inspiration, give my Rosemary White Chocolate Thumbprints or Rosemary Cheesecake with Cranberry Compote a try.

Since we’re in the height of citrus season (or at least we are while I’m writing this recipe), I wanted to try my hand at a lemon loaf, with a rosemary twist. I recently tried a grapefruit loaf from a cookbook I got while traveling in Scotland and remembered how much I love not only a loaf but a sharp and sweet citrus-packed one.

Bake and enjoy! If you love this recipe, please rate and review it below!

lemon rosemary loaf cake with lemon rosemary simple syrup and lemon glaze

WHAT IS LEMON ROSEMARY LOAF CAKE?

Basically, take your average lemon loaf and make it better. You’ll start by making the loaf cake itself, packed with lemon and rosemary flavors. Once removed from the oven, you’ll use a toothpick to poke holes throughout the cake, which makes delicious little flavor tunnels for the rosemary and lemon simple syrup that you’ll brush all around it. This further amps up the flavor and provides a softer texture to the loaf itself. Lastly, you’ll finish with a simple two-ingredient lemon glaze, poured overtop, that slices through beautifully. It’s a little bit sharp, a little bit savory, and a whole lot delicious.

Do I need to use fresh lemons for this recipe? Yes! Fresh lemons are key for this recipe, as the zest of each is crucial for the lemony flavor of the loaf. Additionally, fresh lemon juice is just better than the stuff in the bottle (though no hate to bottle users, as I too will use it in a pinch).

chopped rosemary in measuring cup; fresh rosemary; baking with rosemary; rosemary for lemon rosemary loaf cake

INGREDIENTS

Granulated Sugar: Adds sweetness (but not too much) to your cake as well as a key ingredient for your lemon rosemary simple syrup that you’ll brush all over your warm cake.
Unsalted Butter: What’s cake without butter aimiright? Just kidding but the butter adds both flavor and moisture to create a lovely tender cake.
Eggs: Bring both moisture and structure to the cake. They also contribute to the rise, when you create air pockets by beating together the butter with the sugar.
Lemons: We use the whole lemon for this recipe! For the cake itself, the zest brings more of the lemon flavor than the juice. While the juice packs the lemony punch in both the simple syrup and the glaze.
Vanilla Extract: A little goes a long way and rounds out the sharp flavors nicely.
Sour Cream: The fat of the sour cream brings added moisture to the loaf while the sour element works with the lemon to amp up the sharpness of the cake.
All-Purpose Flour: Provides structure and helps the cake maintain its shape as it bakes.
Baking Powder: Your key rising agent, giving your loaf a lovely puff.
Salt: Always important for rounding out flavors as well as amplifying each one.
Rosemary: Essential for this loaf cake and offers a rich savory flavor in contrast to the sharp sweetness.
Powdered Sugar: Perfect for making a smooth and sweet glaze!

How do I bake with rosemary? Fresh is best but for this recipe, you can use dried. Regardless of what you’re using, you want it finely chopped. Rosemary is spikey and you don’t want bits of it as you bite into your cake. The key to this is either a really sharp knife or a mini food processor, pulsing into small bits (we’re not doing ground rosemary, but a fine chop). You only need to do this for the cake itself as we will strain out the rosemary from the simple syrup glaze you brush on later!

HOW TO MAKE LEMON ROSEMARY LOAF CAKE

Start by greasing and lining a 9”x5” loaf pan with parchment paper. You may need to use paper clips to hold down the sides of the parchment when pouring your batter in later on, just remove them before placing your pan in the oven. Then preheat your oven to 325F so it’s hot and ready once your batter is made.

You can use a standing mixer for this recipe or a bowl with a hand mixer. In a large bowl, use your mixer to beat together your sugar and softened butter until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. This step is key to start incorporating air into your loaf. As you whip it, you’ll notice the color will lighten. Then add in your eggs, beating in one at a time to make sure each is fully incorporated before adding in your zest, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Turn your mixer back on and beat until just combined.

Combine your dry ingredients in a separate bowl by sifting together your flour and baking powder before whisking in your salt and finely chopped rosemary. You’re going to combine your wet and dry ingredients together in layers. First, add a third of your dry mixture into your wet ingredients, and mix on low speed until just combined. Then add half of your sour cream and mix in. Repeat with the next third of your dry mixture, the remainder of your sour cream, and then the last of your dry. Be sure to mix until just combined and not over-mix! Loaf cakes are a little denser, so you don’t want to overwork your gluten or risk affecting the air you’ve incorporated into your batter so far.

Pour into your prepared loaf pan and spread out evenly with a spatula. Place in the oven and bake for 50-55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Be careful at this stage if you check your loaf earlier. Do not check it before the 45-minute mark! If you do, you risk letting out too much heat and moisture from your oven and your cake collapsing in the middle. Also, your loaf will start to brown quicker so you might be fooled into thinking it’s done faster, it’s likely not. Make sure your toothpick is clean not covered in a light coating of batter.

While your cake is baking, prep your simple syrup by combining your lemon juice and sugar in a small pot and placing it over medium heat. Whisk until the sugar dissolves, which should take about 2-3 minutes. Then add in your rosemary and bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring in your rosemary to ensure it’s covered and infusing into the syrup. Once it’s simmering, reduce the heat and simmer for 5 more minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and allow the mixture to cool to room temperature, this will allow the rosemary time to infuse the syrup fully. Then strain your syrup into a bowl, removing any remaining rosemary as you do, and set aside.

Once you remove your cake from the oven, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack. Place the parchment paper you baked your cake in under the rack, once you peel it off your cake, this will save you some cleaning headaches later! Use a toothpick to carefully poke holes all along the top and sides of your loaf. Yes the sides! Be gentle though, we’re not trying to massacre the loaf here but make little delicious tunnels for our syrup. Use a pastry brush to brush all of the syrup into the loaf along the top and sides, do not leave any syrup in the pot! Then allow your loaf to cool completely at room temperature.

As your loaf cools, whisk together your lemon juice and powdered sugar to form your glaze, mixing until smooth. Pour the glaze along the center of your cooled loaf cake and use a spatula to gently spread it over the top. It will drizzle down the sides of your cake but it shouldn’t be completely running off. Allow it to set for a minimum of 15 minutes, though longer is better if you’re able, before slicing. Now grab a cup of tea and enjoy!

rosemary simple syrup; simple syrup for lemon rosemary loaf cake

3 reasons you’ll love this loaf cake

Unique flavor: The rosemary lends a herby depth to this classic loaf that will have people coming back for more. So you might as well prep a second loaf, ok?
Perfectly tart and sweet: While the rosemary lends a unique spin, this cake still holds all the classic flavor balances you love in a lemon loaf. Sharp and sweet marry beautifully throughout this baby.
Feeds a crowd: The loaf pan is small but mighty. Once you bake, syrup, and glaze your cake, this baby will serve at least 10 slices, twice as many if you cut them in half (though that seems preposterous to me)!

TIPS & VARIATIONS

You can use dried rosemary for this recipe if you don’t have fresh. Just substitute the fresh for 2 tablespoons of dried. Regardless, you still want the rosemary finer than how it comes in the bottle so you’ll need to chop it up. Place your dried rosemary in a mini food processor and pulse 4-5x for 10 sec each until about a third to a fourth of the size they were in the jar. You don’t want it ground, just finely chopped! Note that you only need to do this for the rosemary inside the cake, not the rosemary in the syrup (which you will strain out).
Do not open your oven until at least the 45-minute mark, if you want to check on your loaf. Open it too early and you’ll risk collapsing your loaf!
When mixing your lemon glaze, you might think it’s a little thick. It should be pourable (though questionably so) but not runny. You don’t want it to run right off of your loaf! You’re welcome to add a little more lemon juice if desired but do so sparingly.
Once glazed, allow your cake time for the frosting to fully set. If you’re ok with it being a little runny you do you, but it’s easier to slice and serve when the frosting holds on top of the loaf.

MAKING AHEAD & STORING

You can make the cake portion of your loaf a day in advance, though you do still want to syrup it when it’s warm from the oven. Allow 20-30 minutes after you’ve brushed it with your lemon rosemary simple syrup for your cake, and soak it all in, before wrapping tightly and storing at room temperature. Then glaze and set the next day!
This loaf will keep at room temperature for 3-4 days. It also freezes incredibly well! Simply slice and wrap each in parchment paper before placing it in an airtight container in the freezer. The loaf will last in the freezer for up to three months!

MORE ROSEMARY RECIPES

If you’re looking for something quick and easy, try these Rosemary Shortbread Cookies! They’re the perfect buttery cookie that will just melt in your mouth. If you’re looking for something for breakfast or to pair with an afternoon tea, these Rosemary & White Chocolate Scones are my favorite.

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 1 5

Total Time 2 10

Servings 10 slices

Course Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine American

A delicious twist on a classic favorite, this lemon and rosemary loaf cake is packed full of that sharp sweetness we all know and love with a delicious herby twist from the rosemary that will have people coming back for more.

Equipment

Bowl
Mixer
Spatula
Zester
Measuring Cups
Measuring Spoons
9”x5” loaf pan
Parchment Paper
Small pot
Whisk
Fine Mesh Sieve
Pastry Brush
Skewer
Wire Cooling Rack

Ingredients

CAKE

1 ¼ cups sugar
½ cup unsalted butter softened
3 eggs room temperature
3 medium lemons zested
¼ cup lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
¼ cup sour cream
2 cups flour sifted
1 ½ tsp baking powder sifted
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup fresh rosemary finely chopped (see notes if using dried rosemary)

SYRUP

¼ cup lemon juice
¼ cup sugar
2, 2- inch sprigs fresh rosemary or ½ tbsp dried

GLAZE

1 ¼ cup powdered sugar sifted
2 tbsp lemon juice

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325F, grease a 9”x5” loaf pan and line with parchment
In a large bowl, use a mixer to beat together your sugar and softened butter until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. The color of the mixture will lighten
Add in your eggs, beating in one at a time to make sure fully incorporated before adding in your zest, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Mix until combined
In a separate bowl, sift in your flour and baking powder before whisking in your salt and finely chopped rosemary
Add a third of your dry mixture into your wet ingredients, and mix on low speed until just combined. Then add half of your sour cream and mix in. Repeat with the next third of your dry mixture, then the remainder of your sour cream, and then the last of your dry. Mix until just combined, do not over-mix!
Pour into your prepared loaf pan and spread out evenly
Bake for 50-55 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Do not open the oven earlier than the 45-minute mark!
While your cake is baking prep your simple syrup. In a small pot, combine your lemon juice and sugar. Whisk over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, about 2-3 minutes. Once the sugar is dissolved, add in your fresh rosemary sprigs and bring the mixture to a simmer. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove the pot from heat and allow the mixture to cool to room temperature before straining out your rosemary sprigs.
Allow the cake to cool in the loaf pan for 10 minutes before placing it on a wire rack. Use a toothpick to carefully poke holes all along the top and sides of your loaf. We’re not trying to massacre the loaf here but make little delicious tunnels for our syrup
Use a pastry brush to brush all of the syrup into the loaf along the top and sides, do not leave any syrup in the pot! Allow the loaf to cool completely
Once your loaf is cool, whisk your lemon juice and powdered sugar in a bowl until your glaze is smooth
Pour the glaze over your cooled cake, allowing it to drip down the sides
Let set for at least 15 minutes then slice and enjoy!

Notes

*If you don’t have fresh rosemary, you can use dried for this recipe. Substitute for 2 tablespoons dried but we still want it finer than how it comes in the bottle. Place your dried rosemary in a mini food processor and pulse 4-5x for 10 sec each until chopped up. You don’t want it ground, but you want them about ⅓ – ¼ of the size they were in the jar.

*Do not open your oven until at least the 45-minute mark, if you want to check on your loaf. Open it too early and you risk collapsing your loaf!

*When mixing your lemon glaze, you might think it’s a little thick. It should be pourable (though questionably so) but not runny. You don’t want it to run right off of your loaf! You’re welcome to add a little more lemon juice if desired but do so sparingly.

*Once glazed, allow your cake time for the frosting to fully set. If you’re ok with it being a little runny you do you, but it’s easier to slice and serve when the frosting holds on top of the loaf.