Old Fashioned Lemon Bread
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This Old Fashioned Lemon Bread is bursting with bright, zesty flavor and has that perfect balance of sweet and tangy. The simple lemon syrup soaks into the bread, making every bite moist and incredibly refreshing.
When life gives you lemons, you must make this old fashioned lemon bread. It’s just so good! I go through lots of baking phases, but I can never get sick of a good quick-bread like this. This lemon bread is made with a super simple batter, then it’s doused in a two-ingredient syrup to really amp up that lemon flavor. You’ll be excited to get out of bed in the morning to enjoy a slice of this bread for breakfast!
Before You Start
- Use Fresh Lemons: For the best flavor, use freshly squeezed lemon juice and zest. It makes a huge difference compared to bottled juice, giving the bread that bright, zesty flavor that really stands out.
- Don’t Overmix the Batter: When you combine the wet and dry ingredients, mix just until everything is combined. Overmixing can lead to a denser bread, so stir gently for a tender crumb.
- Poke Holes for Syrup: After baking, poke several holes in the bread with a skewer before drizzling the lemon syrup. This helps the syrup soak in deeply, making the bread extra moist and flavorful.
- Use Room Temperature Ingredients: Make sure your eggs and evaporated milk are at room temperature before mixing. This helps them blend more smoothly into the batter, leading to a more even texture.
- Grease and Flour the Pan: To prevent sticking, thoroughly grease and flour your baking pan. This not only helps the bread release easily but also gives it a nice crust on the outside.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- All purpose flour – Bread flour will not be a good substitute in this recipe. It has a higher gluten content and will make the loaf too chewy. You can use gluten-free flour, but keep in mind that you will get a drier bread.
- Granulated sugar – You can use less or more sugar if you like. Changing the ingredients may affect the way your bread rises.
- Baking powder – This is what will give your bread some air pockets to make is rise. You can’t substitute baking soda – it will give your loaf an off taste when used on its own.
- Salt – There’s just a little bit of salt in here! It’s undetectable, and is meant to enhance that lemon flavor.
- Eggs – Use large eggs for this recipe.
- Evaporated milk – You can find this in the baking aisle beside the condensed milk. This adds incredible rich flavor to your loaf! You can replace it with regular milk if you prefer.
- Vegetable oil – Canola oil will also work. Use an equal amount of applesauce if you want to cut down some calories.
- Lemon zest – I used a microplane to get the zest. This gives your loaf awesome fresh lemon flavor.
- Lemon juice – Fresh lemon juice is always better. You’ll have to buy a lemon to get the zest anyway, so use that one for its juice.
Preheat your oven to 350℉ (175℃). While it’s heating up, grease and flour an 8 x 4-inch baking pan. If you don’t have a pan that size, a 9 x 5-inch pan works too. Just keep an eye on the baking time, as the bread may cook a bit faster.
In a large bowl, stir together 1½ cups of all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon of baking powder, and ½ teaspoon of salt. In a medium bowl, beat together 2 large eggs, ⅔ cup of evaporated milk, 1 cup of granulated sugar, ⅓ cup of vegetable oil, and 1½ teaspoons of lemon zest.
Gradually add the flour mixture to the egg mixture, stirring until just combined. Be careful not to overmix—stop as soon as the flour is incorporated to keep the bread light and tender.
Tip: Overmixing can develop too much gluten, which can make the bread tough. Stir just until you don’t see any dry flour.
Pour the batter into your prepared baking pan, smoothing the top with a spatula. Place it in the preheated oven and bake for 55 to 60 minutes. The bread is done when a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
Tip: If the top of the bread starts browning too quickly, cover it loosely with aluminum foil during the last 10-15 minutes of baking.
While the bread is baking, combine ⅓ cup of granulated sugar and ¼ cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice in a small saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar is fully dissolved and the mixture thickens slightly into a light syrup.
Once the bread is out of the oven and still warm, poke several holes all over the top using a wooden skewer, going all the way to the bottom. Slowly drizzle the hot lemon syrup over the bread, letting it soak in completely.
Tip: Poking holes in the bread helps the syrup penetrate deeply, making the bread moist and packed with lemon flavor.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I tell when the lemon bread is done baking?
The bread is done when a wooden skewer or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs attached. If the skewer has wet batter on it, give the bread a few more minutes in the oven and check again.
How do I store leftover lemon bread?
Store leftover lemon bread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. For longer storage, you can refrigerate it, but let it come to room temperature before serving for the best texture and flavor.
Can I freeze lemon bread?
Yes, lemon bread freezes well. Once the bread has completely cooled, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, then in aluminum foil, or place it in a freezer-safe bag. It will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the fridge or at room temperature before serving.
Can I use regular milk instead of evaporated milk?
Yes, you can substitute regular milk for evaporated milk, though the bread may be slightly less rich. Whole milk or even a mixture of half-and-half can also work as a substitute.
Can I add a glaze instead of the lemon syrup?
Absolutely! You can make a simple lemon glaze by mixing powdered sugar with freshly squeezed lemon juice until smooth. Drizzle it over the cooled bread for a sweet and tangy finish. This can be done in addition to or instead of the lemon syrup.
More Delicious Quick Breads
- Marbled Banana Chocolate Bread
- Chocolate Pound Cake
- Pound Cake
- Limoncello Cake
- Olive Ham and Cheese Loaf
- Lemon Blueberry Yogurt Loaf
- Starbucks Lemon Loaf (Copycat)
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Old Fashioned Lemon Bread
Video
Ingredients
Bread
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- ⅔ cup evaporated milk
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- 1½ teaspoon lemon zest (from about 1 lemon )
Lemon Syrup
- ¼ cup lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
- ⅓ cup sugar
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Grease and flour 8 x 4-inch baking pan.
- Combine flour, baking powder and salt in large bowl. Beat eggs, evaporated milk, sugar, oil and lemon zest together in medium bowl.
- Add the flour mixture into the egg mixture. Stir until just combined. Pour into prepared pan.
- Bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until wooden skewer inserted in center comes out clean. Let it cool for 5 minutes in the loaf pan then remove the loaf from the pan and transfer it to a cooling rack.
- While the bread is baking, combine ⅓ cup granulated sugar and ¼ cup lemon juice (1 lemon) in small, heavy-duty saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, for about 5 minutes or until sugar is dissolved and a light syrup is formed.
- While the bread is still warm, poke numerous holes using a wooden skewer, piercing all the way to the bottom. Slowly drizzle the hot lemon syrup over the bread (syrup will soak into the bread). Finish cooling the bread on wire rack.
Notes
- Don’t overmix the batter to keep the bread light and tender.
- Poke holes in the bread before drizzling the lemon syrup to help it soak in fully, making the bread extra moist and flavorful.
- Use fresh lemon juice and zest for the best flavor.
- Store leftovers at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
- If the bread starts to brown too quickly in the oven, loosely cover it with foil during the last 10-15 minutes of baking.
Nutrition Information
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
