Strawberry Lemon Glaze Loaf Cake Recipe

This strawberry loaf cake is sweet, moist, and easy to make. Finish with a lemon glaze for a bright, delicious contrast.

Strawberry loaf cake is a great choice for breakfast, brunch, or an afternoon snack. Made with fresh strawberries, this quick bread comes together in under an hour and requires no rising. I bake it most often during strawberry season — it’s simple, comforting, and always eaten up fast.

If you prefer muffins, the same batter works perfectly for about a dozen strawberry muffins. Enjoy this straightforward, family-friendly recipe!

Ingredient Notes

Strawberries: Fresh strawberries are preferred for the best texture and flavor. You can use frozen berries, but thaw them first, pat dry, chop, and toss with a little flour so they don’t sink. Avoid using more than 2 cups of berries—too many will make the loaf overly moist and fragile.

Why You’ll Love It!
Quick snack or breakfast
Minimal prep with pantry staples
Versatile: change the glaze, switch the fruit, or make muffins instead

Instructions

Strawberry Bread

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan with butter and set aside.
2. Dice the strawberries (remove stems), then toss them with 2 tablespoons of flour and set aside to prevent sinking.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, and 2 teaspoons salt. Set aside.
4. In a separate bowl combine 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 2/3 cup milk, 1 egg, and 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract. Stir until just combined.
5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix gently until just combined—do not overmix.
6. Fold the prepared strawberries into the batter, then pour the batter into the greased loaf pan and smooth the top.
7. Bake on the center rack for 50–55 minutes, until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the loaf cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
8. When cool, pour the lemon glaze over the loaf and serve. Store leftovers as directed below.

Storage
Store leftover strawberry loaf in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Keeping the loaf whole and slicing as you go helps it stay fresher longer.

Lemon Glaze

1. Combine 2 cups powdered sugar, 1 oz softened cream cheese, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, and the zest of 1 lemon in a medium bowl.
2. Whisk until smooth. Add 1–2 tablespoons milk as needed to reach the desired consistency—use 1 tablespoon for a thicker glaze or omit for a very thick icing.

Freezing
To freeze, slice the loaf and wrap individual slices tightly in foil, then place in a freezer bag or airtight container for up to three months. Thaw and warm before serving.

Pro Tips

Toss berries in flour: Coating the diced strawberries with a little flour prevents them from sinking to the bottom during baking.

Don’t over-mix: Mix the batter just until combined. Over-mixing develops gluten and can make the loaf dense instead of tender and moist.

Variation
Make about 12 muffins instead of a loaf—bake at 350°F for 18–20 minutes.

FAQs

Helpful Kitchen Tools
A 9×5-inch loaf pan is ideal for this recipe. A small chopper or food processor can make quick work of dicing strawberries.

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Thanks for stopping by! If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear how it turned out in the comments.

Moist Strawberry Loaf Cake Recipe

This strawberry loaf cake is moist and made with fresh strawberries. Top it with lemon glaze for a tasty finish.

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 50 mins

Total Time 1 hr

Course Breakfast, Snack

Cuisine American

Servings 8 Servings

Calories 341 kcal

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the Strawberries

• 2 cups fresh strawberries, diced
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (for tossing berries)

For the Lemon Glaze

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1–2 tablespoons milk (see notes)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan.
2. Dice strawberries, toss with 2 tablespoons flour, and set aside.
3. Whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder in a medium bowl.
4. In a large bowl, combine sugars, egg, milk, and vanilla until just mixed.
5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir gently until just combined, then fold in the strawberries.
6. Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake 50–55 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes, then transfer to a rack.
7. When cooled, spread or drizzle lemon glaze over the loaf and serve.

Lemon Glaze

1. Whisk all glaze ingredients together until smooth. Adjust milk to reach desired consistency.

Notes

Milk note: 1 tablespoon of milk yields a creamy, spreadable glaze. Omit for a thicker icing.

Glaze yield: The glaze recipe makes enough to cover the whole loaf; halve it if you prefer a light drizzle.

Leftovers: Store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 5 days.

Freezing: Wrap slices tightly in foil, place in a freezer bag, and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw before warming and serving.