Donut Loaves
Lemon Old-Fashioned Donut Loaf
This lemon old-fashioned donut loaf has everything I want from a lemon dessert: a dense, tender cake-donut crumb, plenty of fresh zest, buttery streusel through the middle and over the top, and a tart glaze that settles into every cluster.
The little bit of lemon extract is intentional. Fresh lemon keeps the loaf bright, while the extract adds a light second layer of lemon flavor that makes the whole thing taste especially balanced. Add poppy seeds if you want the variation, or leave them out and let the streusel have the moment.
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Thinking out loud
Lemon Extract or No Lemon Extract?
Every time I make a lemon dessert, I end up asking the same question: lemon extract or no lemon extract? I have made this loaf both ways. Without it, I usually lean a little harder on fresh lemon juice in the glaze. You can absolutely try both and tell me where you land.
My husband usually does not like lemon extract - or almond extract, for that matter - so the question carries extra weight in this house. I still prefer this loaf exactly as written. The lemon extract is light, but it adds another layer that makes the fresh lemon taste more rounded and balanced. My husband loves this version too, which is honestly the only review you need.
Ingredient notes
Key ingredients
Fresh lemon zest
Rubbing the zest into the sugar releases its fragrant oils and spreads fresh lemon flavor through the entire loaf.
Lemon extract
Just a small amount adds a second dimension of lemon flavor. It is light, balanced, and one of the reasons I prefer the recipe exactly as written.
Plain unsweetened yogurt
Yogurt gives the egg-free loaf moisture, body, and the substantial but tender crumb of an old-fashioned cake donut.
Cold butter
Cold cubed butter helps the streusel keep a mix of fine crumbs and large buttery clusters instead of disappearing into the batter.
Clear coarse sanding sugar
This adds the sparkly crunch that belongs on a donut loaf. Modern Mountain Baking Company White Sparkling Sugar is my go-to sanding sugar.
Brands I used for this recipe
These are preferences, not requirements. If you choose the non-dairy route, these are the products I test with. Dairy equivalents can be used at the same listed amounts and temperatures.
Forager Unsweetened Plain Yogurt
The plain unsweetened yogurt I use in this loaf.
Silk Unsweet Soymilk
The milk I use in this loaf.
Country Crock Plant Butter Sticks
The butter sticks I use for this streusel.
Modern Mountain Baking Company White Sparkling Sugar
The coarse sparkling sugar I use on this loaf.
Rising Star Baking Supply Vanilla Bean Paste
The vanilla bean paste I use in this recipe.
Inside the recipe
How It All Comes Together
From Instagram
Watch the reel
Watch the lemon cake-donut batter, buttery streusel, and tart lemon glaze come together from bowl to slice.
Open the reelTroubleshooting
If This Happens
The streusel feels soft or greasy
Return it to the refrigerator before layering the loaf. Cold butter helps the streusel hold its large clusters instead of melting into the batter.
The top is brown but the center is not ready
Tent the loaf loosely with foil and continue baking. Test the cake portion beside the middle streusel seam so the butter in that layer does not give you a misleading result.
It is taking a long time to bake
Every oven is different, and this deep loaf may need close to 90 minutes. Make sure to keep the oven door closed instead of checking frequently. If the tester has a thick, paste-like residue, check again in 3-5 minutes. If it looks like wet unbaked batter, wait 7-10 minutes.
The glaze is disappearing into the loaf
Let the loaf cool on the wire rack until warm but no longer hot before glazing. A hot loaf can melt the glaze instead of letting it settle into a thin coating.
Before you slice
Texture and serving notes
Serve the loaf warm for the softest crumb, or chill it fully for a denser, more traditional cake-donut bite.
Keep it good
Storage
Fridge
Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Freezer
Freeze individual slices for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or at room temperature before serving.
Recipe FAQ
Questions that come up
Can I leave out the lemon extract?
Yes, but the lemon flavor will be a little different. If you leave it out, you can add slightly more fresh lemon juice to the glaze. I prefer the loaf as written because the extract adds a light, rounded layer of lemon flavor without overpowering the fresh zest and juice.
Can I make this a lemon poppy seed donut loaf?
Yes. Whisk 2 tablespoons of poppy seeds into the wet ingredients before adding the dry ingredients.
Can I use dairy ingredients?
Yes. I test this recipe with Forager Unsweetened Plain Yogurt, Silk Unsweetened Original Soymilk, and Country Crock Plant Butter Sticks. Dairy yogurt, milk, and butter can be used at the same listed amounts and temperatures.
What sanding sugar do you use?
I use a clear coarse sanding sugar and sprinkle it generously before baking. Modern Mountain Baking Company White Sparkling Sugar is my go-to.
How do I know when the loaf is done?
The center should reach 205-210°F (96-99°C), and a tester inserted into the cake portion should come out with moist crumbs but no wet batter. Test beside the streusel seam rather than directly through it.
Will it turn out the same if I use volume measurements?
Often, yes - but not always. Flour and other ingredients can weigh differently from one cup to the next depending on how they are filled or packed, and even humidity can make a difference. That is why I recommend using a scale when you can. These loaves are easy to make, but their ratios are precise. Baking ingredients are expensive, and there is nothing more frustrating than a loaf that does not turn out as expected. Volume measurements are included for convenience, but weighing gives you the closest match to the recipe I tested.
Can I make this recipe gluten-free?
I have not tested this recipe with gluten-free flour, so I cannot guarantee the same texture, rise, or structure. If you would like to experiment, a cup-for-cup (1:1) gluten-free baking blend intended to replace all-purpose flour is the best place to start. Results may differ from the recipe as written.
More donut loaves to try
- Prep
- 30 min
- Bake
- 55-90 min
- Total
- About 2 hr 30 min, including cooling and glaze setting
- Yield
- One 9x5-inch loaf
Measurement note
For the closest match to the recipe I tested, use grams. Volume measurements are included for convenience, but cups can vary, so I cannot guarantee the exact same result when measuring by volume.
Ingredients
Tap each ingredient as you use it.
Volume measurements use US cups and level spoons and are approximate. Spoon flour and powdered sugar into the cup, level, then sift if directed. For cocoa and freeze-dried fruit powders, scoop the unsifted powder and level without packing, then sift if directed. Measure sprinkles loosely and level. Pack brown sugar. For ingredients marked "weigh for accuracy", use the listed grams.
Classic Streusel
- 115 g all-purpose flour
- 80 g granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 85 g cold butter, cubed
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
Lemon Donut Loaf
- 253 g all-purpose flour
- 15 g cornstarch
- 1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 220 g granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest
- 117 g neutral oil
- 170 g plain unsweetened yogurt, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 108 g milk, room temperature
Optional Lemon Poppy Seed Variation
- 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
Lemon Glaze
- 275 g powdered sugar, sifted
- 15 g fresh lemon juice
- 45 g milk
- Pinch fine sea salt
Before Baking
- Coarse sanding sugar, for sprinkling
Pan used
I personally prefer a light-colored aluminum pan for these loaves. Here is the one I use. Not sponsored. I don't earn a commission from this link.
Glass holds heat longer, so the edges can overbake before the center is done. If you use glass, loosely tent the loaf with foil early, as soon as the top starts to brown. The foil helps protect the top, but it does not stop the sides or bottom from baking too quickly.
Removing the parchment
Carefully lift the loaf onto a wire rack and remove the parchment from underneath. I carefully flip the loaf onto its side, then turn it upside down onto my forearm so I can peel away the parchment without damaging the loaf.
Instructions
- 1Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and fully line a 9x5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
- 2In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, and salt for the streusel. Add the cold butter and vanilla bean paste. Work together with your fingertips until a mixture of fine crumbs and large buttery clusters forms. Refrigerate while preparing the batter.
- 3In a large bowl, combine the granulated sugar and lemon zest. Rub the zest into the sugar with your fingertips until the sugar is fragrant and lightly moistened.
- 4Whisk in the oil, yogurt, vanilla bean paste, lemon extract, lemon juice, and milk until completely smooth.
- 5If making the lemon poppy seed variation, whisk in the poppy seeds.
- 6Sift the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg over the wet ingredients. Whisk just until combined and no dry streaks remain. Do not overmix.
- 7Spread just under half of the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
- 8Sprinkle half of the chilled streusel evenly over the batter.
- 9Carefully spread the remaining batter over the streusel until completely covered.
- 10Sprinkle the remaining streusel evenly over the top, leaving plenty of large buttery clusters.
- 11Sprinkle generously with clear coarse sanding sugar before baking. I sprinkle a lot.
- 12Bake at 350°F for 55-90 minutes. Check the loaf at 45 minutes to see how the streusel is browning and tent loosely with foil if needed.
- 13
Before you take the loaf out
Baking time is a guide, not a deadline.
Check the center: Insert a skewer or toothpick into the cake in the center, avoiding the streusel layer.
Ready to come out: The center no longer jiggles and the tester comes out clean or with moist crumbs. No wet batter.
Keep baking: Thick, paste-like batter: bake 3-5 minutes more. Wet batter: bake 7-10 minutes more. Then test the center again.
The 205-210°F (96-99°C) range is an extra check. Batter on the tester still means keep baking, even at that temperature.
An underbaked center can collapse as the loaf cools.
- 14Cool in the pan for 20 minutes, then carefully lift the loaf onto a wire rack. Let it cool until warm but no longer hot.
- 15Whisk together the powdered sugar, lemon juice, 45 g milk, and salt until completely smooth. Add additional milk 1 teaspoon at a time until the glaze ribbons off the whisk but is not watery.
- 16Spoon or pour the glaze generously over the warm loaf once it no longer feels hot, allowing it to run naturally down the sides.
- 17Allow the glaze to set before slicing.
Meet the baker
Angela Heckler
Angela Heckler is the recipe developer, baker, and photographer behind Obsessed Cakes. Her Old-Fashioned Donut Loaf series is a growing collection of cake-donut-inspired loaves with soft, deeply moist crumbs, buttery streusel, and crackly glaze. Angela develops and tests every recipe in her Arizona kitchen. Follow Obsessed Cakes on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.
Made it? Tell us.
Ratings and reviews
Excellent! A friend across the country was recently diagnosed with Celiac Disease, and she, a big fan of baked treats, could not find a good gluten free cake. I experimented with gluten free flour here and it is perfect! I’ve made another of your donut loaf cakes before with all-purpose flour, and this worked just as well. I will make another and send it to my friend. 🩵Thank you!
Awesome, Katie!! I 'm sorry to hear about your friend but so glad this was a success. I hope she finds other desserts on here that hit the spot. Also, good to know about swapping out, because I hadn't tried yet with this one <3 :) Thank you so much for sharing!
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