This Double Glazed Lemon Zucchini Bread is light, tender, and ultra-moist. Two glazes for a burst of sweet lemon flavor!
You won’t believe how light and tender this Lemon Zucchini Bread is. It’s so light and airy, it practically melts in your mouth.
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Two Glazes for ultra-moisture and ultra-flavor
I’ve used two glazes on this Lemon Zucchini Bread. One is a lemon wash – a syrup made of lemon juice and sugar that is brushed all over the top and sides of the cake when it is still warm from the oven.
The lemon wash soaks into the cake giving it a lovely, tangy-sweet, lemon flavor and making it ultra-moist. If you thought the zucchini added lots of moisture – this glaze adds tons!
The second glaze is creamy and sweet, more like a pourable frosting with flecks of lemon zest. Together, they give this Lemon Zucchini Bread amazing lemon flavor!
Why bake with zucchini?
Shredded zucchini is a magical ingredient! It’s not just a green vegetable that we have loads of this time of year so we look for recipes to use it up. Zucchini is the star! It adds pure moisture and zero flavor.
I love lemon bread. But add a little zucchini to it and it becomes magical. So moist. So tender. And those pretty specks of green.
Tips for baking with zucchini
There’s no need to peel the zucchini. It adds nutrients and pretty green specks throughout the bread.
Use a grater with large holes to shred it down to baking size.
1 medium zucchini yields about 1 ½ cups lightly packed grated zucchini.
No need to salt, drain, or squeeze out the liquid. It adds extra moisture and flavor to baked goods.
If you are using a huge zucchini that’s extra watery, you can squeeze out a little liquid, but don’t wring it out completely or your bread will be dry.
If you are using an older, out of season zucchini from the supermarket, it may be dry. Just sprinkle it with a little water and let the excess drain in a colander.
Baking tips
I use the scoop and level method of measuring flour. For the most precise measurement, weigh the flour with a scale.
Make sure to mix your wet and dry ingredients together until just combined. Avoid overmixing the batter, otherwise, it can lead to a tougher loaf of bread.
The Lemon Zucchini Bread is done when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. A thermometer inserted in the middle should reach 200° F.
If the top starts to darken before the loaf is done, tent a piece of foil on top.
Use a light colored baking pan so the loaf doesn’t brown too quickly.
This recipe is for a 9 by 5-inch baking pan. It makes one loaf.
How to make Lemon Zucchini Bread
Combine the dry ingredients. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well combined. Whisking the dry ingredients separately will ensure everything is dispersed evenly. Mixing them evenly now prevents you having to overmix the batter when adding the flour.
Melt and cool your butter. I use butter instead of oil in this Lemon Zucchini Bread. I love the rich yet delicate taste the butter gives. And it’s never greasy like some oil based cakes can be.
Combine the wet ingredients. Whisk together the cooled melted butter, sugar, eggs, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla until everything is fully combined. Then, stir in the shredded zucchini.
Combine the wet and dry ingredients. Make sure to mix the two together until just combined, overmixing the batter can lead to a dense, tough loaf of bread.
Baking the loaf
Pour the batter into a loaf pan that has been sprayed with non-stick spray. A tip I learned when researching for my Chocolate Chip Banana Bread is to spray only the bottom. This allows the bread to cling a little better to the sides so it rises higher.
Bake the loaf in a 350°F oven for 50-60 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. An instant read thermometer inserted into the center should reach 200° F.
Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then loosen the edges with a butter knife and remove from the pan to apply the first glaze and finish cooling on a wire rack.
How to make the double glazes
The double glaze on this Lemon Zucchini Bread makes it ultra-moist and gives it So. Much. Flavor.
The first glaze is a lemon wash. Lemon juice and sugar are brought to a boil so the sugar dissolves creating a lemon syrup.
When the loaf is still warm from the oven, poke holes with a toothpick all over the top and sides of the cake. Brush the glaze all over the top and sides, several times, allowing the glaze to be absorbed into the cake.
Make the second glaze by whisking together confectioners' sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and cream until smooth. This glaze is drizzled on top of the Lemon Zucchini Bread after it has cooled.
How to store and keep
This bread will keep at room temperature in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic wrap for several days.
If you would like to freeze it, wrap it in aluminum foil and place it in a ziplock freezer bag, pressing out as much air as possible.
You can also freeze individual slices. Wrap them in plastic individually. Heat in the microwave for about 30-40 seconds to warm before eating.
Recipe
Lemon Zucchini Bread
Ingredients
For the Lemon Zucchini Bread:
- ½ cup unsalted butter, ( melted and slightly cooled) 4oz, 113g
- 2 cups all-purpose flour 10oz, 283g
- ½ teaspoon baking soda 2.5g
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder 3.75g
- ¾ teaspoon salt 5.25g
- 1 cup sugar 7oz, 198g
- 2 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ½ cups grated zucchini, about 1 medium zucchini 7.5oz, 213g
For the Lemon Wash Glaze:
- ½ cup sugar 3.5oz, 99g
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
For the Creamy Lemon Glaze:
- 1 cup confectioners' sugar (sifted) 4oz, 113g
- Finely grated zest from 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream 14g
Instructions
For the Lemon Zucchini Bread:
- Preheat oven to 350° Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla, eggs, and cooled, melted butter until smooth. Add the shredded zucchini and mix until well combined.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Don’t overmix or the loaf will be tough.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean, about 50 to 60 minutes. An instant read thermometer inserted into the middle should reach 200° F.
- Remove bread from oven and let cool in pan, on a rack, for 10 minutes.
- Carefully invert cake from the pan, onto a cooling rack. Invert cake onto another cooling rack, right side up.
- Using a toothpick, poke holes all over top and sides of cake.
- Gently brush Lemon Wash Glaze over top and sides until all is absorbed.
- Let cake cool completely.
- Drizzle with Creamy Lemon Glaze.
For the Lemon Wash Glaze:
- Combine sugar and lemon in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Turn off heat and set aside.
For the Creamy Lemon Glaze:
- Prepare just before using
- Combine the confectioners' sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and cream in a mixing bowl. Whisk until smooth.
Notes
- Make sure to mix your wet and dry ingredients together until just combined. Avoid overmixing the batter, otherwise, it can lead to a tougher loaf of bread.
- The Lemon Zucchini Bread is done when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. A thermometer inserted in the middle should reach 200° F.
- If the top starts to darken before the loaf is done, tent a piece of foil on top.
Nutrition
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Josephine B says
Hi Kelly, I'm in Australia and was browsing for a new type of lemon cake as i's my favourite flavour because of the zing of the lemon, then I found yours. I've never made a cake before with zucchini in it, but have read where you have to squeeze the water out of the zucchini before adding into the method. Do I have to do this with your recipe please? I'm looking forward to trying this.
Kelly says
Hi Josephine! I don’t squeeze out the liquid unless the zucchini is watery. If you can see in the photo, the zucchini looks moist but there’s no liquid pooling under it.
Lynette says
This is a delicious lemon bread/dessert! It will be my go-to recipe from now on! Love the two glazes.
Kelly says
So happy you liked it, Lynette! Thanks so much!
Mary Jo says
Can you make without the lemon zest and just use lemon juice? I don't have any lemons.
Kelly says
Hi Mary Jo! Sure, that would be fine. The lemon flavor would just be a little less intense.
Kathy @ Beyond the Chicken Coop says
What a fabulous recipe! My mouth is watering thinking about the double glaze. All that lemon taste - yum! There's nothing better this time of year than trying to find clever ways to use up zucchini! You've come up with a winner!
Kelly says
Kathy, this is my favorite zucchini recipe. It's so light and refreshing. And the glaze is amazing! Thanks so much!
mimi rippee says
Love this. You are a talented baker. I know it's just a quick bread, but I love all of the flavors you put together when you bake. I just glanced at your bio and cringed when I saw differential equations. I was a geology major, and had to take a lot of calculus. but when it came to differential equations, i was lost. ugh. glad those days are over!!! Kudos!
Kelly says
Aw, thanks so much, Mimi! Wow a geology major is so cool! Lucky for me, I love math. It's when I totally relax. And it's so fun when the kids go to college and get more advanced in calculus then come home and talk math to me!
Easyfoodsmith says
The texture of the bread looks amazing and I am so tempted to grab a slice of it 😛
Kelly says
It's so light and delicate it practically melts in your mouth! Thanks so much, Taruna!
Nancy Buchanan says
What a terrific combination and I LOVE the idea of the double glaze! Definitely going into the "must make soon" category!!
Kelly says
The double glaze gives so much lemony flavor without being overpowering. Hope you like it! Thanks so much, Nancy!
Haylie / Our Balanced Bowl says
Well Kelly, as always, you've done it again! This bread is absolutely gorgeous! I want a huge slick of it for breakfast along with my coffee! I'm obsessed with that lemon zest glaze and the specks of zucchini in the bread...I bet it makes it so moist! YUM!
Kelly says
Aw, thanks so much, Haylie! It's so delicate and irresistible. We love it!
David @ Spiced says
You're killin' it with the zucchini bread lately, Kelly! Once again, you've outdone yourself on this recipe, too. I love lemon bread, and a good zuke bread is hard to beat...combine the two into one, though? I'm sold! And that lemon wash is a really cool idea, too. I'll have to remember that tip!
Kelly says
The lemon wash soaks in and gives so much lemony flavor! It's addicting! Thanks so much, David!
Valentina says
This is such a pretty bread! I love the idea of two glazes. This would be SO perfect with my morning coffee. 😀 ~Valentina
Kelly says
I often times find myself wishing for more flavor in quick breads. Two glazes definitely deliver that! Thanks so much, Valentina!
Laura says
I love zucchini bread, and the lemon flavor with that DOUBLE glaze has my mouth watering! Pinning to make ASAP! Thanks for the recipe!
Kelly says
The double glaze is pretty wonderful! Thanks so much, Laura!