Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9"x4" loaf pan with baking spray. Gather your ingredients so that you have everything close at hand.
Using a fine-edge grater, zest one lemon. Slice the lemon in half and squeeze out the juice with a citrus juicer.
Mix the Cake Batter
In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter, granulated sugar, and lemon zest until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
Next, add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Add in the lemon and vanilla extracts. Scrape the bowl as needed.
In a small bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, salt, and baking powder. Whisk together to incorporate.
Gradually add the flour mixture to the creamed butter, alternating in thirds with the sour cream. Mix together until incorporated.
Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf pan, smoothing the batter to the edges until even. Run a butter knife through the batter once to release any air pockets.
Bake in preheated oven for 50-60 minutes, until the cake tests done with a toothpick.
Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Run a butter knife along the edges of the cake to release any baked on crust from the pan. Carefully turn the cake over to remove the cake from the pan and cool on a wire rack.
Prepare the Lemon Glaze
While the cake is still slightly warm, prepare the glaze.
In a small bowl, combine the powdered sugar and freshly squeezed lemon juice. Whisk together until it pours in a fine stream.
Pour the glaze over the cake top so that it drizzles down the side.
Allow the cake to cool completely. This cake will serve 8-10 people.
Notes
*Unless otherwise indicated, all recipes on this site use salted butter.