Lemon Loaf

I was never a huge a fan of lemony desserts. I find too often that the pucker of the lemon is masked by extreme sweetness, or a cloying custardy goo. Lemon souffle cakes, curds, and bars are hit or miss. At the same time, I love the zesty freshness of citrus. A half-grapefruit, fresh-squeezed orange juice, or hot water with honey + lemon in the winter seems to be cleansing and keeps the flu bugs at bay. With the perfect amount of sugar and fat, lemon is absolutely delicious in desserts. 

Lemon loaf is something I come back to every winter and my recipe has been tweaked many times along the way. I almost always used buttermilk for my lemon loaves in the past, but the buttermilk here in England seems to be a different consistency, making for a loaf too dense for my tastes. So, this year, I've been using whole milk and bit more lemon juice instead. I use quite a bit of lemon zest too, because when I'm eating lemon loaf I want it to be really, really lemony.

 LEMON LOAF

• 1/2 c (4oz) butter, room temp
• 1 c (scant) sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temp
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 
• 1/4 c lemon zest from unwaxed lemons, gently packed (I used the zest of six lemons!)
• 1 1/2 c all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 c lemon juice, freshly squeezed, and divided in half
• 1/4 c + 2 Tbs whole milk, room temp
• 2 Tbs honey

METHOD

Combine dry ingredients and set aside. Combine whole milk and half the lemon juice, or 1/8 c (2Tbs), and set aside (you are sort of making your own buttermilk here). Cream together butter and sugar till light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time. Add extract and lemon zest. Alternate adding dry mixture and milk mixture to the batter. Once all combined, pour in loaf pans. I'm using small paper loaf pans, but if you are using regular loaf pans, butter them well before pouring in the batter. Makes one large loaf, or two small loaves (15cmx7cmx5cm).

Bake at 350F for about 35-40 minutes. The top should be golden brown and an inserted skewer should come out clean. Meanwhile, whisk together honey and lemon juice.

A few minutes after removing from oven, stick a skewer throughout the cake to create small holes (this will help distribute the honey + lemon juice syrup throughout the loaf). Brush honey + lemon syrup over top. Use all the syrup. 

***A few tips when working with citrus in pastry...

First, its generally best to work with everything at room temperature. Leave your eggs and butter out overnight and your milk out a few hours before starting. Make sure your citrus is room temperature as well. 

Second, use the real stuff. Freshly squeeze all your own citrus. It's absolutely worth it and you need the zest anyway!

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade lemon loaf!

Comments

[lisaiscooking]

Sounds perfect! The lemons on my trees are almost ripe too.

[gastroanthropologist]

lisaiscooking - Do your lemons produce much juice? Mine are gorgeous looking, but so dry! So, I often end up buying lemons from the store.

[mycookinghut]

I love lemony desserts.... or should I say any citrus desserts!! :) I would like to have a piece of the cake! :)

[Juliana]

Contrary to you I love lemony food...I know this will make my taste buds happy :-)

[The Duo Dishes]

Ohhhh, lemon desserts are delicious! A cake has a much sweeter citrus flavor than most tarts, which are indeed...tart. But a lemon dessert is loved all the time here!

[Mardi @eatlivetravelwrite]

I love the look of this! Reminds me of my nana....

[OysterCulture]

Lemon deserts and a spot of tea, does it get any better. I am drooling over this lemon loaf and it looks amazingly tasty. I cannot wait to validate that assumption. =)

[lisa]

Lemony desserts are one of my favorites. Lemon in a loaf or cake is absolutely delicious- the tangy sweet citrus puts me over the top. Your loaf looks incredible!

[Maria]

I love a good loaf ... only problem is a I could probably eat it all in one sitting! That is a lot of lemon zest but I too love to use the zest as opposed to just the juice --- it adds so much more flavor. Your loaf looks delicious and I love the little package with the tag.

[Natasha - 5 Star Foodie]

I am also pretty selective about lemony desserts like you, I do love certain things, I bet I will love this loaf - it sounds perfect!

[Tangled Noodle]

Oooh - now I wish I had a lemon tree, too! The slice of lemon loaf looks delightful. I can see why this is such a winter favorite for you: it's a burst of sunshine! Just the thing for wintry days!

[cheffresco]

Sounds delicious! Cute little tag too :)

[Faithful Foodie]

Hi, I've just created a new website for UK food lovers, where you can share food recipes, food articles and food video's. I am looking for members to submit some content before the site goes live. I would be grateful if you could have a look and maybe help me out by submitting some articles or recipes.

Thank you
Luke Williams
(Faithful Foodie)