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.
- 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
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!
