Description
This recipe produces a very moist lemon loaf cake with a bright, intense lemon flavor and a thick, sweet lemon glaze.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- Zest of 2 large lemons
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- For the Glaze: 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- For the Glaze: 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- For the Glaze: 1 teaspoon lemon zest
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a standard 9×5 inch loaf pan.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the granulated sugar and lemon zest. Rub the zest into the sugar with your fingers until the sugar is fragrant and moist. This releases the oils for maximum flavor.
- Add the eggs to the lemon sugar mixture and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Beat in the melted butter, milk, lemon juice, and vanilla extract until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just incorporated. A few small lumps are acceptable.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
- Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let the bread cool in the pan for 15 minutes before inverting it onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- While the bread cools, prepare the glaze: Whisk together the powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons of lemon juice, and 1 teaspoon of lemon zest in a small bowl until smooth. The glaze should be thick but pourable. Add a few more drops of juice if it is too thick.
- Once the bread is completely cool, drizzle the glaze evenly over the top. Allow the glaze to set before slicing and serving.
Notes
- For an extra moist crumb, do not overbake the loaf. Check for doneness early.
- Use fresh lemon juice only; bottled juice will reduce the flavor intensity.
- If you prefer a thinner glaze, increase the amount of lemon juice in the glaze mixture slightly.
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 55 min
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 310
- Sugar: 38g
- Sodium: 180mg
- Fat: 14g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0.3g
- Carbohydrates: 44g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 55mg