Tangy Lemon Loaf

A dense and delectable lemon loaf with a zesty tart kick. Perfect for those who crave a bright citrus bite in a luxuriously textured slice.

Print Recipe

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 45

Course Dessert, Teatime

Equipment

1 Loaf pan (9 x 5 inches) (see Note 1 for options)
2 Bowls (1 medium + 1 large)
1 Mixer - hand, stand, manual, or electric Hand blender attachment of a multi-tool system works awesome
1 Scraping spatula
1 Cooling rack
1 Spoon
Parchment paper
Toothpicks for testing

Ingredients

Pan prep

1 Tbsp Unsalted Butter (at room temperature, see Note 2)
2 Tbsp Flour (for dusting)

Cake elements

2¼ cups All-purpose Flour
2¼ tsp Baking Powder
2 Tbsp Lemon Zest
¾ tsp Salt
¾ cup Unsalted Butter (at room temperature)
1½ cup Granulated Sugar
3 Large Eggs (at room temperature)
1½ tsp Pure Vanilla Extract (see link in Note 3 for flavouring alternatives)
3 Tbsp Lemon Juice (freshly squeezed) (Note 4)
¾ cup Buttermilk (Note 5 for homemade solution)

Syrup elements

¼ cup Lemon Juice (freshly squeezed)
3 Tbsp Powdered Sugar (Note 6 to make your own)

Icing elements

1¼ cup Powdered Sugar (with lumps sifted out)
1½ Tbsp Lemon Juice (freshly squeezed)
1 Tbsp Milk

Instructions

Setup steps:

Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease the loaf pan with Butter then dust with Flour up to the rim. Tap out any excess.
^{1 Tablespoon Butter, 2 Tablespoons Flour}

Prepare the Dry bowl:

In a medium bowl, combine Flour, Baking Powder, Salt, and Lemon Zest.
^{2¼ cups Flour, 2¼ teaspoons Baking Powder, ¾ teaspoons Salt, 2 Tablespoons Lemon Zest}

Start the Wet bowl:

In a larger bowl, cream Butter and Sugar together at medium-high speed until lumpless and but still fluffy.
^{¾ cup Butter, 1½ cups Sugar}
Slowly add the Eggs, one at a time. Add the Vanilla Extract and Lemon Juice, mixing on medium-high speed until incorporated.
^{3 large Eggs, 1½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract, 3 Tablespoons Lemon Juice}
Lower the speed. First mix in only one-third of the Dry bowl. When almost combined, mix in one-half of the Buttermilk. Repeat steps until batter is just combined. Careful not to over-mix which results in a flattened cake.
^{¾ cup Buttermilk (}^OR^{stir ¾ cup Milk}^with^{2¼ teaspoons Lemon Juice}^or^{White Vinegar and let sit a few minutes until it starts to curdle)}

Batter in Pan, then Bake!

Scrape the batter into the Loaf Pan. Bake for 45-60 minutes (depending on your oven) on the middle oven rack.
The Lemon Syrup can be prepared by stirring Lemon Juice with Powdered Sugar. Set aside.
^{¼ cup Lemon Juice, 3 Tablespoons Powdered Sugar}

What's next? Wait until cake is done.

Exact baking time will depend on your oven. Test the cake after 45 minutes. It should start to have a light golden brown top.
Insert a Toothpick into the cake's centre to see if the batter is no longer wet. You're aiming for a toothpick test outcome with a couple moist crumbs. Once achieved, baking is done!
Wait at least 10 minutes before inverting onto the Cooling Rack with a piece of Parchment Paper underneath to catch drippings and crumbles.
With a new Toothpick, poke holes into the warm cake. Slowly spoon or brush on the Lemon Syrup until absorbed then allow the cake to cool down completely.
Lemon Icing - Prepare the icing by slowly mixing the Lemon Juice and Milk with the Powdered Sugar until incorporated. It should have the consistency of a pourable spread, not a runny liquid.
^{1¼ cup Powdered Sugar, 1½ Tablespoons Lemon Juice, 1 Tablespoon Milk}
Once completely cooled, pour and spread the Lemon Icing until the cake is covered. The Parchment Paper will catch the drippings so you can cleanly transfer to your display platter.
That's it! Enjoy!!

Notes

Note 1: Baking pans - this recipe is geared for metal pans. With ceramic bakeware, the loaf will retain more moisture so increase the baking time and remember to toothpick test to avoid over-baking. Ceramic is also great for less fussing around so pour that icing directly on the cooled loaf, serve, and store the leftovers (haha, as if!) in the fridge. (Note: prepare less icing if baking and serving in a ceramic loaf pan as only the top needs to be layered). Whichever size baking mould is used, only pour up to 3/4 full to allow for rise. Additional moulds may be needed for the remaining batter (...mini loaves or muffins!). If baking alongside the main cake, be certain to check often as the lesser quantity will equate to less baking time. With mini loaves and muffins, perhaps start testing after 15 minutes to play it safe in account of the smaller size.
Note 2: Room Temperature or Refrigerated/Cold ingredients - ingredients warmed to room temperature will ensure batter cohesiveness and avoids clumpy separation.
Note 3: Flavouring alternatives - Love the recipe but excited for a new layer of flavour? Visit Vanilla No More: Excite Your Tastebuds for some fantastic options!
Note 4: Use Fresh Lemons only - flavours will shine brightly with Fresh Lemons!
Note 5: No Buttermilk? No problem! - Mix the same quantity of milk with 2 1/4 teaspoons of Lemon Juice or White Vinegar and let sit until it starts to curdle.
Note 6: Homemade Powdered/Icing Sugar (aka Confectioner's Sugar) - These are different names for the same ingredient. Whichever the recipe calls for, ditch the expired bags and instead make a fresh batch! Using a blender with a cover, pulverize 2 cups Granulated Sugar with 2 Tablespoons Corn Starch on high-speed until powdery and fluffy. Sift to measure correct amount for recipes. Any excess can be stored for future use. Prepare less icing if baking and serving in a ceramic loaf pan as only the top need be layered.
A Special Note: Don't overmix the batter! - overmixing will break the rise.
Check out multi-tool blender systems for everyday use

Adapted from a post on PureExistence.org

Keyword citrus, dense, icing, lemon, loaf, pound cake, summer, tangy, tart