The weather this weekend was gorgeous! The sun was shining, it was +27 C and HOT. I love it. I am not a cold person, like anything less than +10 I am not a fan of (which is incredibly silly because I live in a climate where it is winter nine out of the twelve months and drops down to -30 C every winter). With summer finally here it's time to make some fruity desserts! This lemon loaf is a family recipe passed down from my great Nan. Where she got the recipe no one knows, but it is a crowd favorite- and super easy too!
First you cream the butter and sugar until it has come together and it looks like a soft cloud
Then add in the eggs, one at a time and beat on medium until fluffy.
Finally mix in the dry ingredients (on low! Or trust me you will have flour everywhere), then finally the wet ingredients!
Pour it into your loaf pan and bake!
Next is the yummy part. When the cake is still warm you pour on this delicious simple syrup so that it soaks into the cake. Then once it's cooled you add even more lemon in the form of a succulent glaze. So good! My glaze cracked when I was transferring it to the platter- don't judge me, I ain't Paul Hollywood.
I hope you enjoy this as much as my family does! I could barely get a picture in when they descended with knives and forks!
Lemon Loaf
Prep time: 15 minutes
Bake time: 50 – 60 min
Makes one 8x8 loaf
Cake:
½ C butter
1C white sugar
2 eggs
1 ½ C flour
½ tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
½ C milk
2 tbsp lemon juice + the zest of 1 lemon
Simple syrup:
¼ C white sugar
¼ C lemon juice
Glaze:
1 C powdered sugar
2 tbsp lemon juice
For the lemon loaf:
1. Preheat your oven to 350F
2. Line a 8x8 loaf pan with foil. Grease the inside with butter and then flour. Shake the flour around the pan until it coats all of the sides. This prevents the loaf from sticking to the foil. Dump out any excess flour.
3. In a separate bowl combine flour, salt and baking powder and set aside.
4. Cream butter and sugar in a mixer (or hand beater) on high until well combined. It should look a bit like a cloud.
5. Next, add in the eggs one at a time and beat on medium until it is nice and fluffy.
6. While the mixer is on low, add in the dry ingredients and lemon zest until just combined- you don’t want to overbeat it.
7. Next add in the lemon juice and beat until just combined, and then the milk.
8. Pour the batter into a prepared 8x8 loaf pan, and bake for 50-60 min. While it’s baking make the simple syrup. The loaf is done when it is golden brown on top and a cake tester comes out clean when you poke it through the center. Don’t remove it from the loaf pan just yet.
For the syrup:
1. Put the sugar and lemon juice in a small saucepan and turn on the heat to medium
2. Stir constantly while the syrup comes to a boil. Once all the sugar is melted remove from heat.
3. When the loaf is hot out of the oven, poke holes throughout the top with a skewer (the more holes the better it will absorb)
4. Pour the simple syrup over the top of the loaf, it should soak in right away.
5. Let the lemon loaf cool 5-10 min in the pan before removing it onto a wire rack. Let it cool entirely
For the Glaze:
1. Combine powdered sugar and lemon juice in a large bowl. Whisk to combine, it should be nice and smooth
2. Pour the glaze over the cooled lemon loaf. I would recommend putting a lipped tray below the loaf to catch any excess glaze. You can scoop up any pools of glaze and pour it over the top of the loaf again to make a second layer.
3. Let the glaze set 1-2 hours before slicing. Enjoy with a cup of tea or coffee for a delicious teatime snack or dessert.
