Easy Lemon Loaf
This lemon tea loaf is easy to whip up at the last minute—and no one but you will know just how easy it is. I gave a loaf to my friends Terry Kidder and Shawn Peacock, and when they got home, they decided to have “just a sliver.” Well, sliver after sliver, it was soon gone in one sitting, and they dubbed it Lem-yum Loaf. The best thing is that you can substitute any citrus that you have on hand, or use a combination of lemons and limes or lemons and oranges. And if you can get your oven mitts on Meyer lemons, blood oranges, or kaffir limes, so much the better!
Serves 8
For the Cake
Baking spray , for preparing the pan
12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ cup granulated white sugar
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 large eggs
1¼ scant cups self-rising flour
Zest of 2 lemons
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (from 2 large lemons)
For the Lemon Syrup
Zest and juice of 2 lemons
1/3 cup granulated white sugar
Pinch of fine sea salt
Pans: 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan; sheet pan
1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray the loaf pan with baking spray.
2. Make the cake: Cream the butter and ¾ cup sugar together with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and very creamy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the vanilla and the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
3. Whisk the flour and the zest of 2 lemons together in a small bowl. Add the flour mixture and the ⅓ cup of lemon juice to the butter mixture alternately in batches. Stop the mixer and scrape down the side of the bowl as necessary.
4. Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf pan and lightly tap the pan down on the counter to make sure the batter is evenly distributed and to remove excess air bubbles.
5. Place the loaf pan on a sheet pan to make it easier to pull it out of the hot oven. Bake until the cake starts to pull away from the sides of the pan and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Remove the cake from the oven and let cool in the pan for 5 minutes before removing it from the pan and letting it cool on a wire cooling rack.
6. Meanwhile make the lemon syrup: Mix the juice of 2 lemons, ⅓ cup of sugar, and salt in a microwavable bowl and heat in the microwave on high until the mixture boils and the sugar is dissolved, 1 minute or so. Stir in the zest of 2 lemons. Spoon or brush the syrup over the cake while the cake is still warm and let cool completely before serving.
Recipes adapted from Elizabeth Karmel's "Steak and Cake," ©2019 Workman Publishing Company, Photograph by Stephen Hamilton