During the snowy cold winter there is very little local fresh fruit so we look forward to the citrus fruit that comes to us from south of the border. The sweet oranges and lemons are the foundation for so many of my favourite desserts. Glazed Lemon Loaf is one of those favourite citrus recipes. It is rich yet refreshing, it can be breakfast or dessert or both!
When you have to both zest and juice a lemon for a recipe, a good trick to get the most juice possible is to soak the lemon in hot water for a few minutes. After a little warm up, dry the lemon well before zesting it. Just before you cut it to juice it, knead it on the counter a few times. This will ensure you get the most juice possible out of the lemon. I find that the lemon zest gives the most flavour so I always add a lot of zest when using citrus in recipes. To release the oil from the zest and all of that flavour and aroma, mix the zest well with the granulated sugar before adding any other ingredients.
So it is time to brighten up your winter by whipping up a Glazed Lemon Loaf – hopefully the sunny lemons will bring some sunshine to your day.
- Loaf:
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs-room temp
- 2 lemons, zested and juiced (save the juice)
- 1 cup full fat sour cream
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- Syrup:
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 3 tbsp lemon juice (from your fresh lemons above)
- Glaze:
- 1 cup icing sugar
- 2 tbsp lemon juice (from your fresh lemons above)
- Zest and juice the lemons. You should have approximately ⅓ cup juice. Set aside.
- Butter and flour a 9 x 5 loaf pan
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer mix together all of the zest and sugar until well combined and aromatic. Add in the butter and until fluffy (about 2 minutes). Add eggs, one at a time, beating until fully incorporated. Add in 3 tbsp of the lemon juice and vanilla.
- Mix in the flour mixture and sour cream alternatively until fully combined.
- Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 30 minutes. Cover loosely with foil and bake an additional 15-20 minutes until toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.
- While loaf is baking the last 20 minutes combine 3 tbsp of lemon juice and ¼ cup of granulated sugar in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave in 20 second intervals and stirring until sugar dissolves (about 3 times).
- When you remove the loaf from the oven poke holes over the top with a toothpick and brush the glaze slowly over the top of the loaf. It will absorb in.
- Let sit for 20 minutes run an offset spatula around the edges, then remove from pan.
- For the glaze, whisk together the sugar, lemon juice. Add more sugar or juice to get the consistency you want. Spread in a thin layer over cooled loaf. Allow to set (about 15 minutes) before slicing.