Description
The Luxurious Lemon Loaf is a moist, buttery citrus cake bursting with fresh lemon zest and juice. It offers a perfect balance of tangy and sweet flavors wrapped in a tender crumb that melts in your mouth. Ideal as a bright morning treat or elegant afternoon snack, this easy-to-bake loaf is versatile, refreshing, and sure to become a favorite.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- Zest of 2 fresh lemons
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ cup sour cream or yogurt, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Optional Variations
- Gluten-free blend to substitute for all-purpose flour
- ½ cup fresh or frozen blueberries
- Honey and powdered sugar for honey lemon glaze
- Coconut oil and dairy-free yogurt for dairy-free alternative
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds for lemon poppy seed twist
Instructions
- Prepare Your Ingredients: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease your loaf pan thoroughly. Zest and juice your lemons. Allow the butter, eggs, and sour cream to come to room temperature to ensure smooth mixing.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside to ensure an even rise and perfect texture in your loaf.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: Using a mixer, cream the softened butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. This process traps air into the batter, creating a tender crumb in the finished loaf.
- Add Eggs and Flavorings: Beat in the eggs one at a time, ensuring each is fully incorporated before adding the next. Then fold in the vanilla extract, lemon zest, and lemon juice, building the bright citrus flavor.
- Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Alternately add the dry ingredients and sour cream into the butter mixture in batches, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix gently to maintain the batter’s light texture without overmixing.
- Bake the Loaf: Pour the batter into your prepared pan and bake at 350°F (175°C) for about 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the loaf to cool completely before glazing.
- Optional Glaze: Mix powdered sugar with fresh lemon juice to create a simple glaze. Drizzle over the cooled loaf to enhance both appearance and citrus tang.
Notes
- Use fresh lemons for the brightest, most vibrant citrus flavor.
- Ensure butter, eggs, and dairy ingredients are at room temperature for smooth batter and even baking.
- Mix ingredients gently to avoid developing toughness in the crumb.
- Test the loaf’s doneness with a toothpick to prevent overbaking and dryness.
- Allow the loaf to cool completely before glazing to avoid melting the icing.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/10 loaf)
- Calories: 250 kcal
- Sugar: 18 g
- Sodium: 120 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 32 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
Keywords: lemon loaf, lemon cake, citrus dessert, moist lemon bread, easy lemon loaf, buttery lemon bread, gluten-free lemon loaf, dairy-free lemon loaf