Description
Zesty lemon loaf cake brings sunshine to your kitchen with its tangy, moist crumb. Bright citrus notes and delicate sweetness create a perfect afternoon treat you’ll savor slice by slice.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 large eggs
- 0.75 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 0.5 cup (120 ml) sour cream (or Greek yogurt)
- 0.5 cup (113 g) unsalted butter, melted
- 0.25 cup (60 ml) fresh lemon juice
- 1.5 cups (375 ml) all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsps lemon zest
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 0.5 tsp baking soda
- 0.5 tsp salt
- 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar
- 2 tbsps fresh lemon juice
- 0.5 tsp lemon zest
Instructions
- Preparation: Grease the baking vessel meticulously and line with parchment paper, ensuring complete coverage. Center the oven rack and preheat to 350F (175C).
- Dry Ingredient Fusion: Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a mixing bowl. Whisk thoroughly to create a uniform dry mixture, eliminating potential lumps and ensuring even distribution.
- Flavor Infusion: Massage lemon zest into granulated sugar, releasing citrusy essential oils and creating an aromatic base that will elevate the cake’s overall flavor profile.
- Wet Ingredient Integration: Whisk melted butter, eggs, sour cream, lemon juice, and vanilla extract into the zesty sugar mixture. Blend until the composition becomes silky smooth, with no visible butter streaks remaining.
- Batter Composition: Gently fold dry ingredients into the liquid mixture, maintaining delicate air pockets and mixing until just combined. Use a light touch to prevent creating a dense, tough cake texture.
- Baking Process: Pour the velvety batter into the prepared loaf pan, spreading evenly with a spatula. Tap the pan gently on the counter to eliminate potential air bubbles and ensure a uniform surface.
- Final Baking and Testing: Bake for 45-50 minutes, checking doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center – it should emerge clean and dry, indicating the cake is perfectly cooked. Remove from the oven when the top is golden and springs back when lightly touched.
- Cooling and Serving: Let the cake rest in the pan for 10 minutes, then carefully lift out using parchment paper edges. Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool completely to room temperature before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Zest Properly: Roll the lemon on the counter before zesting to release more oils and maximize citrus flavor extraction.
- Avoid Overmixing: Gently fold ingredients to maintain a light, tender crumb; overmixing develops gluten and creates a tough cake texture.
- Temperature Matters: Use room temperature eggs and sour cream for smoother batter integration and more consistent baking results.
- Check Doneness Carefully: Oven temperatures vary, so start checking the cake at 40 minutes to prevent over-browning or drying out.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 9
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 20 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 36 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 50 mg