Meyer Lemon Loaf Cake
Last month, you may remember that we took a fun little field trip out to the DeLallo Test Kitchens. Jessica and we played around in the kitchen and whipped up some fun dishes, and once we were done, we went back to the store to load up on tons of goodies. Things like fresh-baked rustic bread, prosciutto, provolone, fresh Italian sausage, olives and figs found their way into our cart. The produce section there is to-die-for; it’s unbelievable the variety and quality that they carry for a small grocery. We were elated to find bags of Meyer lemons near the entrance; it’s virtually impossible to locate Meyer lemons at our everyday grocery store, so we snatched them up immediately. We then proceeded to take an embarrassingly long amount of time to decide what we wanted to make with them. Finally, we realized that we were severely lacking a recipe box staple – a lemon loaf cake. This was the reliable recipe for those Meyer lemons!
We couldn’t believe how wonderfully light and plush this cake turned out. Even before brushing it with the glaze, the top and sides of the cake were quite soft and almost sponge-like. The cake has a buttery crumb and shows off the flavor of the Meyer lemons evenly. This cake is reliable on its own with a cup of coffee, or topped with some fresh whipped cream and fresh fruit. It’s a fabulous base for dessert experiments!
If you’re in the Pittsburgh area, you owe it to yourself to check out the DeLallo store in Jeannette; so much good food, you won’t know what to do with yourself! If you’re not in Pittsburgh, you can order DeLallo products right from their website and have them delivered straight to your door. Happy shopping!
One year ago: Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies
Two years ago: Malted Vanilla Milkshake
Four years ago: Triple Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Meyer Lemon Loaf Cake
Yield: 8 servings A recipe for a lemon pound cake made with rich Meyer lemons.For the Cake:
- 1½ cups (187.5 g) cake flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) salt
- 1¼ cups (250 g) granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons Meyer lemon zest
- 4 eggs
- 2 teaspoons Meyer lemon juice
- 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1½ teaspoons (1.5 teaspoons) vanilla extract
For the Glaze:
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (61 ml) Meyer lemon juice
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9x5-inch loaf pan; set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
- Add the sugar and lemon zest to the bowl of a food processor; process until combined, about five 1-second pulses. Add the eggs, lemon juice and vanilla; process until combined, about 5 seconds. With the machine running, add the melted butter through feed tube in a steady stream. Transfer the mixture to large bowl. Sift the flour mixture over eggs in three additions, whisking gently after each addition until just combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F and continue to bake until deep golden brown and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, about 35 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking time. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, bring the sugar and lemon juice for the glaze to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until thickened slightly, about 2 minutes.
- Remove the cake from the pan and place on a wire cooling rack. Using a toothpick, poke holes all over the top and sides of the cake. Brush the lemon glaze all over the top and sides of the cake. Allow the cake to cool to room temperature, at least 1 hour. The cake can be stored at room temperature, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, for up to 5 days.
Notes
Nutritional values are based on one serving
- Yield: 8 servings
- Prep: 20 minutes
- Cook: 50 minutes
- Total: 1 hour 15 minutes
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 1½ cups ( 187.5 g ) cake flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon ( 0.5 teaspoon ) salt
- 1¼ cups ( 250 g ) granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons Meyer lemon zest
- 4 eggs
- 2 teaspoons Meyer lemon juice
- 1 cup ( 227 g ) unsalted butter, melted
- 1½ teaspoons ( 1.5 teaspoons ) vanilla extract
For the Glaze:
- ½ cup ( 100 g ) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup ( 61 ml ) Meyer lemon juice
Method
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9x5-inch loaf pan; set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
- Add the sugar and lemon zest to the bowl of a food processor; process until combined, about five 1-second pulses. Add the eggs, lemon juice and vanilla; process until combined, about 5 seconds. With the machine running, add the melted butter through feed tube in a steady stream. Transfer the mixture to large bowl. Sift the flour mixture over eggs in three additions, whisking gently after each addition until just combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F and continue to bake until deep golden brown and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, about 35 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking time. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, bring the sugar and lemon juice for the glaze to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until thickened slightly, about 2 minutes.
- Remove the cake from the pan and place on a wire cooling rack. Using a toothpick, poke holes all over the top and sides of the cake. Brush the lemon glaze all over the top and sides of the cake. Allow the cake to cool to room temperature, at least 1 hour. The cake can be stored at room temperature, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, for up to 5 days.
