Jason zests the lemons before he juices them, and he rubs the zest into the sugar so the oil is spread through the batter. The loaf is plain on purpose: butter, eggs, flour, and lemon. The glaze goes on while the crumb is still a little warm.
He does not open the oven for the first 40 minutes. The center sinks if the heat drops too early.
Ingredients
- 140 g butter, softened
- 180 g sugar
- Zest of 2 lemons
- 2 large eggs
- 180 g all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 80 ml milk
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- For the glaze: 100 g powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons lemon juice
Steps
- Heat the oven to 175 C (350 F). Line a 21 by 11 cm loaf pan with baking paper.
- Stir the zest into the sugar with your fingers until the sugar smells like lemon and looks slightly damp. Beat in the butter until the mixture is pale. Beat in the eggs one at a time.
- Add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir in half, then add the milk and lemon juice, then the rest of the flour. Stop when the batter is smooth.
- Scrape it into the pan and bake for 48 to 58 minutes. A skewer in the center should come out clean or with a dry crumb. Do not open the door before 40 minutes.
- Cool for 10 minutes. Stir the glaze until it is thick but pourable. Spoon it over the warm loaf so some of it soaks in and the rest sits on top.
Jason’s tip: Rub the zest into the sugar before anything else. If you only stir zest in at the end, the lemon stays in little bright bits and the cake tastes flatter.
This is a home recipe, not medical or nutrition advice. Check allergens, and see the food-safety note for safe cooking temperatures.
Allergens in this recipe: The loaf uses wheat flour, butter, eggs, sugar, and lemon. It contains gluten, milk, and eggs. The glaze is lemon juice and sugar. This is home-cooking information, not medical advice. See the food-safety note.