April 17, 2012

TWD Lemon Loaf Cake


When I submitted my blog in the drawing to host this week's Tuesdays with Dorie recipe I was really hoping it would be chosen.   I love all things citrus and Lemon Loaf Cake was right up my alley.   

As soon as I found out Treats was one of the two blogs that were randomly chosen I immediately called my sister-in-law to ask for lemons.  A massive meyer lemon bush divides her driveway from the next door neighbor's so an abundance of fruit is literally at her fingertips.

 


As I read through the cake recipe I was pleasantly surprised to learn that its texture was similar to a pound cake but that preparation was all done by hand.  Any recipe where I don't have to bust out the KitchenAid stand mixer is an ideal one to me.


I took a little detour from the cookbook by brushing the baked loafs with a meyer lemon syrup and then topping with a meyer lemon glaze and candied meyer lemon slices - a triple citrus threat if I ever saw one.   Even with the addition of the lemon syrup I found the cake itself to be a tad bit dry but still delicious nonetheless.

Michelle from the blog The Beauty of Life is my fellow co-host for this week's recipe.

Lemon Loaf Cake (from Baking With Julia, Contributing Editor: Norman Love)

Makes 12-15 servings

4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/3 cups sugar
Pinch of salt
Grated zest of 3 large lemons
1 3/4 cups cake flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup heavy cream, at room temperature
5 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350F.  Butter a 9- by 5- inch loaf pan and dust with flour, shaking out the excess.

Working in a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, and salt for just a minute, until foamy and smoothly blended; the mixture should not thicken.  Whisk in the grated zest.

Spoon the flour and baking powder into a sifter and sift about a third of the dry ingredients over the foamy egg mixture.  Whisk the flour into the eggs, mixing lightly - there's no need to beat.  Sift the flour over the eggs in two more additions and whisk only until everything is incorporated.  Whisk the heavy cream into the mixture.  Switch to a rubber spatula and gently and quickly fold in the melted butter.

Pour and scrape the batter into the prepared pan - it will level itself - and bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the center of the cake crowns and cracks and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Remove the cake to a cooling rack to rest for 10 minutes before unmolding.  Cool to room temperature right side up on the rack. *

You can serve this cake as soon as it cools, although there are those who believe that a pound cake needs a day to ripen.  Make a taste test for yourself.  In any case, the cake should be sliced with a serrated knife and served in thin slices, a pair to a plate.

Once cooled, the cake should be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap.  It will keep at room temperature for 3 or 4 days or, if double-wrapped, can be frozen for a month.  Thaw, still wrapped, at room temperature.  

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* Treats' Variations (these are the additions I made to my cake)

Candied Meyer Lemon (from marthastewart.com)

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1 meyer lemon (do not peel), washed well and sliced 1/4-inch thick

Bring sugar and water to a boil in a large saucepan, and heat until sugar dissolves. Add lemons, and cover surface with parchment. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer gently until rinds are translucent, about 30 minutes. Let lemons cool in syrup.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer lemons to a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet. Let stand to allow excess syrup to drip off.  Save the leftover syrup.  [This is what I used to brush the tops of the baked cakes, before topping with the glaze.]

Meyer Lemon Glaze (from marthastewart.com)

2 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar, plus more if needed
1/4 cup fresh Meyer lemon juice 

In a medium bowl, whisk all glaze ingredients to combine. If necessary, add additional confectioners' sugar to desired consistency.


To assemble the cake 

With a wooden skewer poke holes all over the top of the cool, baked cake.  Using a small pastry brush, brush some of the leftover lemon syrup (from the candied lemons) on the top of the cake, but don't over soak it!  Let dry for about an hour.  Pour the lemon glaze on top and let harden.  Place a few slices of the candied meyer lemon on top of the glaze as decoration.

69 comments:

  1. Wow, it looks marvelous!!!!

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  2. Beautiful pictures from this week´s host!

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  3. wow.. you really jazzed it up.. great pics!! This cake was good but better with the embellishments!!

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  4. Your photos are devine - love the candied lemon on top. Thanks for hosting.

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  5. Your photos are spot on. beautiful. I am really glad you hosted this recipe. I love the home grown lemons to boot!

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  6. It might be a bit dry but it looks beautiful !!

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  7. It looks so pretty! I love l the lemon glaze and the candied meyer lemons on top! Thanks for hosting, my family and I enjoyed the loaf very much!

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  8. Your photos are gorgeous. I love the way you styled the cake!

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  9. Just stunning! I love your glaze and garnish...and how lucky are you to have fresh Meyer lemons!!! Thanks for hosting :)

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  10. Beautiful loaf. Thanks for hosting. I loved this recipe. I also like the ones that need no more than a bowl and spoon ... or whisk.

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  11. Lovely! I haven't tried Meyer lemons, but I think I'd like them. Thanks for hosting!

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  12. I really want to try Meyer Lemons, but they are not available here in Norhern Germany.

    Your cake looks just beautiful, thanks for hosting

    Ulrike @ Küchenlatein

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  13. GORGEOUS!! I had planned to make a lemon glaze for my Lemon Loaf Cake, but time got away from me. :)

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  14. Followed the link here from Baker on the Rise and I'm so glad I did! Your photos are beautiful. I have been craving baked citrus as of late and am on my way to create this cake as we speak :)

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  15. Anonymous4/17/2012

    You made a simple cake look stunningly elegant and glamorous!

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  16. Anonymous4/17/2012

    Gorgeous photos! Wish I had done a glaze on my loaf, it looks beautiful! Thanks for hosting this week :-)

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  17. Gorgeous gorgeous! I think that a glaze must have done wonders!

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  18. All things beautiful!!! Blown over with your outcome. Your photos make me want to actually try this again. Thanks for hosting and the wonderful post.

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  19. Thank you for hosting! Your cake is beautiful. I love the candied meyer lemon slices - they look lovely and I bet they tasted great!

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  20. I would love access to a Meyer Lemon bush! I thought this was delicious--great pick.
    p.s love your Under the Sea cookies.

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  21. Lovely addition with the candied lemon slices. I made a lemony icing and zested the top. Mmmm.

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  22. Your photos are fantastic!

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  23. Your cake looks fabulous. I am in awe of your gorgeous photos!

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  24. Thanks for hosting! Beautiful cake, beautiful photos!

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  25. Your photos are gorgeous. So jealous of those, AND your sister-in-law's meyer lemon bush.

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  26. I love your personal touches! Beautiful & delicious - you can't beat that. Thanks for hosting!

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  27. I'm in love with that photo of the meyer lemons (and so sad that the season is over here)! Thanks for hosting!

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  28. Your photos are beautiful. Thanks so much for sharing the recipes for your additions! And thanks for hosting this week.

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  29. Nice post, and lovely photos. Thank you for hosting.

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  30. Just beautiful, thank you for hosting and I'm so jealous that you have easy access to Meyer Lemons !

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  31. Terrific post with beautiful photos! Thank you for hosting!

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  32. To use your own lemons in the cake... bliss! What a lucky baker! That makes it taste EVEN BETTER! Beautiful, delicious, AND made from your own garden? You rock.

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  33. Love your pictures!! Looks amazing!

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  34. Thank you for hosting this week's TWD/BWJ recipe choice. I have Meyer Lemons available to me so I am going to follow your directions to the T. Your pictures are gorgeous. I decided to follow you on Pinterest - I like your boards. Mary

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  35. Beautiful pictures, especially the lemons.

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  36. The addition of the candied meyer lemons and the icing are right up my ally! Beautiful photography...lovely post. Thank you for hosting this week :)

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  37. Thank you for hosting.
    Everything looks perfect - delicious - adorable: I love it!
    (even if I didn't love the cake texture that much)

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  38. I love the triple lemon elements that you added. Thanks for hosting!

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  39. what beautiful pictures

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  40. Lovely photos & the glaze and candies lemon look wonderful.
    So jealous of your easy citrus access :-)

    Thank you for hosting this week!

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  41. I saw your luscious post this morning and didn't have the chance to comment. Made sure to get back here to tell you how STUNNING the pics are!! Very well done!

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  42. I am a Meyer lemon fan too, but I don't know anyone with a tree. I used them for the cake too. And, I brushed the top with syrup too. I think you enlightened me on why my syrup didn't soak into the cake. I'll try a skewer next time. I loved the candied lemon slices too. What elegance for such a simple cake. Thanks for hosting this week.

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  43. Love the crisp pictures and your delicious loaf recipe just nailed it! Citrus is great for spring indeed.

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  44. Anonymous4/17/2012

    Yum... Pretty pics! Thanks for hosting!

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  45. WOW! Beautiful photos. I thought about a glaze, but I tend to like things better without "frostings" ... it sure is pretty, though!! Thanks for hosting.

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  46. Anonymous4/17/2012

    I love that cute tray you have!!! And your cake is a stunner! I'm not sure how the "competition" goes, but this cake is a winner in my book!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you everyone for your very kind words! Being a host really inspired me to go the extra mile for this recipe.

      FYI: I purchased the cute floral tray from IKEA.

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  47. Thanks for hosting and showing us a great way to dress up this cake!

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  48. The loaf looks perfect! And I love the candies lemon on top, gorgeous!

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  49. Yum! Looks great, love the glaze and the candied citrus...and I agree, the cake is a bit dry.

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  50. Your photos are gorgeous! And the cake was a little dry for my taste as well.

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  51. Your candied lemon slices look absolutely scrumptious. I will try it next time!

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  52. Your loaf looks great and the candied lemons are gorgeous! Thanks for hosting!

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  53. Wow that looks lovely!

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  54. I loveeeeeeee the candied lemons ..... :-) Lovely cake !!!!

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  55. Just Loveeee your candies Lemon ... lovely cake !!!!

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  56. mmmm...looks delicious. I wish my glaze turned out like yours!

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  57. your first photo is stunning! love the candied meyer lemons :) thanks for hosting this week!

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  58. Your photos are beautiful and inspiring! I even linked to them on my blog. I should of checked your post first... then I would of made the glaze which was a great idea.

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  59. Glorious, beautiful loaf cake! :) Love it!

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  60. Anonymous4/20/2012

    Looks beautiful with the glaze and candied lemons. Thanks for hosting!

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  61. I love the idea of candied Meyer lemons, and totally agree. Even though my Kitchen aid is always out, it's so nice to not have to dirty all those tools and just do it by hand.

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  62. You really made a very plain cake something special. I love the candied lemon slices. They look beautiful! Thanks for hosting.

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  63. hello, beautiful! i love all the special touches you added to this. thanks for hosting, and inspiring!

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  64. This lovely lemon cake, at first, will attract all the cake-lovers with its colors. Then the taste will astonish everybody. Thanks.

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  65. I love a cake like this, a proper, old fashioned treat just like mum or grandma used to make!

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  66. Very delicious loaf!! super easy to make! I'm a lover of lemons so i added 2 x lemon rind. The taste was heavenly! Thanks for sharing your recipe.

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  67. Very nice article, I enjoyed reading your post, very nice share, I want to twit this to my followers. Thanks!. Illinois Bakery

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  68. This truly is the best lemon loaf I’ve ever had! My husband said it’s awesome too.

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