Thursday, February 4, 2016

Better Than Starbucks Lemon Loaf



If you like lemon cake as much as I do (the one offered at Starbucks in particular) and if, also like me, you have been looking for a truly good recipe for said lemon cake, and have continued to come up short, have I got a cake for you! I have tried recipe after recipe, and while all of them are perfectly good, none of them have the deep lemon flavor for which I long. Finally, after much experimentation (and inches added to my hips), I have come up with the be-all of lemon loaf cakes in this tasty recipe.

One of the things that makes this cake particularly good is the use of lemon oil. I use Boyajian Lemon Oil from Sur la Table and, no, this isn't a sponsored post. I just love stocking lemon, orange, and lime oils in the pantry, the addition of which truly takes whatever citrus dessert that I'm making right over the top. Fresh lemon juice is also the key, and from flavorful Meyer lemons. Lastly, lemon zest, and lots of it, provides a dense and fresh lemon lift. When using zests, always, always use organic citrus. Heaven only knows what you'll be putting into your baked goods by way of toxins and pesticides if you don't.
Better Than Starbucks Lemon Loaf

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon pure
Lemon oil 
3 extra-large eggs
1/3 cup freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice (I use Melissa's)
1 Tablespoon Meyer lemon zest (ditto)
1/2 cup canola oil

Glaze
1 cup sifted powdered sugar
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice
1 tablespoon cream
1/2 teaspoon pure lemon oil

Preheat oven to 350ยบF. Grease and flour a 9” x 5” loaf pan.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients; set aside.

In the work bowl of a stand mixer, cream sugar and butter. Add vanilla, lemon oil, and eggs, beating after each addition. Beat in lemon juice. With mixer on low, slowly add dry ingredients, alternating with oil. Beat until blended.

Pour batter into loaf pan and bake in the center of the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes, or until cake tests done. Remove loaf from oven. Let rest in pan for ten minutes, and then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

When loaf is cool, whisk together glaze ingredients and pour over top. When icing has set, slice and enjoy.




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5 comments:

Mae Travels said...

The lemon cake at Starbucks definitely qualifies as the best snack I've ever had there. I am tempted to go to Sur La Table RIGHT NOW and get some lemon oil, but it's not going to happen, it will have to wait until I'm back from an upcoming trip. Luckily there's a Sur La Table across the street from my trusty Whole Foods!

Thanks so much for posting this irresistible recipe!

Best,
mae at maefood.blogspot.com

Mae Travels said...

Next best thing to baking your recipe... I just posted a link to it in my blog post about what I want to cook ...
http://maefood.blogspot.com/2016/02/i-want-to-cook.html

Linda said...

Yes I do love lemon cake and yours looks like it might be the best! Good point about organic fruits.

bj said...

I can not WAIT to try your recipe...I've never hear of Lemon Oil so I'm not sure where I will find it in our town...but I'll surely look...I love ANYthing with lemon...thanks so much..xo

Miz Helen said...

Thank you so much for sharing with us for our 5th Anniversary of Full Plate Thursday! Hope you have a fantastic week and hope to see you again real soon!
Miz Helen