Not sure yet. Playing with the idea of a lemon icing.
It needs something. I wish I put a glaze on mine. Good luck
I am keeping it simple.
Since I’m lucky enough to be hosting this recipe I went a little bit crazy by adding meyer lemon syrup, meyer lemon glaze and candied meyer lemon slices. A triple threat of citrus!
Yummmmm! Lemon has to be my all-time favorite flavor.
Sort of …heaven on earth ….
Yummy
I have read about “Meyer lemon” on other blogs. Do tell … I am not familiar with this. Do I find at a regular grocery store? I love all things lemon and want to get the most from the lemon loaf!!! Blessings! Catherine
Meyer lemons are absolutely fantastic! They’re sort of like a cross between a lemon and an orange. The juice is sweeter (i.e., less acidic) than a regular lemon and the skin is very smooth and deep yellow. I also find that they give a lot more juice easily than regular lemons.
Not sure where you live but I think more stores are carrying this variety. Here in California they are pretty easily available and lots of people also grow them at home. You might try your local Whole Foods Market. I’ve heard that some Costco locations sell it as well.
Good luck and I hope you get to try them for yourself.
Thanks Truc, I am in Tennessee but on a hunt for Meyer lemons! Blessings.
Cant wait to hear how it came out with all these extra lemon flavors. Kinda feel like this cake needed that!
Made this already. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE lemons…however, I was so underwhelmed with this recipe…not a keeper for my recipe files.
~Carmen
I find if you love lemons, then Meyer lemons are not your thing. I find them too sweet and not tart enough for my taste. I find them highly overrated.
havanaflfoodie, I’ve never tried Meyer lemons…so, I can’t give an opinion on it.
~Carmen
Oh Carmen! I feel the exact same way! I didn’t read your note until right this minute and I just finished my post for Tuesday. Not a keeper, but ooo la la the Jameson’s Lemon Bread … now there is a story. Stay tuned!
Catherine (Pray Cook Blog),
I look forward to your post! :)
I didn’t make Jameson’s Lemon Bread yet. But, will definitely bake it this year.
~Carmen
I’m excited about this one, I love a good lemon loaf! I’m thinking of doing some in my “cream canoe” pan (like a twinkie pan) with some filling, mmm :)
I went with orange and mixed in some chocolate shavings. Good but a little dense (of course most pound cake is kinda dense…) any who i think I may have mixed a little too much
I have a few Meyer lemons in the fridge, and love their sweetness, so I’m definitely planning to use those. Not sure beyond that.
First pass for me is always as the recipe as written. Second pass will be my own interpretation.
Good idea. If you mess around with recipes too much the first go round, you don’t know how they are actually supposed to turn out!
This is the first time I didn’t tweak a recipe and didn’t like it. Go figure. This recipe desperately needs a syrup or icing…that is the only redemption to salvaging it. It turned out too dry and tasteless.
~Carmen
This is what I always do too! I’m playing catch up this weekend-starting today on our last couple recipes and it actually sounds like a good menu. ;)
Good advice!
One of the things I’m learning about myself through this experience is to trust my instincts, even when making the recipe for the first time.
I already have a killer lemon bread in my recipe file – when it’s still warm from the oven and in the pan, you poke some holes in it and pour a thin lemonsugar glaze over it – the bread absorbs it all and gives it an extra kick. I’m thinking of making both breads, to do a side by side comparison.
My recipe has some Jack Daniels mixed in. I have added limo cello too with great success!
Oops, limoncello!
Diane, I made the two breads and did a comparison. I will link to your site when I post on Tuesday! Thanks for sharing this awesome keeper recipe! Blessings!
Diane, On 4/19, I made the Jameson’s Lemon Bread recipe you shared on your blog. It was FABULOUS! Hugs to you for sharing this. Thanks so much! I plan on posting this on my blog. Need to make it again. Shared it with family and forgot to take photos.
~Carmen
This was super easy but I agree with some of the other reviews – very dense. I read the suggested serving after I’d sliced it though and I think if I went with a 1/3 inch slice instead of a 2/3ish inch slice it would have been better. It was ok plain but really great with a little lemon curd (from Trader Joe’s) and whipped cream – lemon meringuesque.
ooh ooh! I just bought Trader Joes lemon curd again. So thrilled to have another use for it. Thanks for the tip!
I have a lemon crunch glaze from Gina DiPalma’s Dolce Italiano’s Zucchini- olive oil cake that we love, so I’m adding that to the top.
Also, since it seemed like a dense cake, I’m making mini loaves so the slices will be smaller.
I really hope we like this one since pizza rustica wasn’t up our alley. I’m not so worried though because it’s dessert- add frosting, ice cream or whipped cream and everything gets better!
Sounds interesting…
I’m with you on both comments. Even though my pizza rustica turned out well, I won’t make it again. I have been making a killer lemon loaf with Jck Daniel’s for years. From Miss Mary Bobo’s cookbook. It’s the one recipe from that book that I love. Have made it with kumquat marmalade (homemade) too and it worked well.
The lemon crunch glaze sounds yummy, so I gogoled that recipe and here’s a link, in case anyone else is interested.
I made the cake yesterday with the lemon crunch glaze. I made it in a 10-cup bundt pan and glazed it multiple times (six total I think!), collecting the extra glaze each time with a plate underneath the cooling rack. I highly recommend this glaze if anyone is looking for something to make the cake a little more exciting. I liked the cake more than I thought I would, same for the husband who usually does not like lemon desserts. I do think that it is better the second day.
I love this glaze! It goes really well on a lot of different things, and adds great lemon flavor to the dessert, while still retaining the glaze factor without getting super sticky and gooey.
Ups… haven’t read the recipe yet…
but the title alone sounds already delicious!
My lemon loaves always seem too dense and dry – I sure hope this will be different…although the comments so far are not encouraging. Cooking Light has a super lemon curd recipe that is – you guessed it – low in fat. I think I’ll make it to go with the loaf….just in case it needs a kick….
Reducing fat produces dense and dry loaves. You have to boost wet ingredients or other moisturizers to compensate.
I made this last night to take to this fam this weekend. Haven’t sliced it yet but the batter was delicious :)
Will comment back after we taste it.
I love a good heavy pound cake — so this may just be perfect for me! Going to make it this weekend and serve it with our Easter dinner. If it’s it that good though, it may not make it to the table!
I found this to be more spongy than heavy.
Straight up!
I made this this week with orange zest, since I had some organic oranges lying around. I sorta ran out of cake flour, so I added in some whole wheat pastry flour to fill in. It was yummy–a little “heartier” than the original recipe, which, by the way, I have made more times than I can count.
I gotta get through passover before I can make this, but some lemon syrup or a lemon glaze always sounds good!
Same here! But I love love anything with a strong lemon flavor. I can’t wait to make this one!
Made it according to the recipe and love it. Wonderful with a cup of hot tea. I also love Starbucks lemon loaf which is much sweeter. So it is more milder than Starbucks, but still very much a keeper for our family. It is all gone!!
PHOTOGRAPHY
I’ve received many comments about my photography. ‘Thank You’ to those who stop by and ‘Thank You’ for your lovely comments about my photography. ;)
I’m still learning to use my camera and about photography. Lots to learn.
There is a mosaic I use which I’ve been asked about. It’s a mosaic of four photos. The plus about this is it takes less space on your blog and it’s more compact.
Would like to share it with those that are interested.
Hi All!
I plan on making the cake tomorrow for a family dinner, so I can’t comment on the cake yet. BUT! After reading all your comments, I decided to play it safe and make a lemon curd to serve with it just in case the cake itself isn’t a huge hit.
Just thought I’d share in case anyone’s looking for a recipe. Hopefully it’ll compliment the cake well!
Homemade curd is so much better than store-bought! And like you said, easy!
Lemon curd sounds like a great idea.
~Carmen
I’ll be baking this for my annual Easter Brunch that I host for my friends, pious and heathens alike. My brunch will come on the heels of another friend’s annual “Zombie Jesus” pre-Easter party, so I’m hoping that it will serve as a sufficient curer-of-hangovers.
I’m planning on serving it with whipped cream and some macerated strawberries, but I also like the suggestion of lemon curd.
Fun! As much as I love lemon curd I think the macerated strawberries would be awesome; not only in taste but visually as well.
I’m looking forward to trying this. One of my husband’s all time favorite desserts is a lemon pound cake. Wonder how this will compare!
I’m hoping to start seeing local strawberries before the 17th. I live in the south and growing season started early, so it could happen! I make these roasted strawberries with a little balsamic and they are so amazing, and would perk up a lemon loaf cake even if it seemed a little bland (reading between the lines here).
I’m not sure how the recipe is written yet, but one way to add citrus flavor is to rub lemon zest into the measured sugar before using it in the recipe. I’ll do that even if it isn’t indicated!
Great tip about the lemon zest and sugar!
Lisa
I squeezed lemon juice from an entire lemon in my batter and it came out moist and delicious. The cake flour makes it not so dense! I loved it..my husband and kids did too! YUM!!!
Michelle, like the adjustments.
~Carmen
Topped it with a lemon glaze and we loved it. I also didn’t make it in a loaf pan. I made it in a pull-a-part cake pan for smaller portions and it came out great!
After the trial piece, I decided to serve it with lemon icing. YUM. It just kicked up the lemon a notch…
I’ve totally transformed it and gave him a new Easter dress! ! (Hope it won’t suffer of “identity crisis” LoL!)
You’ll see him on… Tuesday, 17th :-)
PS: I did not mess around with the ingredients ( a part of reducing the butter and adding yogurt)
PPS: It was still very dense but with the extra additions it was quite good!
PPPS: I probably won’t make it again (unless my friend, with whom I shared 1/4 of the cake today, says it was great!
I just signed up for Tuesdays with Dorie a few days ago after posting my first blog with French Fridays with Dorie. I can’t wait for my copy of the cookbook to arrive and then I will start baking!
Welcome to the group!
Hoping to make this this week. Reading the recipe I’m surprised it only uses zest and no juice of the lemon. Has anyone made this yet as written? Does it have a good lemon flavor? I’m going to try the tip of rubbing the sugar and zest together first and maybe add some juice…
I made it as written and it has a mild lemon flavor.
Cathleen, welcome aboard. Made the cake….tasteless and dry. That was my result.
~Carmen
I made it as written and thought it had a good lemon flavor not strong like a what the lemon loaf from Starbucks has but really good and natural. It was dense but still yummy.
Mine wasn’t a hit. I found it a little dry. I’ll stick with Ina’s Lemon Loaf recipe.
You can never go wrong with a recipe from Ina! Love her.
I have made Ina’s Lemon Loaf several times … and its just flawless and delicious !!! will see weather this one will work for me or no !!
I look forward to making Ina’s as well.
~Carmen
I plan on serving it topped with strawberries and whipped cream since it looks a little plain.
Easy loaf, but boring. It was definitely not lemony enough for me, so I’m going to try it again but add lemon juice in addition to the zest.
Also, I might try making a lemon glaze (lemon juice and powdered sugar), punching holes in the cake with a toothpick as soon as it comes out of the oven, and soaking the hot cake with the glaze.
Thoughts?
I made three mini loaves today with the addition of about 2 tbl lemon juice. Only tried the plain one with Ina’s stewed berries. Nothing to write home about for sure. The lemon flavor just was not there for me. Maybe replace some of the cream with lemon juice, like 1/4 cup? The other two loaves I’ll try after dinner and let you know. One I injected with lemon curd and a dusting of powdered sugar, and the other a lemon glaze made with pwd sugar, lemon juice & zest. We’ll see…
Matt, I think your idea of poking holes in the loaf so the glaze can infuse is best. I liked my loaf with the lemon glaze, but only that part that had glaze. As to the lemon curd injected into the loaf – I needed to get it deeper. Actually it would probably be pretty good with lemon curd and a glaze. Hope you have better results with your next loaf!
Made a Lemon Lemon Loaf in 2010 which comprised of the elements you will try. That’s the way to get the Lemon Loaf Cake recipe better. Good call.
The downside to the recipe I made in 2010 was it had an eggy taste after it came out of the oven. However, after a day, it dissipated. The plus on the TWDBWJ recipe is the use of only 4 eggs.
can someone fill me in on the rules? Is it ok for me to comment right now but not to post my blog yet? I am a bit confused.
Absolutely you can comment! And you can make the recipe at any time that fits your schedule. Just don’t post on your blog until the designated day. :)
Dear Cathleen,
Thank you for clearing that up. I read the rules but it sill seemed a bit fuzzy……can’t wait to read all the blogs on Tuesday!
Lemon is such a spectacular ingredient; it would be a shame for this to not be delicious! I am going to take some of your suggestions & add zest & perhaps some lemon curd (which I adore).
Do I dare do chocolate chip lemon loaf?
Mine is in the oven as I type. I took the advice from the comments and put in the juice of a whole lemon. I am hoping it taste Great!!
I’m not planning on messing with the recipe at all, but will be using a soaking syrup after – thinking either hibiscus or star anise…
I made it per the recipe and really enjoyed it. I could see adding a little lemon juice or lemon oil to up the ante a bit, or serving with lemon curd as some have suggested. But I really enjoyed it just as it was.
The lemon loaf – made per the recipe (except for the cake flour, which I forgot to buy – you use 2 TBS cornstarch in the bottom of a one cup measure, then fill with flour to substitute for 1 c cake flour) is in the oven now.
If it comes out dry, which seems to be a common complaint, I’m thinking of trying it toasted and slathered with butter, or covered with macerated strawberries – love lemon and strawberry together!
Hate to disagree with everyone, but . . I made my cake yesterday and it came out light, not dense, and very flavorful with the zest. I made only one change to the recipe — I used the zest of freshly picked blood oranges from my tree. All in all, a tasty success.
The secret must be in your zest of freshly picked blood oranges :-)
Mine was dense and sorry to say this: I won’t make it again… (so sad!)
I just took mine out out of the oven….I checked at 50 min and the center was still pretty gooey at 55 it was still alittle under but now my edges are really dark…anyone eide have this problem?
My oven is slow and my pans were a tad bit smaller than the dimensions. My center was gooey, too. I even left one for an extra 10 minutes. I think 20 would have done it, though!
I had a similar problem. Not sure if it was me not measuring correctly as I was making the lemon curd at the same time and also sometimes I am a little absent minded or whether the oven is playing up. I just put foil over mine and left it in for another 20-ish minutes. It turned out ok – a little dense, but then again most people’s cakes are reported to be dense as well. Somehow the cake as finished in record time so I guess it tastes ok.
mine did the same. Was not sure whether it was me being absent minded (was making lemon curd concurrently) or my oven acting up… I left it in another 20 minutes with some foil on top and it seemed to turn out fine. It got cleaned up real fast!
Oops! I forgot. I really appreciate the insights of those who bake early. I couldn’t get the Pizza Rustica done for a week and I really benefited from the comments others posted about what worked and what didn’t. I think that’s one of the strengths of this blog–learning from others!
Mine is DARK and FLAT. No dome. Not pretty. Boooooo!
For a fun experiment, I turned the lemon loaf into mini cakes, mini cupcakes and regular size cupcakes and made homemade lemon curd in my Vitamix which is absolutely delicious and easy- for those of you out there with a Vitamix or a powerful equivalent let me know if you want the recipe- it’s done in 5 minutes and no stove top needed. Going to play around with whipped cream frosting and strawberries too. I agree the cake needs extra flavor.
I will be baking this tomorrow and thought about adding lemon juice, but I am not sure how the extra liquid will effect the loaf, so I might make two and experiment. I love the idea of a little bit of a lemon glaze on the top so I might thin down some lemon marmalade and brush the top of the finished cake with that. I will report all on Tuesday.
Remember that sugar is considered liquid in a recipe, so if you want to use lemon juice, reduce the sugar by equal amounts.
Really. Thanks for the tip!
I baked this tonight and I’m very pleased with the results. I haven’t cut it, so I can’t speak to the overall texture yet. I’ve been following all the BWJ recipes to the lettter, but something about this one was begging for a little tweaking. I only changed a few small things, but based on the little crumb I tasted, I’ve achieved the bright lemon flavor I was hoping for. Visit my blog on Tuesday for the rest of the story.
I made the lemon loaf cake yesterday. A little on the dry side, but that may have been due to leaving it in the oven a little too long. I remember standing anxiously by the oven saying to myself, “Should I or shouldn’t I?” Even after the pick came out clean!
I will be lucky if I get a PBJ sandwich made this week; our son is getting married Sat.- so things are hopping!
Lemon loaf? What’s that? How very exciting!! Have a fabulous weekend!
Thank you! It will be a lovely & blessed occasion for certain! Will look forward to chillin out next week with some quiet moments cooking away in the kitchen.
Tuesdays with Dorie 
Not sure yet. Playing with the idea of a lemon icing.
It needs something. I wish I put a glaze on mine. Good luck
I am keeping it simple.
Since I’m lucky enough to be hosting this recipe I went a little bit crazy by adding meyer lemon syrup, meyer lemon glaze and candied meyer lemon slices. A triple threat of citrus!
Yummmmm! Lemon has to be my all-time favorite flavor.
Sort of …heaven on earth ….
Yummy
I have read about “Meyer lemon” on other blogs. Do tell … I am not familiar with this. Do I find at a regular grocery store? I love all things lemon and want to get the most from the lemon loaf!!! Blessings! Catherine
Meyer lemons are absolutely fantastic! They’re sort of like a cross between a lemon and an orange. The juice is sweeter (i.e., less acidic) than a regular lemon and the skin is very smooth and deep yellow. I also find that they give a lot more juice easily than regular lemons.
Not sure where you live but I think more stores are carrying this variety. Here in California they are pretty easily available and lots of people also grow them at home. You might try your local Whole Foods Market. I’ve heard that some Costco locations sell it as well.
Good luck and I hope you get to try them for yourself.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meyer_lemon
Thanks Truc, I am in Tennessee but on a hunt for Meyer lemons! Blessings.
Cant wait to hear how it came out with all these extra lemon flavors. Kinda feel like this cake needed that!
Made this already. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE lemons…however, I was so underwhelmed with this recipe…not a keeper for my recipe files.
~Carmen
I find if you love lemons, then Meyer lemons are not your thing. I find them too sweet and not tart enough for my taste. I find them highly overrated.
havanaflfoodie, I’ve never tried Meyer lemons…so, I can’t give an opinion on it.
~Carmen
Oh Carmen! I feel the exact same way! I didn’t read your note until right this minute and I just finished my post for Tuesday. Not a keeper, but ooo la la the Jameson’s Lemon Bread … now there is a story. Stay tuned!
Catherine (Pray Cook Blog),
I look forward to your post! :)
I didn’t make Jameson’s Lemon Bread yet. But, will definitely bake it this year.
~Carmen
I’m excited about this one, I love a good lemon loaf! I’m thinking of doing some in my “cream canoe” pan (like a twinkie pan) with some filling, mmm :)
I went with orange and mixed in some chocolate shavings. Good but a little dense (of course most pound cake is kinda dense…) any who i think I may have mixed a little too much
I have a few Meyer lemons in the fridge, and love their sweetness, so I’m definitely planning to use those. Not sure beyond that.
First pass for me is always as the recipe as written. Second pass will be my own interpretation.
Good idea. If you mess around with recipes too much the first go round, you don’t know how they are actually supposed to turn out!
This is the first time I didn’t tweak a recipe and didn’t like it. Go figure. This recipe desperately needs a syrup or icing…that is the only redemption to salvaging it. It turned out too dry and tasteless.
~Carmen
This is what I always do too! I’m playing catch up this weekend-starting today on our last couple recipes and it actually sounds like a good menu. ;)
Good advice!
One of the things I’m learning about myself through this experience is to trust my instincts, even when making the recipe for the first time.
I already have a killer lemon bread in my recipe file – when it’s still warm from the oven and in the pan, you poke some holes in it and pour a thin lemonsugar glaze over it – the bread absorbs it all and gives it an extra kick. I’m thinking of making both breads, to do a side by side comparison.
Diane,
Can you share the recipe? My email is bakingismyzen@comcast.net.
Thanks.
Carmen
I want that one too! My email is shesoneclevermom@gmail.com
Thanks,
Sharron
I would love for you to share this recipe also. Sounds great! My email is catherinecooking@gmail.com . Can I share with my blog readers at http://www.praycookblog.com? Thanks!
My recipe has some Jack Daniels mixed in. I have added limo cello too with great success!
Oops, limoncello!
Diane, I made the two breads and did a comparison. I will link to your site when I post on Tuesday! Thanks for sharing this awesome keeper recipe! Blessings!
Diane, On 4/19, I made the Jameson’s Lemon Bread recipe you shared on your blog. It was FABULOUS! Hugs to you for sharing this. Thanks so much! I plan on posting this on my blog. Need to make it again. Shared it with family and forgot to take photos.
~Carmen
This was super easy but I agree with some of the other reviews – very dense. I read the suggested serving after I’d sliced it though and I think if I went with a 1/3 inch slice instead of a 2/3ish inch slice it would have been better. It was ok plain but really great with a little lemon curd (from Trader Joe’s) and whipped cream – lemon meringuesque.
ooh ooh! I just bought Trader Joes lemon curd again. So thrilled to have another use for it. Thanks for the tip!
I have a lemon crunch glaze from Gina DiPalma’s Dolce Italiano’s Zucchini- olive oil cake that we love, so I’m adding that to the top.
Also, since it seemed like a dense cake, I’m making mini loaves so the slices will be smaller.
I really hope we like this one since pizza rustica wasn’t up our alley. I’m not so worried though because it’s dessert- add frosting, ice cream or whipped cream and everything gets better!
Sounds interesting…
I’m with you on both comments. Even though my pizza rustica turned out well, I won’t make it again. I have been making a killer lemon loaf with Jck Daniel’s for years. From Miss Mary Bobo’s cookbook. It’s the one recipe from that book that I love. Have made it with kumquat marmalade (homemade) too and it worked well.
The lemon crunch glaze sounds yummy, so I gogoled that recipe and here’s a link, in case anyone else is interested.
http://www.amateurgourmet.com/2009/10/gina_depalmas_z.html
*googled, sorry for the typo.
I made the cake yesterday with the lemon crunch glaze. I made it in a 10-cup bundt pan and glazed it multiple times (six total I think!), collecting the extra glaze each time with a plate underneath the cooling rack. I highly recommend this glaze if anyone is looking for something to make the cake a little more exciting. I liked the cake more than I thought I would, same for the husband who usually does not like lemon desserts. I do think that it is better the second day.
I love this glaze! It goes really well on a lot of different things, and adds great lemon flavor to the dessert, while still retaining the glaze factor without getting super sticky and gooey.
Ups… haven’t read the recipe yet…
but the title alone sounds already delicious!
My lemon loaves always seem too dense and dry – I sure hope this will be different…although the comments so far are not encouraging. Cooking Light has a super lemon curd recipe that is – you guessed it – low in fat. I think I’ll make it to go with the loaf….just in case it needs a kick….
Reducing fat produces dense and dry loaves. You have to boost wet ingredients or other moisturizers to compensate.
I made this last night to take to this fam this weekend. Haven’t sliced it yet but the batter was delicious :)
Will comment back after we taste it.
I love a good heavy pound cake — so this may just be perfect for me! Going to make it this weekend and serve it with our Easter dinner. If it’s it that good though, it may not make it to the table!
I found this to be more spongy than heavy.
Straight up!
I made this this week with orange zest, since I had some organic oranges lying around. I sorta ran out of cake flour, so I added in some whole wheat pastry flour to fill in. It was yummy–a little “heartier” than the original recipe, which, by the way, I have made more times than I can count.
I gotta get through passover before I can make this, but some lemon syrup or a lemon glaze always sounds good!
Same here! But I love love anything with a strong lemon flavor. I can’t wait to make this one!
Made it according to the recipe and love it. Wonderful with a cup of hot tea. I also love Starbucks lemon loaf which is much sweeter. So it is more milder than Starbucks, but still very much a keeper for our family. It is all gone!!
PHOTOGRAPHY
I’ve received many comments about my photography. ‘Thank You’ to those who stop by and ‘Thank You’ for your lovely comments about my photography. ;)
I’m still learning to use my camera and about photography. Lots to learn.
There is a mosaic I use which I’ve been asked about. It’s a mosaic of four photos. The plus about this is it takes less space on your blog and it’s more compact.
Would like to share it with those that are interested.
I can be reached at bakingismyzen@comcast.net.
~Carmen
blog: bakingismyzen.wordpress.com
Hi All!
I plan on making the cake tomorrow for a family dinner, so I can’t comment on the cake yet. BUT! After reading all your comments, I decided to play it safe and make a lemon curd to serve with it just in case the cake itself isn’t a huge hit.
I just made this recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/lemon-curd-recipe/index.html
and it’s lovely! It’s cooling in the fridge and I’ve “tested” many spoonfuls already; it’s so delicious (and easy).
Just thought I’d share in case anyone’s looking for a recipe. Hopefully it’ll compliment the cake well!
Homemade curd is so much better than store-bought! And like you said, easy!
Lemon curd sounds like a great idea.
~Carmen
I’ll be baking this for my annual Easter Brunch that I host for my friends, pious and heathens alike. My brunch will come on the heels of another friend’s annual “Zombie Jesus” pre-Easter party, so I’m hoping that it will serve as a sufficient curer-of-hangovers.
I’m planning on serving it with whipped cream and some macerated strawberries, but I also like the suggestion of lemon curd.
Fun! As much as I love lemon curd I think the macerated strawberries would be awesome; not only in taste but visually as well.
I’m looking forward to trying this. One of my husband’s all time favorite desserts is a lemon pound cake. Wonder how this will compare!
I’m hoping to start seeing local strawberries before the 17th. I live in the south and growing season started early, so it could happen! I make these roasted strawberries with a little balsamic and they are so amazing, and would perk up a lemon loaf cake even if it seemed a little bland (reading between the lines here).
I’m not sure how the recipe is written yet, but one way to add citrus flavor is to rub lemon zest into the measured sugar before using it in the recipe. I’ll do that even if it isn’t indicated!
Great tip about the lemon zest and sugar!
Lisa
I squeezed lemon juice from an entire lemon in my batter and it came out moist and delicious. The cake flour makes it not so dense! I loved it..my husband and kids did too! YUM!!!
Michelle, like the adjustments.
~Carmen
Topped it with a lemon glaze and we loved it. I also didn’t make it in a loaf pan. I made it in a pull-a-part cake pan for smaller portions and it came out great!
After the trial piece, I decided to serve it with lemon icing. YUM. It just kicked up the lemon a notch…
I’ve totally transformed it and gave him a new Easter dress! ! (Hope it won’t suffer of “identity crisis” LoL!)
You’ll see him on… Tuesday, 17th :-)
PS: I did not mess around with the ingredients ( a part of reducing the butter and adding yogurt)
PPS: It was still very dense but with the extra additions it was quite good!
PPPS: I probably won’t make it again (unless my friend, with whom I shared 1/4 of the cake today, says it was great!
I just signed up for Tuesdays with Dorie a few days ago after posting my first blog with French Fridays with Dorie. I can’t wait for my copy of the cookbook to arrive and then I will start baking!
Welcome to the group!
Hoping to make this this week. Reading the recipe I’m surprised it only uses zest and no juice of the lemon. Has anyone made this yet as written? Does it have a good lemon flavor? I’m going to try the tip of rubbing the sugar and zest together first and maybe add some juice…
I made it as written and it has a mild lemon flavor.
Cathleen, welcome aboard. Made the cake….tasteless and dry. That was my result.
~Carmen
I made it as written and thought it had a good lemon flavor not strong like a what the lemon loaf from Starbucks has but really good and natural. It was dense but still yummy.
Mine wasn’t a hit. I found it a little dry. I’ll stick with Ina’s Lemon Loaf recipe.
You can never go wrong with a recipe from Ina! Love her.
I have made Ina’s Lemon Loaf several times … and its just flawless and delicious !!! will see weather this one will work for me or no !!
I look forward to making Ina’s as well.
~Carmen
I plan on serving it topped with strawberries and whipped cream since it looks a little plain.
Easy loaf, but boring. It was definitely not lemony enough for me, so I’m going to try it again but add lemon juice in addition to the zest.
Also, I might try making a lemon glaze (lemon juice and powdered sugar), punching holes in the cake with a toothpick as soon as it comes out of the oven, and soaking the hot cake with the glaze.
Thoughts?
I made three mini loaves today with the addition of about 2 tbl lemon juice. Only tried the plain one with Ina’s stewed berries. Nothing to write home about for sure. The lemon flavor just was not there for me. Maybe replace some of the cream with lemon juice, like 1/4 cup? The other two loaves I’ll try after dinner and let you know. One I injected with lemon curd and a dusting of powdered sugar, and the other a lemon glaze made with pwd sugar, lemon juice & zest. We’ll see…
Matt, I think your idea of poking holes in the loaf so the glaze can infuse is best. I liked my loaf with the lemon glaze, but only that part that had glaze. As to the lemon curd injected into the loaf – I needed to get it deeper. Actually it would probably be pretty good with lemon curd and a glaze. Hope you have better results with your next loaf!
Made a Lemon Lemon Loaf in 2010 which comprised of the elements you will try. That’s the way to get the Lemon Loaf Cake recipe better. Good call.
The downside to the recipe I made in 2010 was it had an eggy taste after it came out of the oven. However, after a day, it dissipated. The plus on the TWDBWJ recipe is the use of only 4 eggs.
http://bakingismyzen.blogspot.com/2010/08/baked-series-lemon-lemon-loaf-1-of-7.html
~Carmen
can someone fill me in on the rules? Is it ok for me to comment right now but not to post my blog yet? I am a bit confused.
Absolutely you can comment! And you can make the recipe at any time that fits your schedule. Just don’t post on your blog until the designated day. :)
Dear Cathleen,
Thank you for clearing that up. I read the rules but it sill seemed a bit fuzzy……can’t wait to read all the blogs on Tuesday!
Lemon is such a spectacular ingredient; it would be a shame for this to not be delicious! I am going to take some of your suggestions & add zest & perhaps some lemon curd (which I adore).
Do I dare do chocolate chip lemon loaf?
Mine is in the oven as I type. I took the advice from the comments and put in the juice of a whole lemon. I am hoping it taste Great!!
I’m not planning on messing with the recipe at all, but will be using a soaking syrup after – thinking either hibiscus or star anise…
I made it per the recipe and really enjoyed it. I could see adding a little lemon juice or lemon oil to up the ante a bit, or serving with lemon curd as some have suggested. But I really enjoyed it just as it was.
The lemon loaf – made per the recipe (except for the cake flour, which I forgot to buy – you use 2 TBS cornstarch in the bottom of a one cup measure, then fill with flour to substitute for 1 c cake flour) is in the oven now.
If it comes out dry, which seems to be a common complaint, I’m thinking of trying it toasted and slathered with butter, or covered with macerated strawberries – love lemon and strawberry together!
If anynone else wants the Jameson Lemon Bread recipe, I realized I posted it out on the blog a few years ago – here:
http://quiltbabe8.blogspot.com/2008/05/lemon-bread.html
Hate to disagree with everyone, but . . I made my cake yesterday and it came out light, not dense, and very flavorful with the zest. I made only one change to the recipe — I used the zest of freshly picked blood oranges from my tree. All in all, a tasty success.
The secret must be in your zest of freshly picked blood oranges :-)
Mine was dense and sorry to say this: I won’t make it again… (so sad!)
I just took mine out out of the oven….I checked at 50 min and the center was still pretty gooey at 55 it was still alittle under but now my edges are really dark…anyone eide have this problem?
My oven is slow and my pans were a tad bit smaller than the dimensions. My center was gooey, too. I even left one for an extra 10 minutes. I think 20 would have done it, though!
I had a similar problem. Not sure if it was me not measuring correctly as I was making the lemon curd at the same time and also sometimes I am a little absent minded or whether the oven is playing up. I just put foil over mine and left it in for another 20-ish minutes. It turned out ok – a little dense, but then again most people’s cakes are reported to be dense as well. Somehow the cake as finished in record time so I guess it tastes ok.
mine did the same. Was not sure whether it was me being absent minded (was making lemon curd concurrently) or my oven acting up… I left it in another 20 minutes with some foil on top and it seemed to turn out fine. It got cleaned up real fast!
Oops! I forgot. I really appreciate the insights of those who bake early. I couldn’t get the Pizza Rustica done for a week and I really benefited from the comments others posted about what worked and what didn’t. I think that’s one of the strengths of this blog–learning from others!
Mine is DARK and FLAT. No dome. Not pretty. Boooooo!
For a fun experiment, I turned the lemon loaf into mini cakes, mini cupcakes and regular size cupcakes and made homemade lemon curd in my Vitamix which is absolutely delicious and easy- for those of you out there with a Vitamix or a powerful equivalent let me know if you want the recipe- it’s done in 5 minutes and no stove top needed. Going to play around with whipped cream frosting and strawberries too. I agree the cake needs extra flavor.
I will be baking this tomorrow and thought about adding lemon juice, but I am not sure how the extra liquid will effect the loaf, so I might make two and experiment. I love the idea of a little bit of a lemon glaze on the top so I might thin down some lemon marmalade and brush the top of the finished cake with that. I will report all on Tuesday.
Remember that sugar is considered liquid in a recipe, so if you want to use lemon juice, reduce the sugar by equal amounts.
Really. Thanks for the tip!
I baked this tonight and I’m very pleased with the results. I haven’t cut it, so I can’t speak to the overall texture yet. I’ve been following all the BWJ recipes to the lettter, but something about this one was begging for a little tweaking. I only changed a few small things, but based on the little crumb I tasted, I’ve achieved the bright lemon flavor I was hoping for. Visit my blog on Tuesday for the rest of the story.
I made the lemon loaf cake yesterday. A little on the dry side, but that may have been due to leaving it in the oven a little too long. I remember standing anxiously by the oven saying to myself, “Should I or shouldn’t I?” Even after the pick came out clean!
I will be lucky if I get a PBJ sandwich made this week; our son is getting married Sat.- so things are hopping!
Lemon loaf? What’s that? How very exciting!! Have a fabulous weekend!
Thank you! It will be a lovely & blessed occasion for certain! Will look forward to chillin out next week with some quiet moments cooking away in the kitchen.