Easy Lemon Loaf

Sometimes you just don't want too spend too much time on baking. Sure, a complex recipe is a lot of fun for enthusiastic bakers like me, but it certainly doesn't fit with everyone's time schedule. When you're a student for example, you'll spend your time on writing a thesis, reading, more reading and, unlike me, going out. In busy times, an easy recipe can really be a blessing, especially when it tastes as good as this one. This is perfect to bring to a picknick, as it's best eaten on the day it's made. What better than to eat a moist piece of cake in the midst of nature? 

Easy Lemon Loaf Recipe

This quick and easy lemon loaf recipe is made with pantry staples (and lemon) and is great for a picknick!

Tools: a 23x9cm/9x3 ½" loaf tin, 7 cm deep; greaseproof paper; wire rack; mixing bowl

Ingredients:

3      medium eggs (150 grams)

zest of 1 lemon

pinch of salt

175   grams caster sugar

90     ml double cream

140   grams plain flour

1      teaspoon baking powder

50     grams unsalted butter, melted and cooled

30     grams unsalted butter, for greasing

80     grams icing sugar, sifted

juice of ½ lemon

1. Preheat the oven 200C/400F. 

2. Whisk together the lemon zest, eggs, salt and sugar. Be careful not to overwork. Stir in the cream, the sift the flour and baking powder over the bowl and fold in. Add the cooled melted butter and stir until incorporated.

3. Grease your loaf tin and line with greaseproof paper. The paper should come to 2-3cm/1" above the top of the tin. 

4. Pour the mixture into the tin. Bake in the preheated oven for 7 minutes, then turn the temperature down to 180C/350F and bake for a further 33 minutes, or until a skewer comes clean out of the centre. 

5. Once baked, lift the cake out of the tin and place it on a wire rack set over a shallow dish. Peel the paper off the cake and leave to cool. 

6. To make the icing, stir icing sugar and lemon juice together until all the icing sugar is incorporated. 

7. Once the cake has cooled, spread the icing over the top and leave to set. 

Adapted from The Roux Brothers on Patisserie