Contributing Baker: Norman Love
Lemon Loaf Cake
Unfortunately I have no Love for this loaf.
With a name like [Lemon] Loaf Cake, I expected a lot more lemon flavor. Citrus (mainly lemon) is one of my all-time favorite flavors for dessert; the other is chocolate.
Reviewing the recipe I was surprised there was no lemon juice, only zest added to the batter. I went on the advice of another baker and added juice of one lemon; for me this was about two tablespoons; and that of another baker, mixing the zest with the sugar before adding. I think this would work really well distributing the zest evenly if it was being creamed with other ingredients. In this case it was added to the eggs and cream which seemed futile.
Hearing that this recipe came out a bit boring and dry I wanted to make some adjustments. I had a hard time deciding which way I wanted to go, so I decided to make three mini loaves. To the master recipe I added some lemon juice as mentioned above. One loaf I left plain and made stewed berries to accompany it, another I injected with lemon curd (as I did here for the lemon cupcakes I made for a friend's birthday) and added a dusting of powdered sugar. Lastly I draped the final loaf with a lemon glaze I made of powdered sugar, lemon juice and zest.
I'm sad to say this is one I would not write home about and for me is not worth the fat and calories consumed. You may ask why I rated this a two rather than a one on the success meter. I feel this earns a two because it is an easy and quick recipe, and in general a good loaf with a very mild lemon flavor; and for some this may be what they want. Me, I need a more intense lemon flavor - one that wows.
Success meter (1-3): 2
I forgot to bring my ingredients to room temperature.
Hence soaking the eggs and cream in warm water.
I really like the idea of mixing the zest with the
sugar beforehand for most recipes, it was
unnecessary for this one.
Has the look of stained glass.
Just look at all the lemon zest!
Unfortunately it did not impart much flavor.
Need to get the lemon curd deeper into the loaf.
For the recipe see Truc of Treats and Michelle of The Beauty of Life, our hosts for the month; if you want to add to your cookbook collection (or start one !) you can buy the book at your local bookstore or on-line.
