Lemon Loaf

 Luke is a BIG fan of the lemon loaf from Starbucks but at $4/piece it doesn't happen nearly enough for his liking ;) I recently tried out this copy cat recipe and while it's not identical it's close enough. hahaha

What You'll Need for the Lemon Loaf

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup unsalted butter melted and at room temperature

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 cup granulated sugar

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon lemon extract* or add additional 1/2 tablespoon of lemon zest

1 tablespoon lemon zest

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 cup sour cream or buttermilk

What You'll Need for the Lemon Icing

1 cup powdered sugar add more until desired consistency is reached

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1-2 tablespoons cream or milk adjust as needed for consistency

What You'll Do...

ONE - Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Grease and flour an 9x5-inch loaf pan, or line with parchment paper.

TWO - In a medium size bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk together. Set aside. 

THREE - In a large mixing bowl, with a electric mixer on medium speed, mix the granulated sugar and the eggs for 2 minutes. The extra time helps to incorporate air into the batter which makes the bread more fluffy.

FOUR - Add the melted butter and the oil. Mix to incorporate.  Add the vanilla, lemon extract, lemon zest and lemon juice. Mix on medium speed until all ingredients are combined.  Add in the sour cream and mix well. 

FIVE - Add the dry ingredients to the wet, approximately 1/3 of the mixture. Mix until almost incorporated and add more. Continue until all the flour is incorporated in the wet mixture. Don’t over mix. Sometimes I will use my hand mixture but finish with a spatula when I only have a little bit of dry flour left.

SIX - Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 50 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean and the top feels firm to the touch. If after about 30-40 minutes the top is browning too much, tent a piece of aluminum foil over top and continue baking.

SEVEN - Cool completely. Once the loaf is cool, prepare your glaze by mixing all ingredients together

For the icing: In a medium bowl whisk together the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and just a splash of the milk until smooth. Add in more powdered sugar or cream as needed for desired consistency.  Remove the cooled loaf from the pan and drizzle or pour over top. 

Happy Wednesday, friends!