Mom's Ever Lovin' Lemon Loaf
My brother recently picked up a bunch of lemons on sale, then called me to ask what he should do with them. He truly has begun to channel our Mom.
He was thinking of trying Mom's Lemon Custard, the inaugural recipe on this blog (http://jinjahcookie.blogspot.com/2009/09/lemon-custard.html). I also recommended that he make Mom's wonderful Lemon Loaf, the best recipe for this loaf I've found so far.
I've adapted many loaf recipes by replacing shortening with vegetable oil, to remove the saturated fat. I find it usually works quite well in loaves, but decided to test on this recipe to be sure. You'll notice in the photo below that the loaf made with vegetable oil (left) turned out to have a much nicer shape and a lighter texture than the loaf made with shortening (right).
Loaf made with vegetable oil (left) and shortening (right)
My husband and fellow taste-tester agreed that there was no difference in flavour between the two loaves. Plus - and this is a bonus - you'll save yourself about 40 calories per loaf and a whack of saturated fat if you choose the vegetable oil option.
He was thinking of trying Mom's Lemon Custard, the inaugural recipe on this blog (http://jinjahcookie.blogspot.com/2009/09/lemon-custard.html). I also recommended that he make Mom's wonderful Lemon Loaf, the best recipe for this loaf I've found so far.
I've adapted many loaf recipes by replacing shortening with vegetable oil, to remove the saturated fat. I find it usually works quite well in loaves, but decided to test on this recipe to be sure. You'll notice in the photo below that the loaf made with vegetable oil (left) turned out to have a much nicer shape and a lighter texture than the loaf made with shortening (right).
Loaf made with vegetable oil (left) and shortening (right)
My husband and fellow taste-tester agreed that there was no difference in flavour between the two loaves. Plus - and this is a bonus - you'll save yourself about 40 calories per loaf and a whack of saturated fat if you choose the vegetable oil option.
EVER LOVIN' LEMON LOAF
Loaf Batter:
1/3 c. vegetable oil or shortening
1 c. white sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 c. all purpose flour
1/2 c. milk
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
Grated rind of 1 lemon
Glaze:
1/4 c. white sugar
Juice of 1 lemon
To prepare cake:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat insides of a regular loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray or butter. Set aside.
Beat together oil or shortening with sugar; add eggs one at a time, then add salt. Reduce mixer speed and add milk, mixing gently until combined. Add flour, baking powder and lemon rind all at once. Mix until thoroughly combined, scraping sides of bowl with spatula. Do not overmix or cake will be tough.
Loaf Batter:
1/3 c. vegetable oil or shortening
1 c. white sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 c. all purpose flour
1/2 c. milk
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
Grated rind of 1 lemon
Glaze:
1/4 c. white sugar
Juice of 1 lemon
To prepare cake:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat insides of a regular loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray or butter. Set aside.
Beat together oil or shortening with sugar; add eggs one at a time, then add salt. Reduce mixer speed and add milk, mixing gently until combined. Add flour, baking powder and lemon rind all at once. Mix until thoroughly combined, scraping sides of bowl with spatula. Do not overmix or cake will be tough.
Pour batter into loaf pan and let sit for 2 minutes, then place in oven and bake for 50 minutes or until done. Remove cake from oven.
To prepare glaze:
Squeeze juice from 1 lemon and strain seeds and pulp. Add sugar and mix until dissolved. Spoon glaze over hot cake while still in loaf pan. Let glaze soak into loaf in pan for 30 minutes, then remove to a rack until completely cooled.
To store:
Wrap in foil and refrigerate. Serve cool or bring to room temperature.
To prepare glaze:
Squeeze juice from 1 lemon and strain seeds and pulp. Add sugar and mix until dissolved. Spoon glaze over hot cake while still in loaf pan. Let glaze soak into loaf in pan for 30 minutes, then remove to a rack until completely cooled.
To store:
Wrap in foil and refrigerate. Serve cool or bring to room temperature.
Lisa it's good to know there's no flavour difference. Do you think the texture was better with the shortening? I think of this loaf as being sort of dense like a pound cake versus "light." How are they both today, on day 2, in terms of texture? Thanks /Mike
ReplyDeleteWell, the one made with oil seems to have disappeared, so I can't compare them on day 2! This recipe isn't nearly as dense as pound cake, so maybe you are remembering a different one? There wasn't a great difference in texture between the two loaves, though the one made with oil rose higher and we found it just slightly lighter.
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