Lemon Raspberry Loaf
This Lemon Raspberry Loaf Cake is bursting with lemon flavor, and a slight tartness from fresh raspberries. The sour cream, in the batter, adds extra moisture. The luscious Pink Raspberry Glaze is the crowning glory!
Equipment
- Nonstick cooking spray, for the loaf pan recommended: Baker's Joy Spray (can omit flouring the pan this way)
- 8x4" Loaf Pan
Ingredients
For the wet ingredients:
- 1 cup granulated sugar 200 grams
- 1 lemon zested
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter 112 grams ; at room temperature
- 3 eggs at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/4 cup lemon juice (about 1 lemon) 60 milliliters
- ¼ tsp Pure lemon oil optional; recommended LorAnn Oil
- 1/2 cup sour cream 120 grams
For the dry ingredients:
- 2 cups flour, plus more for the loaf pan 260 grams
- 1 cup raspberries 120 grams
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
For the glaze:
- 1/2 cup raspberries 60 grams
- 1 to 2 tablespoons water 15 to 30 milliliters
- 1 teaspoon corn syrup optional
- 1 - 1 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar 130 to 190 grams ; sifted
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice 15 milliliters
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
Instructions
For the loaf:
- Preheat oven to 375℉ . Grease an 8-by-4-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray and coat lightly with flour. OR, spay the pan with Baker's Joy Baking Spray and omit dusting with flour.
For the wet ingredients:
- Add the granulated sugar to a large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer and zest over the lemons. Using your hands, rub the lemon zest into the sugar until very fragrant and the sugar starts to turn a light yellow color. Add the butter and beat on high until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in the vanilla and almond extracts. Stir in the sour cream and lemon juice and lemon oil (if using).
For the dry ingredients:
- Set out two bowls and add the 2 cups of flour to one and the raspberries to the other. Scoop a scant tablespoon of the flour onto the raspberries, toss gently to coat and set aside. Add the baking powder and salt to the bowl of flour and whisk to combine. Add the dry ingredients into the wet, stirring just until combined. NOTE: It's best to gently stir, rather than using an electric mixer to avoid building up gluten.
- Add about a third of the batter into the prepared pan and spread into an even layer. Scatter over half of the flour coated raspberries and continue layering in the batter and raspberries, ending with a layer of batter.NOTE: I mistakenly gently folded the raspberries into the dough, and that resulted in an uneven distribution of berries! It didn't affect the good taste, though.
- Bake the loaf until peaked, golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes. Set aside to cool completely. NOTE: I checked my loaf at 55 minutes, with a wooden skewer, and it was done!
Glaze the loaf:
- Mash or blitz the raspberries with 1 tablespoon of water and the corn syrup, if using, into a puree. NOTE: I used my immersion blender to do this. Easy!Press the puree through a fine-mesh sieve to remove the seeds. Be sure to scrape puree off the bottom of the fine-mesh sieve.Add the raspberry puree to the confectioners’ sugar in a medium bowl along with the lemon juice and almond extract. Stir into a smooth glaze, adding more water or confectioners’ sugar if needed to reach a thick but pourable consistency.
- Pour the glaze over the loaf and allow it to set up before slicing and serving.
Notes
Recipe source: Very slightly adapted from "Mary Makes It Easy, Food Network".