Zesty Lemon Loaf

Oh my god. I made this for the first time, with a few changes, and the result was INCREDIBLE. Melt-in-your-mouth texture, tender... mmmm. I reduced sugar to 2/3 cup, and beat the butter (yes, butter) for 3mins, sugar for 3 mins, eggs + extracts (vanilla, almond, orange)for 3 mins, (used sour cream instead of buttermilk) and then added the final ingredients- plus I alternated between flour mixture and liquid beginning with flour mixture. (the flour, salt, baking powder) I guarentee my mixing method will work. ;)

There are 5-star recipes, and then there are FIVE STAR recipes. This is a FIVE STAR recipe. Oh my goodness, what a treat! Moist and lemony and exquisitely delicious. I used a combination of lemons and limes to use what I had on hand and Limoncello for the Grand Marnier (Triple Sec would have been a fine substitute too!) I did add the ginger as directed, but quite honestly neither Hubs nor I could detect it. As for the syrupy drizzle, I boiled the lemon juice/ sugar mixture for a couple of minutes to make sure the sugar was dissolved. Man oh man, that cake soaked that right up! (I brushed it over the cake, little by little, with a pastry brush) No wonder it was so good and sweet and sinfully moist and lemony! But I didn't stop there. The cake looked half-dressed, and looked like it could use some accessorizing. So I made a powdered sugar glaze with about a cup of powdered sugar and enough lemon juice and milk to make it about the consistency of thick Elmer's Glue, and then gave it a few shavings of fresh grated lemon zest. I swear that took it right over the top. Hubs and I had a little taste of the cake and I was proud to give the rest away to some friends in Naples. We were told it completely disappeared in a matter of a few minutes. I promised those who weren't lucky enough to get any I'd be back with more.

Made 2 batches today and love the taste and texture. There may be a possible error in the recipe or I am totally misreading it. I can not find where it says to add the ginger. I accidentally left it out of the first batch. The second batch, I added it to the dry mixture. The GINGER is a must! It really adds that extra touch. So 4 stars with no ginger, 5 stars when you add it.

This is a nice basic lemon loaf recipe. The buttermilk makes it very tangy. Definitely a great starter. I wanted an easy recipe and I got it. I like a super strong lemon flavor, so I added a half cup of lemon juice straight to the batter, and to make it extra moist a package of lemon pudding/pie filling. I omitted the alcohol and I don't think it tasted like it was lacking anything. I would like to make it again using blueberries and a cream cheese icing, I think that would be great! For this amount of batter I used it to make two 8x4 loaves for 50 minutes.

This recipe turned out GREAT. The loaf pans should be 9x5. I used 8x4 pans and used the extra batter for cupcakes. For one loaf I added poppyseeds and the other half I add partially thawed mango. I just furthur cubed the large frozen mango cubes that I had partially thawed (hard frozen mango is impossible to chop). I used ammaretto instead of orange liqueur and used sour cream thinned out with milk for the buttermilk I didn't have. The lemon glaze on top adds alot of sparkle to the loaves. Thanks for the great recipe!!

Absolutely delicious! Exactly what I was looking for. I think its very close to a pound cake consistancy. Very versitale, I had to make changes since I didn't have all the ingredients. Didn't have orange liquer so I used lemon juice instead. Used ground ginger and added it to the wet ingredients. I reduced the lemon juice in the icing, and added milk. Powder sugar was probably what was intended when listed as "white" sugar. Excellent cake! Light ginger taste goes very well will the zesty lemon.

I made this for a pot luck as a dessert. I dressed it up with crystalized grpaes and tangerines...so nice! My husband told me it was the best cake as it is not too sweet or tart...just right. Others have asked me for the recipe, so I say it is a winner! Easy to make and it stays fresh for days.

love it , melts on ur mouth , i added 3 teaspoon of poppy seeds .

Simple to put together and as darned near close to perfect as can be created! I was aiming for maximum lemon flavor without using the glaze, so in place of Grand Marnier I used limoncello, which was right on target. This isn't what I'd describe as a true pound cake, which follows the 1:1:1 ratio (one pound each flour, sugar and eggs, with no leavening,) either in ingredients or texture. The crumb is far more delicate, and it's more airy than a traditional pound cake. It's actually a very refined, complex product. What it does share in common with a pound cake is how moist it is. Because of the baking powder, the moistness is there, with no trace of heaviness. Because I'm diabetic, I skipped the additional sugar that the glaze would have added, and it was never missed. The result was full of fresh lemon flavor. If you have limoncello, an Italian lemon liqueur (I always keep a bottle in the freezer. Makes a fabulous summer aperatif!) I heartily recommend using it in place of the Grand Marnier, which although most likely delicious too, lends an orange flavor. I aimed to underscore, not distract from, the lemony taste. Topped the cake with home made strawberry ice cream, and it was a dessert fit to make Escoffier weep!!

I made this loaf for a bake sale and it was so popular, it sold out in minutes. I followed the recipe exactly and the result was a rich loaf with a perfect sweet/tart balance. The key to this recipe is the lemon juice/sugar glaze. It is a thin liquid glaze that soaks into the loaf (its not an icing). At first, I wondered what I was going to do with all the glaze, it seemed like a lot. As soon as the loaves came out of the oven, while they were still hot, rather than drizzling it over the loaves, I brushed the glaze all over - top, sides and bottom. I just kept brushing it on until it was all used up (it soaks in fast), then let the loaves cool on a rack. You could also leave the loaves in the pans and pour the glaze over top of them and let it soak in. Either way, it is the glaze that makes the loaves moist and lemony and "melt in your mouth" Thanks for the great recipe!

I decided to make this an orange pound loaf by substituting the lemon zest and juice with orange zest and juice, and omitted the ground ginger entirely. I also substituted orange juice in making the glaze. This worked out very nicely.

The glaze was the best part of this recipe, and I will definitely use that again on another lemon cake. However, the cake was just okay, and I didn't get any "zesty" at all. Couldn't taste the acidity of the buttermilk, the flavor of the Grand Marinier, or the ginger's zing. I had high hopes, but it is actually kind of blah.

I was so pleased with the results! I took others' advice and added lemon juice to the batter. It makes the buttermilk curdle, but that's ok, as it all evens out when you mix with the dry ingredients. I also added a cap-full of almond extract, and omitted the liqueur as I didn't have any. I halved the recipe because I only wanted one loaf. Definitely a keeper! Not too dry, but not too moist, either. Not too sweet, not too heavy.

I goofed the first couple of times and used regular white sugar not confectioners sugar; the clear glaze soaked into the loaf. Then wrapping it with plastic wrap allowed the loaf to absorb the sweet glaze. Still have not added the Grand Marnier because I thought it was too much to pay for 2 tbsp of flavor. Now that I've made the recipe at least a dozen times I wish I had tried the liquor. I will use powdered sugar and the liquor next. But always end up making more loafs to use up the buttermilk. I like the consistency when in a 9" rather than 8" pan. The best part is serving it with a lemon gelato and fresh blueberries and raspberries!

This was a tasty cake with lots of lemon flavor. Adults will probably enjoy it more than children, because it's pretty tangy. It's a bit lighter than a pound cake, but heavier than a regular cake. I used 1 cup of milk mixed with 1/4 c. lemon juice, as I didn't have any buttermilk. Also, the glaze was WAY too thin--I think a tablespoon of lemon juice would have been enough. I put a little of the glaze (I thickened it with lots more powdered sugar)on while the cake was warm and added a bit more when it had cooled. This way some soaked in, and some remained on top.

This is the best recipe I have tried for lemon cake. The texture is velvety smooth and the taste is absolutely spot on. Just the right amount of lemon. Follow the recipe exactly, especially the Grand Marnier (it's worth the splurge). If you like lemon cake, you'll be in heaven!

My husband LOVED this bread. I had a few blueberries in the frig so I added them to the batter. So good - it is a good thing this recipe made two loaves! Used 9 by 5 inch bread pans for this recipe.

Sweet lemony goodness. Like other reviewers, I could not detect the ground ginger, so next time I am curious to try a teaspoon of fresh grated. I substituted sour cream for the buttermilk, and made the icing using powdered sugar (about a cup and a half) with the half cup of fresh lemon juice and about a tablespoon of milk. I just kept sprinkling in powdered sugar until it formed a thick white paste.

Very good, great flavor and baked up nicely. My icing was really runny and mostly absorbed in to the cake, would have preferred the icing on top like some of the pictures. Overall very good.

I've just finished baking this and haven't actually tasted it yet, but it smells pretty good! Two problems with the recipe... it calls for ginger in the ingredients, but doesn't mention it in the directions. I had fresh ginger on hand so added it with the wet ingredients. The other possible problem is the second amount of sugar says "white sugar" so that's what I used, white granulated sugar, same as in the main recipe. I think it was supposed to be icing sugar though, judging by the photograph! I didn't need nearly that much sweet lemon juice - maybe half. It perhaps would be different if it was icing sugar...??? Can't wait to try it anyway! :)

This halved well. I made it in a 9x5x3 loaf pan, and it didn't seem like enough batter, so I also reduced the baking time to 45 minutes. Perfectly moist. Next time for a higher looking loaf, I'll use my smaller pan and increase the time to what the recipe suggests. For the glaze, I chose to bump it up with some grated frozen ginger.

I made this recipe three times in less than a month for different events. Each time it was devoured. The first two times I followed the recipe exactly. The third time I heated the glaze on the stovetop before I poured it over the loaves. I personally liked it a little more with the glaze heated, but my husband said he liked it equally either way. Wonderful recipe that I will use over and over again.

This turned out delicious! Moist and rich like a pound cake, fluffy and light like a loaf. I only rated the recipe 4 stars though because I changed it right off the bat. I skipped the liqueur, subbed orange juice and grated some orange rind into the batter. I mixed as per another review: beating well after each egg, then alternated adding wet and dry ingredients to the base, ending with dry. I also spooned some additional orange juice + white sugar over the hot cake, then frosted with an orange juice + confectioner's sugar glaze. I will definitely make this again. Thanks for sharing!

I've made this several times now and absolutely love it. I always half the mixture and instead of the liqueur I just use a couple spoons of lemon juice. I've also made it using milk instead of buttermilk as I had none left and added a spoon of lemon juice to the milk 10 mins before using and I didn't notice a difference to the taste or consistency. The volumes of lemon juice and icing sugar in the recipe didn't work for me. I just slowly added a few tablespoons of the lemon juice to make the right consistency.

I have made this several times. Warning: it's very hard to stop with 1 small piece. I always use "soured" milk instead of buttermilk, and the past two times I have subbed Triple Sec for Grand Marnier (thought that would go over better than the Blue Curacao orange liqueur I had). Since this makes 2 loaves, I usually put the second one in the freezer (well wrapped), and have something to pull out for a last minute dinner invite or potluck. I think it may be even better when it defrosts - more lemony.

Just so-so - The cake itself was a bit dense and I'm not too sure what was going on with the sugar and lemon juice at the end? This recipe calls for 3/4 cup white sugar, that is mixed with the lemon juice then drizzled over the top. Does that mean granulated or powdered sugar because I used granulated sugar and it didn't look anything like the picture...it was runny and tasteless.

This was delicious. Did not taste the grand marnier or the ginger. Next time would add lemon juice in place of the grand marnier. When it was cooked I let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then poked holes all over the cake and then spooned on the sugar/lemon sauce slowly so that it absorbed. I let the cake cool completely before taking it out of the pan. It was perfect and very lemony. It was cooked at 45 minutes in a 9x5 loaf pan.

I have made many lemon loaf recipes in the past, all never as good as I was hoping. This is the very best ever--lemony, moist, and absolutely delicious!!

YUM. This is a nice, lemony cake that I will definitely make again. I added blueberries because lemon and blueberry, heck yeah. Also, the gremlins appear to have stolen three of my four loaf pans, so instead of making two loaves I made one bundt cake, increasing the bake time by about 10 minutes. I goofed slightly, misreading the directions & thus didn't glaze it until after it cooled, which prevented the liquid from really soaking in. Even so, the cake was moist and delicious. This recipe is definitely a keeper.

I used half butter and half oil to make it a little more moist. Also replaced the Grande Marnier with orange and lemon juice. Wonderfully moist cake that was all gone within minutes of my serving it.

This bread came out as a lovely pound cake. I did add to the batter 2 1/2 tablespoons of zest and 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice, and used milk soured with lemon juice instead of buttermilk. I did not add any alcohol or ginger. If using a dark-colored loaf pan, lower the temperature by 25 degrees as I did and bake a little longer. I used a food processor with dough attachment to mix the dough, alternating some of the dry and wet ingredients as advised in other comments. As for the glaze, I made the mistake of using the full 1/2 cup lemon juice and then added confectioner sugar (recipe should be corrected). I added about a cup of sugar, and it was still quite sour. I would recommend using less lemon juice. A glaze is quite important to finishing the taste of this cake. Without it, the cake is fairly uninteresting.

I took other reviewers advice on 1) beating the butter alone before adding other ingredients 2) alternating adding the wet and the dry ingredients. After tasting the batter, I added extra ginger. As for the topping, I heated up the lemon juice on the stove then stirred in and dissolved regular sugar. Then poked holes (about 12) in the top of the loaf before pouring it over all 4 sides. It was sticky, but I liked the flavor throughout the loaf.

Love this loaf, will definitely be making this again. I received many compliments on this. Only change for the future is I will add some lemon juice to the batter for more intense flavor. The glaze is really good.

This was a moist and delicious cake. I followed the recipe exactly with the exception of the buttermilk. I only had about half of what was required so I used sour cream to make up the rest. The glaze seemed like it was pretty sweet so I used more lemon juice for that tart tang I was looking for. The cake stuck a little bit when I tried to remove it from the pan. Next time I will use parchment paper to bake the cake and use it to cradle the cake as I lift it out of the pan. I think this would also be wonderful with blueberries mixed in or possibly a blueberry sauce.

I found this recipe to be a bit more work than I was up for, but it yielded 2 moist and light loaves. I added more lemon zest to the batter, but felt it still could have had more lemon flavor-it was a bit too subtle. The glaze was terrific.

Loaf turned out GREAT....icing not so much. Dont use 1/2 cup of lemon juice. It should be only 3 to 4 teaspoons.

I really like very lemony baked goods so as I was making this recipe I got little overzealous and accidentally added the lemon juice to the batter, and it was DELICIOUS! I also folded in a cup of macerated frozen blueberries and a half tsp of turmeric (more for color than anything else). I used all sugar substitute since my mother is a diabetic and I wanted to make these more diabetes friendly for her. The ended result was superb. I made mini loaves with no topping and baked for 30 mins. Thanks for this!

used triple sec, and a tablespoon of amaretto in mix, then added a table spoon of triple sec in the glaze.

This is easily the best lemon loaf I've made! It just needs to be clear that in the glaze.. By white sugar, they mean icing sugar. I used just white sugar and after realized the mistake. But it's amazing!

Declious made it for the family they killed it I made my frosting with powdered sugar and fresh squeezed lemon

It was a very moist cake - although, it did not have the strong lemon flavoring I was looking for - it was enjoyed by most who tasted it. I’m not sure I would make it again - will look for a cake with a stronger lemon flavor...

This is AWESOME! I followed the recipe for the most part. I didn't have any brandy so just used some orange juice instead. I also really love lemon so I added a tsp of lemon extract. Delicious!

Just made this and it turned out perfectly, will absolutely make again. Don't skimp on the zest, and our batch was made with the old "lemon juice + milk" buttermilk substitute instead which worked great.

Took this to a sunday school class and everyone loved it!! I didn't have and liquor so I made a simple syrup and added orange extract as a substitute. I also brought the sugar and water to a boil and let cool to ensure the sugar was fully dissolved. At the end I made a powdered sugar glaze with fresh lemon juice and glazed again when cool. it was perfect... will make again for sure

Wow! Great lemon flavor, and a beautiful moist crumb. Could not taste the ginger at all. Substituted lemon juice for the rum because I didn't have it. Halved the recipe and made three mini loaves, baked for 35 minutes. Made the soaking syrup with regular granulated sugar and it was fine. I will definitely make this again!

Used Yogurt instead of buttermilk.

I added 1/4 cup lemon juice to the batter just because I love lemon. This loaf was super moist and absolutely delicious. A definite must make again.

No changes. Followed recipe exactly. Came out delicious and very lemony! Will make again.

The cake was okay; if I make it again, I'd add lemon extract to the batter and bake in an 8x5 pan (I used 9x4). After reading the reviews, I opted for confectioner's sugar for the glaze, and only used half the lemon juice; this turned out nicely and was just the right amount of glaze - I think it's what saved the cake!

awesomeness!!!!

Turned out delicious . I didn't have an egg beater so I didn't fluff up the butter/sugar enough and it didn't rise properly I think.. as it looks about half the size there. I also made only 1 loaf (halved the recipe). Also did not add the liquor, just a bit of juice. Pic attached.

This loaf is to die for. I wouldn't spend the money on brandy based orange liqueur, so I used brandy and zested and orange. Everything else was made as the recipe calls for it. I prefer to make it according to the recipe first, then decide if it should be changed later. One loaf was for the family and the other was for work. Everyone that tried it loved it and wants the recipe. Yep it's a keeper.

For my first attempt I slightly overfilled my tin and the cake took a bit longer to bake. The result was slightly darker top and a bit dry. The glaze definitely saved it though as it was able to penetrate the top and moisten my cake up a bit. I would reccomend covering the cake with a bit of foil for the first half of the bake then take it off for the last 20 minutes or so. Cake was delicious even though it was a little dry at the bottom half. Definitely going to try again.

This recipe was a huge hit! Everyone was impressed with the moistness and taste. Used a dusting of confection sugar for the topping.

Just made this cake for a friend. Unfortunately, I cannot give it to her because In recipe I read oven temp to be 350 but also saw 175 c and inadvertently set temp at 375 so my cake came out way too dark. Tastes really good. Will try this again soon. Very angry with myself!

Phenomenal! Made the first time for a big birthday bash! Sunflower theme, lemon drinks and destroys.

Love it!

Made it 3 times and it's very good. Only problem I have (noob) is that the loaf "flattens" from when I first take it out of the oven. How long am I supposed to leave it in the pan before taking it out to cool on a cooling rack?

Just made this recipe. I mistakenly added the 1/2 cup of lemon juice to the batter. It was the best mistake ever! In my oven, 50 minutes was too long. Next time I would bake for 40-45 minutes max. I am not an expert baker so I have to figure out how to make that glaze. I followed the recipe but it didn't come out great.

I didn't have Grand Marnier in the house, so I used rum and orange extract. I ground up some crystallized ginger with part of the sugar instead of using powdered ginger, and I accidentally used 1.5 cups of buttermilk. I'm surprised by the number of reviewers who think glaze = white frosting on top of the loaf and then complain that the cake is too plain. I poked a grid of holes into the loaves, and poured the glaze on them, then waited the 5 minutes before turning them out onto a rack. (I used a piece of plastic wrap to protect my hand from the stickiness.) Delicious, and tangy!

Great recipe. Tasty, tangy and moist. I used Limoncello like naples 34102 for the liquor and also iced it using 1 cup of powdered sugar, fresh lemon juice and a splash of buttermilk . Will make again and intend to use a toothpick to make holes in cake before pouring lemon syrup over top for better absorption into cake.

Delicious pound cake. My husband received some grand marnier for Christmas so I decided why not try this recipe. I was a little afraid of the ginger, but I really couldn't pick the flavor of ginger out. The lemon and sugar soaking into the cake after baking made it moist and very flavorful.

I have made this alot of times now. I have an orange tree so I make orange loaf also. I have added chocolate chips to the orange. I have also added blueberries to both flavors. Instead of the expensive grand marnier we got ( at a Christmas party) a huge bottle of brandy and have mixed orange extract with it. Also I use powder buttermilk and add 1 c water and 1/4 lemon/orange juice. My kids are older and they love this bread. This bread freezes well. I make 2 or 3 batches and freeze for guests or if I need to bring something somewhere.

3 lemons 2 Powdered sugar Fresh ginger

the buttermilk gives it a sour taste. I'll try again with cream or half and half.

In case anyone's discouraged at the prospect of buying a big bottle of Grand Marnier just to get the 2 tablespoonfuls needed for this recipe, I have good news: it's available in a 50ml airline/minibar sized bottle. That translates to 3.38 tablespoons. Alternatively, you could substitute a smaller amount of orange (or lemon!) extract (or some of each), making up the difference with water, or use frozen concentrated orange juice, each with different effects on the cake. But some may still wish to consider buying a regular-sized bottle of the liqueur. I've found that even though a large bottle of liqueur costs much more than a tiny bottle of either the liqueur or an extract, it can nevertheless end up being far cheaper to use, ounce for ounce (just a fraction of the cost). Of course, that's only a great savings if you'll actually use (or drink!) it all. (I've used Grand Marnier in several cake recipes.)

So good!! I made it as the recipe stated and it turned out perfect! I made it in a bunt pan rather than 2 pans so it needed about 10 extra minutes to cook. Also, like many of the review state, the white sugar for the glaze I think should be powdered sugar. Overall it’s a huge hit!

Loved this recipe. It is the best. I made it exactly as instructions describe, including pouring the lemon juice/sugar mixture over the hot, out of the oven, loaves. I did make one little addition to the COOLED loaves. I made up some icing with some extra lemon juice and confectioners sugar and drizzled it on top. Yummy.

I love this recipe but I made couple changes. 2 1/2 flour and not full cups of sugar. My topping was too sour for my taste. I wanted to be glazed but this recipe says to just put it on the hot cake.

I did not have buttermilk on hand so I made my own by mixing freshly squeezed lemon into organic whole milk.

lovely cake

Yummy

Very good. A very tasty pound cake. The only thing I would do to change it would to add a little lemon extract to give it more of a lemon flavor.

cake was ok. Then the glaze/frosting recipe is very strange.

Fluffy and light mouth feel, but firm texture makes it excellent for slicing. The sauce at the end was more runny and less “frosting-like” than I envisioned, but added a wonderful punch of fresh lemon flavor to the crisped crown of the loaf.

A nice, light lemon cake perfect for Summer. I made it for friends & it disappeared. I took extra time to beat the sugar & butter together so it would be light & fluffy. Followed another suggestion, using Limoncello instead of the orange liquor which enhanced the lemon flavor (and gave us a new beverage to try). I was surprised that the batter seemed to curdle when the buttermilk was added. Adding the flour mixture brought the batter back to what it should look like. Like another used said, the cake looked plain when the glaze was added. I followed their suggestion and added the powdered sugar glaze. That was too much for my taste. Next time I think I will use the recipe glaze and top it with a sprinkle of poppy seed & lemon zest. Maybe top that with a lemon slice and a blueberry. Oh, and this definitely makes two loaves. I used a regular loaf pan & 4 small loaf pans. Turned out great & was a nice gift to the neighbors.

Amazing recipe. Very lemony, everyone I've made it for has LOVED it. Tastes great! (You may need more sugar for the icing, though)

Easy to make and it was truly lemony......

I LOVE this recipe, it is so easy to do! The only thing i did differently was add some of the fresh squeezed lemon juice right into the batter

Great recipe! I froze a loaf, we'll see how it does later. But very yummy.

Loved it, family loved it, a new favourite.

Excellent !

A big hit. Moist and delicious!

Great recipe! I added 1 tbsp. vanilla extract instead of the liqueur.

I followed it according to the instructions. I did alternate the buttermilk and flour and mixed after each addition. Loving lemon cake I did add about 1 tablespoon of fresh juice to the batter. I went ahead and prepared the glaze using 1/4 cup of juice to the powdered sugar and glazed the loaves with it. The remainder of the juice, I prepared as a frosting and frosted the loaves. Winner!!!!!!!! My family loved it. Thanks for sharing and it is a keeper for me.

I really enjoyed baking this cake, my only modification was i used orange zest and squeezed the juice into two tb spoons of rum since I didn't have any orange liqueur. It smelled and tasted really great

Amazing! had to make this gluten free so I used rice flour and refined coconut sugar. followed the recipe for everything else.

I loved this! Perfect lemon flavour and crumb, everyone enjoyed it. I left out the liqueur because I didn't have any and it was still amazing. I have made lemon loaf before but this was by far the best.

I'm giving this to my father-in-law for his birthday and don't know how it tastes...yet. It appears to be a moist lemony loaf of goodness. I was a bit disappointed with the size of the loaf. I sort of knew that the loaves would be smaller than I like because of the measurements of flour, etc. If I make this again, I will use a smaller loaf pan, like an 8x4. The 9x5 yields too small a loaf. I also made a glaze to go on top, it seems too bare without it.

It is great and moist but my icing was wrong. After whisking, my icing was clear and just soaked into the cake.