Very Lemon Loaf

Very Lemon Loaf
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This lemon loaf is topped with a thin syrup that's made with lemon juice and granulated sugar. This recipe by Leah Eskin originally appeared in The Chicago Tribune.
Prep Time
45
minutes
Cook Time
60
minutes
Servings
10
servings
Total time: 1.73 hours
Ingredients
  • 4 large or 6 small lemons, scrubbed
  • 1 stick unsalted butter (plus about 2 teaspoons for pan), softened
  • 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 whole eggs plus 1 yolk
  • 1 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
Directions
  1. Finely grate zest from lemons.
  2. Measure 2 tablespoons zest, and set aside.
  3. Juice lemons.
  4. Butter a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan.
  5. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
  6. Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.
  7. Drop butter into the bowl of a stand mixer.
  8. On medium-high speed, beat fluffy, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl as needed, about 1 minute.
  9. Cascade in 1 cup sugar, still beating; beat fluffy, about 1 minute.
  10. Slide in eggs and yolk; beat fluffy.
  11. Beat in ricotta, the 2 tablespoons zest and ¼ cup of the juice.
  12. Slide in flour mixture; beat on low speed just to combine.
  13. Scrape batter into prepared pan; smooth top.
  14. Bake until cake is golden brown on top and a toothpick stabbed in the center comes out flecked with crumbs, 55 to 60 minutes.
  15. Cool, 10 minutes.
  16. Run a blunt knife around the sides to loosen edges.
  17. Turn out; set on a rack over a rimmed baking sheet.
  18. While cake is baking, make glaze.
  19. Pour remaining ½ cup sugar into a medium saucepan.
  20. Measure in ¼ cup juice.
  21. Simmer until sugar has dissolved and syrup thickens a bit, about 3 minutes.
  22. Brush glaze over top and sides of warm lemon loaf. (You may not use all the glaze.) When cool (or just barely warm), slice and serve.
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