GF Lemon Loaf Cake
With lemon jewels included
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Today we’re covering a classic. Lemon loaf is a type of pound cake, which has been around since the 18th-century, and relies on the very pleasing ratio of equal parts butter:sugar:eggs:flour. At some point, some diva added lemon juice and a crunchy, lemony glaze when the loaf was still hot from the oven. Later, people started adding chemical leaveners to the batter to achieve a lighter, airier texture. A couple years ago, Nicola Lamb added chopped segments of lemon to her recipe—genius.
Now, I’ve tinkered with this classic to ensure the butter quantity can properly tenderise the gluten-free flours (because they’re less capable of absorbing fat), developing a custom flour blend that results in the ideal flavour and crumb, and adjusting the leavening to achieve a gloriously level top (essential here because the crunchy lemon topping needs to spread and soak into the cake evenly) and airy interior.
You’ll need to supreme some lemons to combine into the batter, which is worth the hassle because they add so much textural interest and beautifully balance the sweetness of the cake. I’ve included a short video below the recipe in case you need a visual guide. If this is your first time supreming citrus: you can use this same technique to include pith-less oranges in a dessert or add grapefruit to a salad etc. You need a very sharp paring knife to supreme safely, so if you don’t have one, a small serrated knife works well instead.
Overview
Zest and supreme the lemons, then chop the segments into pieces. Prepare the batter, beat in the flour blend and lemons, and bake. After removing from the oven, mix the lemon glaze together and pour all over the cake. Allow to cool before serving.
