Blue Ribbon Group Lemon Loaf Pound Cake
This luscious Lemon Loaf Pound Cake is a citrus lover’s dream. That’s especially true if said citrus lover also loves moist, flavorful cakes that are easy to make. The amazing aroma of this cake comes from combining vanilla extract, lemon extract, fresh-squeezed lemon juice, and lemon zest.
The recipe – which is based on this Minnesota State Fair blue ribbon winning cake – also calls for butter, whole milk, eggs, and sifted flour among its classic ingredients.
Grab a bag of lemons and make this winning recipe. You’ll marvel at its deliciousness.
-Cyndi
Lemon Loaf Pound Cake
Flour, butter for prepping your pan
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (for cake batter)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup whole milk, room temperature
1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons lemon zest
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon extract
Glaze:
1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted (+ or – for desired consistency)
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon whole milk
Lemon zest, slices (optional garnishes)
Heat the oven to 350 degrees F, with rack at mid-level. Thoroughly grease and flour your mini loaf pan (or other preferred pan). Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a medium bowl; set aside. Whisk milk with lemon juice, zest and extract; set aside. Beat butter in large bowl until creamy. Gradually add the granulated and brown sugars. Beat 2 minutes, stopping once or twice to scrape down sides of the bowl. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, scraping the sides of the bowl after each egg. Add the vanilla and lemon extracts. Beat 3 minutes until the mixture is very light and creamy. Set mixer speed to low. Gradually add 1/3 of the flour mixture, followed by 1/3 of the milk mixture. Repeat until all combined, stopping often to scrape down sides of the bowl. After adding all of the flour beat just until smooth. Pour into prepared pan (equal portions if using mini loaf pan.) Bake just until a toothpick inserted in the center of cake comes out clean.
- Mini Loaf Pan (9 loaf openings, 3 ¾ x 2 ¼-inches): Bake 20 minutes. Makes 16 mini loaves.
- Classic Loaf Pan: Bake 40-50 minutes. Makes 2 (8×4-inch to 9×5 inch sizes) 12-16 servings
- Bundt Pan: Bake 50-60 minutes. Makes 1 cake, 12-16 servings
Keep a close eye on the cakes, being careful to not overbake. Cool on wire rack 10 minutes. Carefully remove the cakes to finish cooling on rack. Just before serving, mix glaze ingredients to desired consistency. Drizzle on top of cakes.
This recipe is a variation of this award-winning cake, which won Best Overall Cake aka Grand Cake of the Fair at the 2013 Minnesota State Fair, as baked by Candace Freeman.
