Do you ever eye a cake recipe, take the time to buy the right ingredients — I’m looking at you, cake flour and sour cream — and then waffle around for a few days, because you’re not sure you have the time to make the cake, only to then make a different cake at the last minute, because it doesn’t involve the stand mixer you don’t have? And then, when you finally do decide to make that cake, do you start at 9 p.m. and decide you’re fine with the fact that you’ll be eating cake at 11 p.m.?
Cool, me too.
In part two of our series where I can’t decide what to do and waste half the night in indecision, we make this lemon loaf cake.
It was so worth it, but wow – how does Kaz put up with me?!
Oh right, I give him cake as a peace offering.
This cake was supposed to be a sour cream coffee cake from Ina Garten, but – if you couldn’t guess from my monologue – she recommends using a stand mixer, which I don’t have. Sure, I could muster through with a few makeshift options, but I didn’t feel like it that night.
I did, however, still have a craving for a sour cream-based cake. So I searched for a bit and landed on this recipe from Two Peas & Their Pod, which touted its whisk-only-no-fancy-equipment-needed instructions. I was so on board. Ina can be too much for me sometimes. Don't even start me on how she lists "good" olive oil.
For the love of Ina, if you're going to have cake at 11 p.m., you may as well lick the spoon.
Of course, after reading Two Peas & Their Pod's post in its entirety, I learned this recipe was adapted from Ina Garten, swapping the yogurt for sour cream. Sometimes you can’t escape the Barefoot Contessa. How perfect is that?
This cake and homemade glaze were easy to make. It was an indulgent late night snack – and an even better breakfast the next day. I hope you make it and enjoy it at an absurd time of day, too.
Lemon Loaf Cake
From the Barefoot Contessa, adapted by Two Peas & Their Pod
Ingredients
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. kosher salt
1 cup sour cream
1 1/3 cup sugar, divided
3 extra-large eggs
2 tsp. grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
½ tsp. pure vanilla extract
½ cup vegetable or canola oil
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Grease a loaf pan and line with parchment paper. Grease and flour the pan again.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into a small/medium bowl.
In another, larger bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup sugar, eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla.
Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
With a rubber spatula, fold the vegetable oil into the batter, making sure it’s all incorporated.
Pour the batter into the pan and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a cake tester placed in the center of the loaf comes out clean.
Meanwhile, cook 1/3 cup lemon juice and remaining 1/3 cup sugar in a small pan until sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Set aside.
When the cake is done, allow it to cool for 10 minutes, then place on a baking rack over a sheet pan.
While the cake is still warm, pour the lemon-sugar mixture over the cake and allow it to soak in. Let cool.
For the glaze, combine the confectioners’ sugar and lemon juice and pour over the cake.
Slice and serve.
Test Kitchen Notes
I thought the recipe yielded too much lemon sugar syrup. I only ended up using half, so you could probably cut it down to begin with. 1/4 cup proportions might work instead.
You could also jazz this up with blueberries or other fruits - strawberries, orange zest.