Glaze makes loaf extra lemony
I hate powdered sugar. I’m aware it’s sugar, powdered. It’s also cut with cornstarch, to curb clumping. Taste a spoonful: vile. Sift it: instant coughing fit.
Most recipes made with powdered sugar are better without.
Like glaze. Lemon juice stirred into powdered sugar makes a thick, white goo that glares from the top of lemon loaf. Lemon juice melted into granulated sugar forms a thin, shiny syrup that soaks into the loaf, bolstering its potency and imparting a glamorous gloss. Very Lemon Loaf Preparation time: 45 minutes Baking time: 1 hour Makes: One loaf, 9 by 5 by 3 inches 4 large or 6 small lemons, scrubbed 1 stick unsalted butter (plus about 2 tsp for pan), softened 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 1 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp kosher salt 1 1/2 cups sugar 2 whole eggs plus 1 yolk 1 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
Finely grate zest from lemons. Measure 2 Tbsp zest and set aside. Juice lemons. Butter a 9by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan. Heat oven to 350 F. Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.
Drop butter into the bowl of a stand mixer. On medium-high speed, beat fluffy, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl as needed, about 1 minute. Cascade in 1 cup sugar, still beating; beat fluffy, about 1 minute. Slide in eggs and yolk; beat fluffy. Beat in ricotta, the 2 Tbsp zest and 1/4 cup of the juice. Slide in flour mixture; beat on low speed just to combine.
Scrape batter into prepared pan; smooth top. Bake until cake is golden brown on top and a toothpick stabbed in the centre comes out flecked with crumbs, 55 to 60 minutes. Cool, 10 minutes. Run a blunt knife around the sides to loosen edges. Turn out; set on a rack over a rimmed baking sheet.
While cake is baking, make glaze. Pour remaining 1/2 cup sugar into a medium saucepan. Measure in 1/4 cup juice. Simmer until sugar has dissolved and syrup thickens a bit, about 3 minutes. Brush glaze over top and sides of warm lemon loaf. (You might not use all the glaze.) When cool (or just barely warm), slice and serve.