Strawberry-Lemon Loaf Cake

Photo by Brigitte Tohm from Pexels

As noted in the recipe I clipped this from (New York Times cooking site), “this cake is summer in a loaf pan,” and they are on the money with that description. Light, breezy, bursting with the sweetness of the strawberries and the subtle tartness of lemon, it is just begging to be taken along on a picnic, late-summer BBQ, or (my personal favorite) with a cup of tea in the afternoon. 

The pictures really don’t do this cake justice, but believe me, you will love this cake!

Strawberry-Lemon Loaf Cake (NYT)

Ingredients:

Cake:

Non-stick cooking spray

1 C/150 grams diced strawberries (fresh, don’t use frozen)

1 C/200 grams plus 1 TB granulated sugar

1-1/2 C/192 grams AP flour

1 TB lemon zest (from 1 lemon)

2 t baking powder

1/2 t kosher salt

1 C/227 grams sour cream, at room temp

1/2 C/110 grams vegetable oil

3 large eggs, at room temp

1 TB lemon juice

1 t pure vanilla extract

Lemon glaze:

1 C/123 grams confectioners’ sugar

1 TB lemon zest (from 1 lemon)

2 TB lemon juice

Directions:

1. Make the cake: heat oven to 350°F. Spray 9x5” loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
2. In a small bowl, toss strawberries with 1 TB sugar to macerate while you prepare the cake batter.
3. In large bowl, combine flour, lemon zest, baking powder, salt and remaining 1 C sugar. Whisk to combine. In a second large bowl, combine the sour cream, oil, eggs, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Whisk to combine.
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, and stir gently to mix. Lift the macerated berries out of their liquid and add to the batter. Gently fold in the berries until evenly incorporated.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean, 60-70 minutes. If it looks to be browning on top too much, tent with aluminum foil. Cool it in the pan on a rack for about 10 minutes, then un-mold the cake carefully and transfer to the rack to cool completely.
6. Make the glaze: in a small bowl, combine the confectioners’ sugar with the lemon zest and juice and stir until smooth. Pour the glaze over the cooled cake. Let stand until set.