Whole Lemon Loaf

Ingredients

• 1 whole lemon (Boil whole for 5 minutes, then chop and remove all seeds; keep the peel.)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs (The transcript is unclear, but indicates eggs are added to the lemon mixture.)
• 0.5 cup neutral oil (Use a mild-flavored oil such as vegetable, canola, or grapeseed oil.)
• 0.5 cup milk
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste (The transcript describes adding a little vanilla bean paste.)
• 0.25 tsp salt (The transcript describes adding a little salt.)
• 1.75 cup all-purpose flour (Sift with the other dry ingredients.)
• 1.5 tsp baking powder (Sift with the flour and other dry ingredients.)
• 1 tbsp butter (Melt and add to the batter for richness, as indicated by the transcript.)
• 1 cup powdered sugar (For the lemon-zest icing; adjust consistency as needed.)
• 1 tsp lemon zest (For the icing; add more to taste.)
• 1 tbsp lemon juice (For the icing; add gradually until pourable.)

Steps

1. 1

   Bring the whole lemon to a boil in a small saucepan and boil it for 5 minutes. Drain and allow it to cool enough to handle.

2. 2

   Chop the boiled lemon into pieces and carefully remove all seeds. Keep the peel attached; it will be blended into the batter.

3. 3

   Add the chopped seeded lemon, sugar, eggs, neutral oil, milk, vanilla bean paste, and salt to a blender. Blend until the lemon is very finely broken down and the mixture is smooth.

4. 4

   Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Grease a standard loaf pan and line it with parchment paper, leaving enough overhang to lift out the baked loaf.

5. 5

   Sift the flour and baking powder into the blended wet mixture. Fold gently with a spatula just until no dry streaks remain; do not overmix.

6. 6

   Add the melted butter and fold it through the batter until evenly incorporated.

7. 7

   Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread it evenly into the corners.

8. 8

   Bake at 325°F (165°C) for 50 minutes to 1 hour, until the loaf is risen, golden, and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean or with only a few moist crumbs.

9. 9

   Let the loaf rest in the pan for 10 minutes. Use the parchment overhang to transfer it to a wire rack, then cool completely.

10. 10

    Whisk the powdered sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice together to make a thick but pourable icing. Add the juice gradually so the icing does not become too thin.

11. 11

    Drizzle or spread the lemon-zest icing over the completely cooled loaf. Add as much icing as desired, then allow it to set briefly before slicing.

Notes

The transcript is partially garbled and does not provide exact quantities for most ingredients, so the amounts are practical estimates. Boiling the lemon helps soften the peel and reduce its bitterness, but remove every seed before blending. Store covered at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerated for up to 5 days.

Nutrition per serving

• dessert
• cake
• loaf cake
• baked
• lemon
• tea-time
• vegetarian