Whenever I have leftover brown bananas, I make banana bread. So, when I had leftover lemons, why not do the same? While this is called a bread, to me, the bread itself tasted more like a lemon scented pound cake. The cake is moist and buttery, dotted with lemon zest. Then, the glaze adds a nice jolt of lemon flavor, as well as sweetness. I love how the lemon zest sugar looks on top of the bread and how it gives it more lemon taste and some texture. Similar to pound cake, this bread tastes better the next day. It becomes more moist and seems to absorb some of the flavor from the glaze. I have never had Starbuck’s Iced Lemon Pound Cake, but a few of the online reviews mentioned that this bread tasted similar, but it is even better. I’ll have to test this declaration the next time I go to Starbucks. Regardless, this bread, cake, pound cake, whatever you want to call it, is delicious.
Lemon Tea Bread
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons lemon rind, divided
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Beat softened butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add 1 cup granulated sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.
Stir together flour, baking powder, and salt; add to butter mixture alternately with milk, beating at low speed just until blended, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Stir in 1 tablespoon lemon rind. Spoon batter into greased and floured 8- x 4-inch loaf pan.
Bake at 350° for 1 hour (mine only took 45 minutes…so keep a careful eye on it at about 40 minutes.) or until a wooden pick inserted in center of bread comes out clean. Let cool in pan 10 minutes. Remove bread from pan, and cool completely on a wire rack.
Stir together powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth; spoon evenly over top of bread, letting excess drip down sides. Stir together remaining 1 tablespoon lemon rind and 1 tablespoon granulated sugar; sprinkle on top of bread.
Source: Southern Living October 2004
