Raspberry & Lemon Loaf
Loaf cake enthusiast here
Yeah, I’m a big lover of loaf cakes. They remind me of of bake sales, of sitting in coffee shops, of my best friend baking in our college kitchens, and of my mom’s OG marble cake. Don’t get me wrong, I love an extravagant cake when the occasion calls for it, but like, loaf cakes can be eaten any time of day, any occasion. Simple, uncomplicated, gorge.
This one in particular has been a long time coming. I’m kind of shocked I didn’t try to develop one before now tbh. At the moment, the raspberry bush in my mom’s garden is just giving us piles of berries, so it was the perfect time to nail the recipe down, and also to get some cute pics of a loaf cake. For some reason, I’ve always really struggled trying to photograph loaf cakes, but I think it turned out okay this time? (pls give me validation.)
About the recipe. I’m using oil here to get that super moist texture that butter just won’t give ya. The Greek-style yoghurt will give it a bit of fluffiness and a little bit of a tangy flavour too. And you can use either fresh or frozen raspberries, so use what you have! It’s a winner regardless.
Recipe
Ingredients
For the cake
120ml sunflower oil or neutral-tasting oil
190g caster sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
Freshly squeezed juice and zest of 1 lemon
120ml Greek-style yoghurt
210g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
A pinch of salt
120g fresh or frozen raspberries
For the glaze
40g icing sugar
2-3 tsp lemon juice
Lemon zest, for decoration
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F and line a 9 x 4 inch loaf tin with baking parchment. You can use a 9 x 5 inch loaf too, but your loaf cake won’t be as tall.
In a bowl, whisk together the oil, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, lemon zest and juice until well combined.
Add the Greek-style yoghurt into the bowl, and sift in the flour and baking powder along with it. Fold gently until there are no dry streaks remaining. The mixture might look a little lumpy, but don't worry, this is exactly what it should look like!
Next, add a light layer of the batter to the loaf tin, then add a layer of raspberries. Repeat twice more until all the raspberries are gone, and make sure to add a final layer of the batter on top to prevent the berries from burning. See recipe notes to find out why I recommend preparing the cake this way.
Bake your loaf cake in the oven for 45-55 minutes until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean, and the top of the cake is golden brown.
Remove from the oven, and allow to cool in the tin for two minutes, before removing and allowing to cool for about 30 minutes on a wire rack.
While the cake is cooling, make the icing. Mix the lemon juice and icing sugar together until a thick icing forms. If it's too thick, add a little extra lemon juice or water. If it's too thin, add a teaspoon or two of icing sugar.
Once the cake has cooled, drizzle the icing on top. Sprinkle some lemon zest if you’re feeling fancy, and allow to icing to set completely before slicing. Enjoy!
Notes
Layering the raspberries
Rather than adding the berries straight into the batter, I’ve said to layer the batter and berriesinto the loaf tin separately. Why? Sometimes they can sink, which results in all your berries at the bottom of all your slices. And sure that’s just upsetting. By alternating layers of the batter and the raspberries, you’re ensuring that they have a little something to prop themselves up on, and also making sure that each slice has a little bit of berry in all the right places.
Storage
Keep this cake in a container in a cool, dark place for up to four days. You can also slice and freeze it for up to three months.