Early Spring is such a back and forth time here in the Midwest. Some days it’s beautiful, sunny, 60 degrees. Other days (or weeks), it’s 35 degrees and raining/snowing/sleeting. Which is particularly brutal after the aforementioned beautiful 60 degree days. Anyways, lemon feels like a very bright, sunshine-y, spring flavor. So even if this week was a lot of bleak 35 degree rainy days, this lemon loaf is a nice bite of sunshine. The Spring flavor we need!
These were originally supposed to be decorated with Lemon Meringue Pie M&Ms, in a way similar to how I did here. But the glaze was too runny and the M&Ms did not stick in the way I wanted. Soo… a bit of a flop. They still tasted great though, so, only so much of a loss.
There’s a real lack of ideas, both on the internet and in my own head, for how to bake with M&Ms. They’re just a mix in for cookies or brownies. Which, I suppose… duh. They’re just like chocolate chips… you kind of just have to mix them in to things. But also, I feel like there should be more exciting ways to use them! I got all the bakery collection flavors and was hoping to go nuts. Yet, all I could think of was mixing them into cookies and brownies. Which I did with the chocolate cherry flavor already. And I didn’t want to be too repetitive and boring.
But I guess the fact that my idea didn’t work is a testament to why cookies and brownies are the most successful M&M bakes.
The Lemon Meringue Pie M&Ms are very tasty! Just like all the new flavors, I suppose. But the white chocolate and lemon is not a common candy flavor, and I appreciate it! Perhaps I’ll just… eat them.
These lemon loaves are great too. I baked them in the mini pans so I could pawn them off on my siblings, and I appreciate the addition of cream cheese to make it very pound-cake-y. I also used clear vanilla extract in the glaze and I think it really elevates it. But maybe that’s just my opinion. I really like the clear vanilla extract, and it’s nice both as the main flavor and as a complement flavor.
So cheers to lemon bakes! They can brighten up your day if it’s a dreary one, or simply match the day if it’s a beautiful one.
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PinIngredients
For the loaf
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 4 ounces (1/2 cup or 1/2 block) full-fat cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup + 2 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- zest of one lemon
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 3 eggs
- 1/4 cup milk, 2%
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
For the glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted (add pinch of salt if unsalted)
- 1-2 tablespoons whole milk
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Lemon meringue pie M&Ms or sprinkles (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- First, zest your lemon into the sugar and rub it in until the sugar is moistened and fragrant.
- To a large bowl, add the butter and cream cheese. Using a whisk or electric mixer, beat until smooth. Add the lemon sugar, salt, and baking powder.
- Beat until fluffy, about 2 – 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs until fully incorporated. Stir in the milk, vanilla extract, and almond extract.
- Add the flour and mix until combined, try your best not to overmix.
- Line a 9×5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper or spray with nonstick cooking spray. You can also use three mini loaf pans.
- Transfer the batter to the pan(s) and smooth the top into an even layer.
- Bake for 72 minutes if using a full loaf pan (40 minutes if using mini pans) or until light golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with very few crumbs.
- Cool in pan 15 minutes then transfer to a wire rack.
- While the cake cools, prepare the glaze. In a large bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, butter, 1 tablespoon of the milk, and vanilla.
- Slowly whisk in the remaining 1 tablespoon milk or until a pourable consistency. You may not need all of the milk. If the glaze is too thin, add more sugar.
- To test for consistency, take a spoonful of glaze and drizzle it back into the bowl. It should leave a ribbon trail for a few seconds before blending back into the glaze.
- Pour over cooled loaf as desired. Before it hardens, press in M&Ms or other decoration (like sprinkles), as desired. Let harden at room temperature for 2 hours or in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Notes
Adapted from Beat Bake Eat and Chocolate Moosey