Ladylike Lemon Loaf Cake

The Apr. 16th recipe for Tuesdays with Dorie is Lemon Loaf Cake from the book Baking with Julia (see the sites of my fellow bloggers Truc or Michelle for the full recipe or refer to the cookbook pages 252-253).

Learn more about Tuesdays with Dorie and see links to the blogs of my fellow bakers.

There is something just so cozy about a loaf cake. I find it extremely pleasurable to curl up with a slice of loaf cake and a cup of tea. And they are so simple to make!

I made this Lemon Loaf Cake as a dish-to-pass for a large family Easter buffet dinner. I was afraid it was going to be under-cooked, so I gave it an extra 5-10 minutes. I wish I hadn't because it ended up a touch dry for my taste. Easily fixed by adding some saucy berries that another guest so thoughtfully brought! I would make this again and not be afraid of a wet-looking toothpick.

I tried to look up the history of the loaf cake online, but other than finding them mentioned in early 20th century American recipes, there wasn't much that I could find in my five baby-free laundry-free minutes. To me it seems like an old-fashioned European/British afternoon cake to eat with tea, but this could absolutely be my own fantasy.

Next time Hungarian Shortbread!