Lemon and olive oil sour cream loaf cake
So my cousin has a lemon tree in their yard. Guess where I got all the lemons to make this cake from. If you yourself have a lemon tree and never know what to do with all the lemons (and everyone you dump your lemons onto also have no idea), here's an idea.
I personally was desperate to use up some sour cream, and my cousin just happened to give us a bag full of lemons around the same time. I love using sour cream and yoghurt in cakes and things.
Where does the olive oil component come into play then? I just thought the flavours would pair nicely, simple as that.
Is it just me, or do loaf cakes somehow disappear faster than round or square cakes? Is it something to do with the shape of the cake that makes us cut larger slices, or am I just delusional?
In saying that, I kind of love that you get an even amount of all parts of the cake when in a loaf. With a circle cake, you generally get more edge than centre. With a square cake, you generally have some pieces that have no edge (though I personally am partial to centre pieces, so I ain't complaining). With loaf cakes, they're not so wide that a piece would be too long so each piece gets an even amount of edge and centre.
This is an adaptation of Cloudy Kitchen's lemon and sour cream loaf cake with lemon glaze (I loved the idea of using almond meal as it gives cakes a lovely tenderness and moistness) with the help of Taste's olive oil and sour cream tea cake. The sour cream adds moisture and richness, and the oil ensures the cake stays more moist and tender for longer.
If you prefer less of an olive oil taste, feel free to replace your desired quantity of oil (can replace half the oil, can replace all the oil - up to you) with melted butter or a flavourless oil (or an oil of another flavour if you so desire). Just make sure that, in the case of butter, the quantity is the same MELTED.
I also reduced the sugar compared to other similar recipes I found, because reducing the sugar is just something I've always done and never had a problem with (except with things like macarons, of course!). We tend to prefer things a little less sweet around here. If you'd like it sweeter however, increasing the sugar up to 270g should not be a problem.
I decided to poke the top for better syrup absorption. I always find it a bit sad when I eat a cake that has been attempted to be syrup soaked and all the goodness is still lying at the top. So, I made sure to poke the holes roughly 2/3 to 3/4 of the way down.
The recipe below for the lemon syrup makes enough to brush on the top of the loaf and extra to brush on the slices if desired. However, please feel free to reduce the quantities if you do not want the extra.
I personally used some syrup for a couple of slices, promptly forgot about it, then used it to make iced tea because there was no more cake (with green tea, because I'm a sucker for that stuff).
I would recommend using icing sugar mixture for the icing (and just for icing in general) as it is so much easier to sift due to the little bit of starch added into it. I ran out of icing sugar mixture halfway and had to use pure icing sugar for the rest of it (I have it on hand for things like macarons). BOY was it so much clumpier and harder than the mixture.
Recipe
For the loaf cake
Adapted from Cloudy Kitchen's lemon and sour cream loaf cake with lemon glaze and Taste's olive oil and sour cream tea cake
INGREDIENTS:
- 6-8g lemon zest, approx. 3-4 lemons
- 200g sugar
- 1/4tsp baking soda
- 1/4tsp salt
- 100g almond meal
- 250g self-raising flour
- 150ml olive oil
- 150g sour cream
- 3 eggs
- 125ml lemon juice
METHOD:
1. Preheat your oven to 180°C. Line a 23 x 13 x 8cm (9 x 5 x 3in) loaf tin or a baking tin of the same volume.
2. In a large bowl, combine the lemon zest and sugar and whisk together until evenly combined. Add the rest of the dry ingredients (baking soda, salt, almond meal, flour) and whisk together to combine.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients (oil, sour cream, eggs, juice).
4. Add the wet mixture to the dry and whisk together gently to combine, scraping the sides and base of the bowl and folding with a spatula to ensure it is evenly combined.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean or with a few crumbs. Cover the top with foil around the 40 minute mark if browning too quickly. While it's baking, make the lemon syrup (recipe below).
6. Allow the loaf to sit in the pan for 5 minutes. Using a skewer, poke holes, each as deep as roughly 2/3 to 3/4 the height of the loaf, all around the top and brush it with the prepared lemon syrup. Allow a few minutes for the syrup to soak in, then brush more syrup on. Repeat another one or two more times as desired. I used up roughly 1/2 to 2/3 of the syrup. Allow to fully cool before removing from the pan.
For the lemon syrup
Makes enough to brush on top of the loaf and on each slice - reduce if you only want to brush on the loaf
INGREDIENTS:
- 90g lemon juice
- 90g sugar
METHOD:
1. Combine juice and sugar in a small saucepan and heat on medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Increase the heat and bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat to allow it to simmer for 2-3 minutes.
For the lemon icing
INGREDIENTS:
- 200g icing sugar mixture OR pure icing sugar
- 30-50g lemon juice
- zest of 1 lemon (optional)
METHOD:
1. Sift the sugar into a bowl. Add roughly 20g of the lemon juice and stir to combine. Gradually add more lemon juice, a little at a time until it reaches your desired consistency. If it becomes too runny, add more sugar. I found that 40g of lemon juice was enough to allow the icing to drip down the sides but still remain relatively thick.
2. Spread the icing onto the cooled loaf and sprinkle with lemon zest if desired.
Enjoy at room temperature or mildly heated in the microwave, with a little extra syrup if desired.
