My friend Conny is one of the most amazing baker I know, even though no one would be able to tell just by her figure! An expat from Switzerland, she definitely shows her roots in her creations and one of those is her fantastic lemon loaf.
She generously shared her recipe with me and I have baked it on numerous occasions. It’s a definite crowd pleaser.
Over time though, I modified her original recipe to reduce the eggs, butter and sugar and added some greek yogurt. I also added some pure lemon extract for a deeper flavour.
The Absolute Best Greek Yogurt Lemon Loaf
Finally, once the loaf is baked, she pokes it with a wood skewer and pours a mixture of lemon juice and powdered sugar on top so that it infiltrates the loaf and permeates it nicely. It’s a great technique and it definitely taste great, albeit, I choose to simply use a lemon glaze on top to better control the sugar in the recipe.
The Absolute Best Greek Yogurt Lemon Loaf
All in all, the final recipe is quite different from hers but I totally credit her for introducing me to this addictive delicacy a few years ago. I am hooked as I know you will be once you try it!
- Loaf
- -3 large eggs
- -1/2 cup granulated sugar
- -1 cup Greek Vanilla Yogurt (if you use plain yogurt, you might want to add about 1/4 cup of sugar)
- -1/2 cup melted unsalted butter
- - zest of 2 lemons
- - 1 tablespoons pure lemon extract (do not substitute for lemon oil or lemon juice, it won't work)
- - 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- - 2 teaspoons baking powder
- - 1/2 teaspoon salt
- -1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
- - 2 tablespoons lemon juice (you can eyeball it to have the right consistency)
- Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a 9x5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray, or line with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Loaf -
- Wisk vigorously the eggs, sugar and greek yogurt until smooth and combined. You can use a mixer if desired. Pour in the (cooled down) melted butter while whisking to combine.
- Add the lemon zest & lemon extract, still while whisking.
- In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and stir until just combined.
- Turn the batter out into prepared pan, smoothing the top lightly with a spatula. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the center crack comes out clean.
- Allow loaf to cool on a wire rack for about 30 minutes before you remove it from the pan and deglaze it.
- Lemon Glaze - In a small bowl, mix the confectioner's sugar and lemon juice while whisking until smooth and combined. You may need to adjust the amounts of sugar and lemon juice in order to have the perfect consistency and flavour.
- Drizzle the glaze over bread before slicing and serving. You can also spread some extra glaze on your slices of loaf for an extra sugary treat.
- The loaf will keep for up to 5 days in an airtight container at room temperature. You can also freeze it for up to 6 months.
