Lemon Loaf

Steps

• Batter: Put the sugar and lemon zest in a bowl and rub them together with your fingertips until the sugar is damp, clumpy, and intensely fragrant.

  Tip: This is the most important step in the recipe. The sugar crystals are tearing open the oil glands in the zest — you'll smell the difference immediately.

• Batter: Add the softened butter and cream with the lemon sugar until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
• Batter: Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the milk and 2 tbsp lemon juice. The mixture may look slightly curdled — that's the acid, and it corrects once the flour goes in.
• Batter: Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together and fold in just until combined.
• Bake: Bake at 175°C (350°F) until golden and a skewer comes out clean.
  ⏱ Start 50 min timer
• Syrup: While it bakes, warm the syrup lemon juice and sugar together just until the sugar dissolves. As soon as the loaf comes out, poke it all over with a skewer and brush the syrup over the hot loaf, letting it soak in between coats.

  Tip: It must go on hot. A cooled loaf can't absorb it and you'll just get a sticky top.

• Glaze: Cool completely, then whisk the icing sugar and lemon juice into a thick glaze and pour it over the top.

  Tip: Completely cool, or the glaze melts and runs straight off the sides.