Lemon Loaf

Batter

• 1 cup Granulated sugar
• 2 tbsp Lemon zest — from about 3 lemons
• 1/2 cup Butter, softened
• 3 Eggs
• 1/2 cup Milk
• 2 tbsp Lemon juice
• 1 3/4 cups All-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp Baking powder
• 1/2 tsp Salt

Syrup

• 1/4 cup Lemon juice
• 1/4 cup Granulated sugar

Glaze

• 1 cup Icing (powdered) sugar
• 2 tbsp Lemon juice

Batter

1. 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.)
2. Add the softened butter and cream with the lemon sugar until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
3. 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.
4. Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together and fold in just until combined.

Bake

1. Bake at 175°C (350°F) until golden and a skewer comes out clean.

Syrup

1. 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

1. 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.)