Why We Love This Lemon Bread Recipe
You know those slices of lemon loaf from your favorite coffee shop? This Lemon Poppy Seed Bread recipe is your ticket to enjoying the best of the best, made right at home with love! Is it really bread, or is it cake? We are not trying to pull one over on you here. This recipe is a little less sweet than cake with a quick bread texture. However, it’s so irresistible it might as well be cake. You be the judge… This classic sweet bread makes the perfect brunch item, after-school snack, or quick breakfast! If you love everything lemon poppy seed flavor, you have to try my lemon poppy seed cookies, too!
Ingredients You Need
For the poppy seed lemon bread you need:
All-purpose flour Granulated sugar Poppy seeds Baking powder Salt Milk – whole milk Flavorless oil – vegetable canola, avocado Large eggs Lemons – zested and juiced Yellow food coloring – optional
To make the sweet lemon glaze you need:
Powdered sugar Milk Lemon juice
How to Make Lemon Poppy Seed Bread
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Set out two 9 x 5-inch loaf pans, or three 8 x 4-inch loaf pans. Grease the pans well. Set out a large mixing bowl and a medium mixing bowl. Zest the lemons, making sure to only grate the yellow skin, not the bitter white underneath. Then juice 1/4 cup of fresh lemon juice for the bread, and one extra tablespoon for the glaze. In the large mixing bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, sugar, poppy seeds, baking powder, and salt. Mix well. Then mix in the milk, oil, eggs, 1/4 cup of lemon juice, and all lemon zest. Mix until smooth. Pour the poppy seed bread batter evenly into the prepared pans. Place them on the center rack, and bake: 55 to 60 minutes for 9-inch pans, and 45 to 50 minutes for 8-inch pans. When the timer goes off, insert a toothpick deep into the center of the bread. If it comes out clean they are ready. If not, continue baking and checking in 5 minute increments. Remove them from the oven and let them rest in the pans for 15 minutes. Then gently run a butter knife around the edges to loosen the bread, and gently flip the loaves out of the pans onto a wire rack. While the loaves are cooling, make the lemon glaze.
How to Make Lemon Glaze
This sweet pourable glaze is easy to prepare in 3 simple steps: Drizzle the glaze evenly over the top of the slightly cooled poppyseed loaves. Allow them to cool and dry until the glaze is set. Then wrap well in plastic until ready to serve. Slice and enjoy for breakfast, brunch, snack, and dessert. With two loaves, you can really indulge in all the sweet, tangy lemon loaf cake you like!
Tips & Tricks
Use room-temperature ingredients! Whenever you bake cakes or quick breads like this lemon poppy seed cake loaf, it is best to use room-temperature ingredients for the best flavor and texture! Don’t overmix the cake batter, especially once you add the flour. Overmixing will result in a dense and tough cake! Omit the poppy seeds for a simple sweet lemon loaf!
Recipe Variations
Gluten-Free: To make a gluten-free lemon bread, you can use a gluten-free replacement flour that has a 1 to 1 ratio! Citrus: Easy lemon bread can be changed into “orange bread” or even “lime bread” by swapping the citrus. Glaze: You can opt out of glazing your lemon poppy seed loaf to consume less sugar.
Serving Suggestions
Slice and serve the lemon poppy seed loaf at room temperature or briefly warm in the microwave. Enjoy for breakfast and brunch with softened butter and/or your favorite fruit preserves. A thick slice is delightful with a hot cup of coffee or tea! And everyone in the family loves to munch on lemon poppyseed cake for an afternoon snack or dessert with a big glass of cold milk. Really love lemon? Pair this sweet bread with homemade Lemon Curd!
Looking for More Easy Quick Bread Recipes?
Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread with Lemon Banana Coconut Bread Pecan Praline Cake Kahlua Banana Bread Blueberry Muffin Cake
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