Gluten Free Lemon Loaf

If you knew me, you would know that I don't like chocolate. I know, who doesn't like chocolate! I'll gladly pass on anything chocolate for something vanilla or lemon. Cake, ice cream, drinks...anything. And if I'm going to use calories, it has to be worth it. I don't do alot of baking mostly because I don't need the extra calories, but once in awhile, I have a sweet tooth and crave a dessert. Most processed, ready to eat gluten free cakes and cookies have way too much sugar in them and frankly are not that good. Not worth the calories! So I was looking for an easy cake recipe that wasn't chocolate and came across dozens of recipes for Lemon Loaf that were trying to recreate the popular Starbucks Lemon Loaf. I must confess that I never tried the Starbucks Lemon Loaf before I was gluten free. But it sounded like something I would like- light, fluffy, lemony cake topped with a lemon glaze. The recipes were all very similar, but this one (from www.averie cooks.com) caught my eye because it included sour cream which I though would add to the moistness and it was very easy, you don't even need a mixer. My only substitution was to use gluten free flour instead of regular flour. I have been having great success with Pillsbury gluten free flour blend. It already contains xanthan gum and can be substituted one-for-one in a recipe.

The resulting cake was amazing! It was moist, light, not oily, and refreshingly lemony! Definitely a cake I would serve to guests and not tell them it was gluten free!


Lemon Loaf
Makes 1-9x5 loaf
3 large eggs
1 cup sugar
8 ounces sour cream
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons lemon zest
2 tablespoons lemon extract (not lemon juice, you find this in the baking section where you find vanilla, this gives the cake the intense lemon flavor)
1 1/2 cups gluten free flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Lemon Glaze
1 cup confectioner's sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice (here you use fresh lemon juice)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, sugar and sour cream until smooth. Add the oil, lemon zest, lemon extract, mix until combined. Add the flour, baking powder and salt and stir until smooth. Pour into the baking pan and bake for 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool completely before glazing.
To make the glaze, slowly drizzle the lemon juice into the powdered sugar until it is combined and thin enough to spread on the cake.