This Meyer Lemon Greek Yogurt Loaf with Vanilla Lemon Glaze is a must for the brunch table. A cross between a quick bread and a pound cake, this moist and rich bread is packed with lemon flavor with a hint of vanilla and perfect slathered with jam or on its own.
One of my favorite recipes to make is a quick bread. No fuss, a few ingredients and in a little while you have a delicious bread to enjoy with coffee or on its own. Whether it’s my Mexican Chocolate Loaf Cake, my Blueberries and Cream Quick Bread or even my Harvest Bread, quick breads are always a delicious brunch recipe. However, the perfect Lemon Loaf has always escaped me me. I often go to that coffee shop that we all frequent from time to time and they have this iced lemon loaf that tastes heavenly. Well – no more because I finally found the best lemon quick bread recipe – this Meyer Lemon Greek Yogurt Loaf with Lemon Vanilla Glaze. It is packed with lemony flavor, is moist yet a bit dense, and drizzled with a sweetly tart glaze.
I played with a classic lemon loaf recipe and used Greek yogurt along with coconut oil for a loaf cake that was out of this world. As I spotted some Meyer lemons at the market, I couldn’t resist picking them up before they disappeared as we are nearing the end of Meyer lemon season (booooooo). Meyer lemons, if you haven’t tried them, are kind of a blend of tart lemon and sweet orange – they aren’t as tart as the conventional lemon so if you want even more lemon flavor, add a bit more zest.
This Meyer Lemon Greek Yogurt Loaf with Lemon Vanilla Glaze would be perfect for your brunch this weekend.
On to the recipe:
Gather your ingredients
My favorite type of lemon
Adding the coconut oil
Soaking the lemon loaf with the simple syrup
Look at this beauty
Shall I cut you a slice?
Aly M. Cleary | Adapted from the Barefoot Contessa
Yields 6-8
This Meyer Lemon Greek Yogurt Loaf with Lemon Vanilla Glaze is delicious for your weekend brunch or to enjoy with your morning coffee.
20 minPrep Time
1 hr, 5 Cook Time
1 hr, 25 Total Time
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Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons of baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- 1 1/3 cups of granulated Dixie Crystals sugar, divided
- 3 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest from about 2 Meyer lemons
- 1/2 teaspoon Nielsen-Massey vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon of Nielsen-Massey lemon extract
- 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice
- For the glaze:
- 1 cup of confectioners’ sugar
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon of Nielsen-Massey vanilla extract
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Spray a loaf pan with a non-stick baking spray or grease it with a bit of butter and flour the pan.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the Greek yogurt, 1 cup of sugar, eggs, lemon zest, vanilla extract, lemon extract, and 2 tablespoons of Meyer lemon juice.
- Slowly combine the wet and dry ingredients, taking care to not overmix.
- Fold in the coconut oil into the batter.
- Pour the batter into the loaf pan and bake for about 65 minutes, until a toothpick placed in the center comes out clean.
- Prepare a lemon simple syrup with 1/4 cup of Meyer lemon juice and the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar. In a small pan, simmer the sugar and lemon juice until the sugar dissolves fully. Set aside to cool.
- Remove the lemon loaf from the oven when it is done and let it sit for 15 minutes to cool.
- Remove the loaf to a cooling rack placed over a sheet pan, lightly poke with a bamboo skewer or toothpick and and carefully pour the lemon simple syrup over the loaf and let it soak in. You can also brush the loaf with a pastry brush soaked in the lemon simple syrup. Let the Lemon Loaf fully cool.
- To make the glaze:
- Whisk together the confectioner’s sugar, remaining lemon juice and vanilla extract until it forms the perfect consistency. If you need it thinner, add a teaspoon of water until it comes together to be the consistency that you want.
- Drizzle over the cooled Lemon Loaf.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Cooling time is about 45 minutes additionally – 15 minutes initially; another 30 minutes after soaking with the simple syrup.
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