Old Fashioned Lemon Bread

The wonderful thing about food is that it has the ability to conjure up some incredibly powerful emotions. So much so that it can actually transport you back to a very special place in time. Personally, I have many recipes that have that ability. But what's even better is when you are able to do that for someone else with your cooking. I spotted this Old Fashioned Lemon Bread recipe in among my stash of my mother- in- law's recipes and I put it aside to make one day. Little did I know the power it possessed.

One day I had an overwhelming craving for lemon bread and I remembered this lemon loaf cake recipe. And OMG did it ever hit the spot -it has such a bright lemon flavor and I couldn't believe how incredibly tasty it was!

In fact, this is the best lemon bread I've ever had and it makes and amazing dessert, snack or breakfast. It's really perfect anytime of the day. It doesn't have a glaze, but trust me, it's so good, it doesn't need one.

🥘 Ingredient Notes

You don't need a glaze for this easy lemon loaf;  you simply mix it up and bake. Easy peasy! The walnuts give this loaf a nice texture and it's the perfect balance of sweet and tart. And you can sprinkle on a little additional lemon zest and walnuts if you like. 

For this recipe, you'll need:

• Unsalted butter. I prefer to use unsalted butter so I can control the salt in my baking.
• White granulated sugar. Adds color, aids leavening and keeps this loaf moist.
• Eggs. Eggs are the binder in this recipe.
• All-purpose Flour. Gives this quick bread a consistent dense, moist texture and taste.
• Salt. Salt balances the sweetness of this bread.
• Baking powder. Baking powder is the leavener.
• Milk (I use 1% but you could use 2% or whole milk). In this recipe, you need to add milk alternately with the dry ingredients  to make sure the liquid is absorbed fully. This also helps prevent overmixing, which would cause too much gluten to form too quickly, resulting in a tougher texture. It helps keep the crumb tender and light.
• Chopped walnuts. Walnuts give this lemon bread a nice texture and crunch.
• Lemon zest. The zest of 1 whole lemon is used and it gives this bread the perfect mild splash of lemon flavor, without being overpowering.

📖 Variations & Substitutions

• Butter - if you use salted butter, skip the salt in the recipe
• Walnuts - you could substitute pecans for the walnuts or leave them out entirely.
• Milk - I use 1% milk because that's what I always have on hand, but you could use 2% or whole milk. I do not recommend skim milk.
• Mini loves - Bake for 20-25 minutes.
• Sugar - if you want to substitute monk fruit, use ½ the amount (½ cup)
• Glaze - if you want to use a glaze, I would recommend using my simple lemon glaze in my Cinnamon Swirl Bread recipe.

👪Serving Size

This recipe for lemon bread serves 8, but you can double it (you'll need additional loaf pans). Simply click on the serving size in the recipe card, choose the number of servings you'd like, and the recipe amounts will adjust accordingly.

🌡️Storing

Refrigeration: Store this delicious quick bread in the fridge for up to 5 days in a Ziplock bag or sealed container

Freezing: You can freeze this recipe for up to 3 months. *It's best that you DO NOT slice it prior to freezing, but rather, freeze it whole. Wait until it completely cools, then put it in a Ziplock freezer bag.

If you use a glaze (see variations and substitutions) you can freeze it with or without the glaze and add the glaze when it's full defrosted.