Tuesdays with Dorie - Lemon Loaf Cake

I love lemon anything, and the tarter the better, so my first impulse was to jump right in and bake this cake.  I had planned to bake it for Easter and serve it with fresh berries, but something kept telling me to wait...

and it's just as well that I did.  Life got in the way, as it has a habit of doing, and I got crazy busy with work projects, school work, and the garden.  Meanwhile, I kept pulling out BWJ and rereading the recipe.  It was pretty straight forward but it just didn't sound like it was going to be very lemony.  I knew the zest of three lemons would provide a lot of lemon flavor, but the only way to get the bright lemon flavor and tartness I wanted would be to add some lemon juice.  So I decided to reduce the sugar by 1/3 cup and add an equal amount of freshly squeezed lemon juice with the pulp strained out.  The other substitution I thought might add some tang was 1/2 cup of creme fraiche in place of the heavy cream.

Once I had the substitutions worked out my only decision was which zester to use.  This one from The Pampered Chef makes pretty, long strips perfect for a garnish, but too big and chunky for the cake...

The Microplane zest was too fluffy and fine and I wasn't sure it would impart enough lemon flavor...

The Oxo hand-held grater gave me something in between the two that was just perfect...

I didn't variate from the mixing and combining instructions and got the split, domed top the recipe promised.

Et voila!  Lovely lemon loaf cake.

Lessons learned:  Trust your instincts after reading a recipe and don't be afraid to play around a little if you think you can improve on it.  The lemon juice added the bright, lemony flavor I was looking for.  This cake is similar in texture and density to a pound cake, but I think it would be even better, and a little lighter in texture, if the eggs and sugar were beaten a little rather than just whisked together.  A lemon soaking syrup or lemon glaze would put this cake over the top.  A mixture of macerated berries along with a dollop of creme fraiche would make a nice accompaniment.

Visit Truc at Treats and Michelle at The Beauty of Life where you'll find the recipe or buy the book by clicking on the cover over here -->.  Check out the TWD-BWJ blogroll here to see all the other glorious versions of this cake.