Iced Lemon Loaf Cake

This tastes like the original SweetTARTcandy in cake form – and I suspect you could substitute limes or oranges with equally good results. This is beyond simple; the most effort is in juicing and zesting the citrus.

    ½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

    ½ cup white sugar

    2 large eggs, beaten

    1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

    1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

    3 medium lemons, zested and juiced

Creamy Lemon Glaze:

    1 cup powdered sugar

    4 tablespoons lemon juice from 1 lemon, zested and juiced

    Zest of 1 lemon as decoration

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees; line a 1-pound loaf pan with parchment paper, over-hanging edges for easy removal.

Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Sift the flour and baking powder together and fold into the batter until well blended. Fold in the lemon zest and juice from the 3 lemons and mix well. Evenly spoon the batter into the prepared loaf pan.

Bake in the preheated oven until the cake begins to turn golden brown and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.

Mix the powdered sugar and lemon juice for the lemon glaze in a small bowl.  Spoon the glaze all over the top of the warm (not hot) cake while it is still in the pan. Some will absorb into the cake; some will glaze the top of the cake. Sprinkle with the zest, for pretty. Allow to cool completely, about 1 hour before removing from the pan.