American
Preserved Lemon Sesame Loaf Cake
- Prep time 10 minutes
- Cook time 1 hour
- makes 1 loaf cake
Author Notes
A couple weeks ago I was craving lemon poppyseed cake, but had no fresh lemons in the house. What I did have--what I always keep around--was a jar of preserved lemons. So I minced some of the rinds and added those to the batter in place of the fresh zest the recipe called for. It turned out unexpectedly wonderful: the minced preserved lemon bits became little gem-like flecks in the finished cake, with a deep and mellow lemon flavor that's not too salty at all.
This is a riff on an Ina Garten recipe, by way of Smitten Kitchen. This version adds sesame seeds and olive oil, for a cake that's elegant enough for company but also perfectly satisfying to snack on yourself. And though fresh lemons aren't necessary at all, if I have one around I'll sneak the zest into the batter and use the juice to make a glaze.
To bump up the lemon flavor even more, use a bit of the brine from the preserved lemon jar in place of the salt in this recipe. Preserved lemons vary in saltiness, so you may need to add a little more or less brine to the batter to get it tasting the way you want. For me, 1 1/2 tsp is usually about right. —ieatthepeach
Ingredients
-
1 large or 2 small
preserved lemons
-
1 cup
(230 g) plain full-fat yogurt
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1 cup
(200 g) granulated sugar
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1/2 cup
(100 g) extra virgin olive oil
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3
large eggs
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1/2 teaspoon
vanilla extract
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Finely grated zest of 1 lemon (optional)
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1 1/2 cups
(180 g) all-purpose flour
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2 teaspoons
(8 g) baking powder
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1/2 teaspoon
(3 g) kosher salt OR 1-2 tsp preserved lemon brine
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1/4 cup
(36 g) sesame seeds (toasted if desired)
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1 cup
powdered sugar (optional)
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2 tablespoons
lemon juice (optional)
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Sesame seeds for sprinkling (optional)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 F and position a rack in the middle. Grease a one-pound loaf pan and line the pan with parchment paper. (If you don’t have parchment paper, dust the greased pan with flour.)
- Remove and discard the flesh of the preserved lemon(s). Rinse the lemon peel thoroughly to remove any excess salt. Mince the peel (you should have about 2 tbsp of minced peel) and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together yogurt, sugar, olive oil, eggs, vanilla extract, fresh lemon zest (if using), and salt or lemon brine. Add flour and baking powder, and mix to combine. Add minced preserved lemon peel and sesame seeds, and mix to evenly distribute.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn it out onto a rack and let it cool completely.
- Optional: Whisk together powdered sugar and lemon juice to make a glaze. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cake, and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Let the glaze set for about 30 minutes before slicing the cake.
- This cake gets even better on the second day. It will keep, covered, at room temperature for up to 3 days, or tightly wrapped and frozen for up to 2 months.
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