Meyer Lemon Loaf

The Meyer lemon (named after Frank Meyer in 1908) originated in China...and is a cross between a lemon and a mandarin orange. It is rounder and more orange than the typical lemon and somewhat sweeter.  It has become very popular in recent years after being featured by the likes of Martha Stewart.  Though it was previously mostly a backyard fruit...it is now being grown commercially on a wide scale in California.  I'm working my way through a basket of Meyer lemons over here...and enjoying them every which way.  Here's a moist and yummy lemon loaf.

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 3 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• zest of 3 Meyer lemons
• 1/3 cup Meyer lemon juice *

1. Preheat oven to 350 °F.  Grease two loaf pans (abvout 4 x 8 inches each).
2. Cream butter and sugar with mixer until until light and fluffy.
3. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
4. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium sized bowl.
5. In a small bowl, combine buttermilk, lemon juice and zest.
6. With mixer on low, add flour mixture and liquids alternately in three additions.
7. Beat just until smooth.
8. Divide batter equally between the two loaf pans, spreading to smooth the top. 
9. Bake for 50 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
10. Cool for about 15 minutes, before removing from pan.
11. Allow cake to cool completely on a rack before glazing.

*Zest the lemons before extracting juice.

Glaze:

• 2 cups icing sugar
• 3-4 tablespoons Meyer lemon juice

1. Stir icing sugar and lemon juice until smooth.  Glaze should be pourable but not too thin.
2. Set rack with loaves over parchment paper and pour glaze over cakes, allowing it to run down the sides.

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