#SamLikesItHot: Drunken lemon loaf

Sam Oh

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‘Tis the season to make tipsy dessert!

JUST IN TIME FOR THE HOLIDAYS. A great fruitcake alternative. All photo by Sam Oh

MANILA, PHILIPPINES – Johnny Carson once joked that there is only one fruitcake in the world and people keep sending it to each other. I’m not too crazy about the confection myself but I have to admit, the alcohol-infused cake with candied fruit is a culinary icon for the holiday season.

I took the elements in fruitcake that I like – alcohol and fruit – and tried turning it into something people would actually enjoy giving, receiving and ultimately consuming.

There’s bound to be a lot of rich food in the coming holiday feasts so I opted for something that’s relatively fresh but satisfying at the same time. Don’t get me wrong. This is no goody-goody healthy dessert. In fact, its soft velvety texture and buttery flavor betray the amount of fat that’s in it but the hit of lemon is also refreshing.

Please note that all ingredients must be at room temperature. To make 3 mini drunken lemon loaves (or 1 big 9-inch loaf), you’ll need:

  • 1 ½ cups flour
  • 2 t baking soda
  • ½ t salt
  • 1 cup sugar
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • ½ cup butter
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 t lemon zest
  • ¼ cup lemon juice
  • 3 T rum
  • 1 t vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 175 C/350 F.  Add flour, baking powder and salt to a medium bowl and whisk with a fork. Set aside. In a big bowl, whisk the sugar, butter and sour cream with an electric mixer until everything is well incorporated.

NO ELECTRIC MIXER? No problem! Just whisk vigorously.

2. Add eggs, rum and vanilla extract and whisk some more to mix well. 

MIX WELL. For great texture.

3. Add the flour mixture to the bowl and whisk until there are no visible specks of flour. Finish with lemon juice and lemon zest and give everything a final whisk until mixed well.

MMMM. Batter smells like lemon!

4. Grease mini loaf pans (or 9-inch loaf pan) with butter and divide the batter equally. Give them a little tap on the counter to help the batter settle and bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out dry. 

SHORT PREP TIME. A 9-inch loaf will take about 50 minutes.

5. Set aside to cool when done.

WHOA. These came out much puffier than I expected.

6. To add a touch of festivity, I also made a lemon glaze to go on top. All you need to do is mix 2 T of lemon juice into a cup of confectioners’ sugar until it turns into glaze consistency. 

EASY peasy lemon glaze!

Of course, after wrapping up the loaves, I had to dig into one myself to test the goods. 

DRUNKEN LEMON LOAF - rich and lemon-y with just a whisper of rum.

The texture of this lemon loaf is really wonderful. It’s slightly crumbly on the outside but is akin to a pound cake inside. The glaze adds a welcome slight crunch and lots of tangy lemon flavor. But it’s not nearly as booze-y as I imagined. I suggest you bump up the rum if you really plan to get into the spirit (ha!) of the season. Or how about soaking it in an alcohol-infused syrup? 

Whichever way you choose to go, this would be one loaf you would be happy to give and receive. Happy holidays! – Rappler.com

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