If your tastebuds leap at the mention of "lemon," then this golden loaf cake is for you! With one bite, you'll be be transported to a sun-soaked day in Tuscany. Marcello's luscious limoncello from Under the Tuscan Sun (2003) is the inspiration for this divinetreat. May it brighten the cloudiest of days!
Prepare the flax "eggs." Stir the ground flaxseed meal and water together. Allow it to rest for 10 minutes.
2 flax "eggs"
In a medium bowl: mix together the dry cake ingredients: flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
1.75 cups all-purpose flour, 1 cup sugar of choice, 1.5 teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ¾ teaspoon salt
Next, stir the wet ingredients together in a large bowl. This includes the coconut oil, flax eggs, vanilla extract, limoncello OR lemon juice, lemon zest, dairy-free yogurt, and dairy-free milk.
¼ cup refined coconut oil, 2 flax "eggs", 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ¼ cup limoncello OR lemon juice, ½ cup dairy-free unsweetened yogurt, ½ cup + 1 tablespoon dairy-free milk, 4 tablespoons lemon zest
Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet. Be careful not to overmix.
Pour the batter into a greased loaf pan. Sprinkle the top with extra sugar. Bake your loaf cake for about 50-55 minutes. Use a butter knife or toothpick to test its doneness. Either tool should come out clean.
1-2 tablespoons EXTRA sugar
Cool the cake for 10 minutes.
Icing
While the cake cools, make the icing. Whisk together the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and dairy-free milk.
For the sugar, I prefer coconut! However, it can turn the loaf a darker brown color. If you want to keep the color light with a hint of lemon-y yellow, then you can opt for a 50/50 mixture of Big Tree Farms organic golden coconut sugar and Swerve granular. The combination tastes sublime! I used it for the final presentation, as seen in the photos.
I chose refined coconut oil, in order to avoid an overpowering coconut flavor.
Ground flaxseed is an incredible source of fiber and omega-3 fatty acids. You don't want to skip these benefits!
Be sure to wash the lemons really well before you get to zesting!
The Silk unsweet vanilla almond milk yogurt is thick, creamy, and delicious! But feel free to use any yogurt variety of your choice.
If your batter is too thick and dense, try adding 1 tablespoon of dairy-free milk at a time. Alternatively, if your batter is too runny, you can add 1 tablespoon of flour at a time to reach the desired consistency. You'll notice that my recipe requires ½ cup + 1 tablespoon of dairy-free milk.
If your icing is too thick, add 1 teaspoon of dairy-free milk at a time. I wanted mine slightly running, so the perfect drizzle could be achieved. Sweet success!
Cooling your cake BEFORE icing is a must. (Sorry if it sounds like I'm yelling, but this rule of thumb is important!) :)