A sweet and simple lemon thyme loaf topped with a tangy citrus glaze.
I recently came home from a holiday in South Korea and one activity (among many) that I immediately missed the moment I stepped back into my 'business as usual' routine was the cafe culture. Cafe culture means something different in Korea compared to Australia. Here we wake up really early and meet with friends at a cafe at 8am, enjoying coffee and breakfast together before the day gets started. In Korea, cafes don't open until about 11am (sometimes midday, or even early afternoon). You order an iced Americano or a fragrant fruity tea and a slice of something sweet. In my short two weeks there, I developed a love for the afternoon ritual of cake and coffee (or tea). Something that I endeavour to occasionally replicate here at home, starting with this lemon thyme loaf.
I originally posted this recipe on Instagram mid 2022, but it's been one that I've scrolled back through my feed to countless times to read the recipe I printed in the small caption. So I thought it smart to finally give it a more permanent home on my blog. This lemon thyme loaf is simple to make and combines the classic flavours of citrus with the herbal thyme. A crowd pleaser, you could say.
It's quite a fool proof cake; and I say this as someone who identifies as much more of a cook than a baker. Make this one in the morning, ready for an afternoon tea spread, so you can give your lemon thyme loaf a chance to cool down before glazing. I've made the mistake of pouring over the glaze on to a warm cake too many times! Serve it along side hot (or iced) tea, or coffee, and enjoy the rest of the day to come.
Watch the video here. If you make this one, don't forget to tag me on TikTok or Instagram. I love to see it!
Lemon & Thyme Loaf
Ingredients
- 1 cup castor sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 2 teaspoon thyme leaves
- 200 g unsalted butter softened
- 4 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoon milk
- 4 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 ¾ cup all purpose flour (260g)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Lemon glaze
- 1 cup icing sugar
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- Extra sprigs of fresh thyme for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 175ºC (155ºC fan-forced). Prepare a loaf tin with baking paper.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add sugar, lemon zest and thyme and rub between your fingers to infuse.
- Add butter and beat for a few minutes until creamy. Whisk in the eggs.
- Add milk, lemon juice and vanilla extract and whisk to combine. Your batter will likely split - don't worry! It'll come together again soon.
- In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Pour dry ingredients into the wet and gently fold together until there are no dry spots remaining.
- Pour batter into your prepared loaf tin and bake for 45-55 minutes until browned on top. Insert a skewer to test - when it comes out clean your loaf is ready. Remove from the oven and cool in the tin for five minutes, before transferring to a wire rack. Allow the loaf to cool completely before glazing.
- To make the glaze, stir together icing sugar and lemon juice. Pour over cooled loaf. Sprinkle with sprigs of fresh thyme to garnish.
Notes
- If you want your loaf to split right down the centre while baking, dip a bench scraper into melted butter and make a line down centre of the batter before cooking.
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