Lemon Old-Fashioned Donut Loaf

Ingredients

Volume measurements use US cups and level spoons and are approximate. Spoon flour and powdered sugar into the cup, level, then sift if directed. For cocoa and freeze-dried fruit powders, scoop the unsifted powder and level without packing, then sift if directed. Measure sprinkles loosely and level. Pack brown sugar. For ingredients marked "weigh for accuracy", use the listed grams.

Pan used

I personally prefer a light-colored aluminum pan for these loaves. Here is the one I use. Not sponsored. I don't earn a commission from this link.

Glass holds heat longer, so the edges can overbake before the center is done. If you use glass, loosely tent the loaf with foil early, as soon as the top starts to brown. The foil helps protect the top, but it does not stop the sides or bottom from baking too quickly.

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and fully line a 9x5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, and salt for the streusel. Add the cold butter and vanilla bean paste. Work together with your fingertips until a mixture of fine crumbs and large buttery clusters forms. Refrigerate while preparing the batter.
3. In a large bowl, combine the granulated sugar and lemon zest. Rub the zest into the sugar with your fingertips until the sugar is fragrant and lightly moistened.
4. Whisk in the oil, yogurt, vanilla bean paste, lemon extract, lemon juice, and milk until completely smooth.
5. If making the lemon poppy seed variation, whisk in the poppy seeds.
6. Sift the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg over the wet ingredients. Whisk just until combined and no dry streaks remain. Do not overmix.
7. Spread just under half of the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
8. Sprinkle half of the chilled streusel evenly over the batter.
9. Carefully spread the remaining batter over the streusel until completely covered.
10. Sprinkle the remaining streusel evenly over the top, leaving plenty of large buttery clusters.
11. Sprinkle generously with clear coarse sanding sugar before baking. I sprinkle a lot.
12. Bake at 350°F for 55-90 minutes. Check the loaf at 45 minutes to see how the streusel is browning and tent loosely with foil if needed.
13. 13

    Before you take the loaf out

    Baking time is a guide, not a deadline.

    Check the center: Insert a skewer or toothpick into the cake in the center, avoiding the streusel layer.

    Ready to come out: The center no longer jiggles and the tester comes out clean or with moist crumbs. No wet batter.

    Keep baking: Thick, paste-like batter: bake 3-5 minutes more. Wet batter: bake 7-10 minutes more. Then test the center again.

    The 205-210°F (96-99°C) range is an extra check. Batter on the tester still means keep baking, even at that temperature.

    An underbaked center can collapse as the loaf cools.

14. Cool in the pan for 20 minutes, then carefully lift the loaf onto a wire rack. Let it cool until warm but no longer hot.
15. Whisk together the powdered sugar, lemon juice, 45 g milk, and salt until completely smooth. Add additional milk 1 teaspoon at a time until the glaze ribbons off the whisk but is not watery.
16. Spoon or pour the glaze generously over the warm loaf once it no longer feels hot, allowing it to run naturally down the sides.
17. Allow the glaze to set before slicing.