Lemon Raspberry Yogurt Loaf
When I was a kid, we could fill bucket upon bucket while picking raspberries on the edges of our yard, as long as we got to them before the deer did.
It finally feels like spring when plants start budding and I can get a hold of as many raspberries as I want. Whether finding them on sale at the grocery store, or picking my own while walking through the woods, I’m always excited to have raspberries back on the menu. When I was a kid, we could fill bucket upon bucket while picking raspberries on the edges of our yard, as long as we got to them before the deer did. Most would get devoured while we gathered them, but sometimes we could save enough for a scrumptious pies or loaves like this one.
If you look up lemon and fruit breads, chances are you’ll find the following main stock of ingredients. Tons of different lemon cake and loaf variations can be made by slightly tweaking this recipe. Versions might include different pairings of fruit, using sour cream instead of yogurt, or using butter instead of oil. You can also finish your loaf with a lemon vanilla glaze, icing (to make it more like a cake), or a dusting of powdered sugar. There are tons of options, and it’s well worth experimenting to find what texture and consistency of loaf you like best.
Makes 1 loaf
Prep time: 15 minutes Bake time: 50 minutes
Ingredients
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup plain yogurt
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
the zest from 2 lemons
2 tablespoons lemon juice
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup vegetable oil
1 ½ cups frozen raspberries, thawed and cut into pieces (fresh would also work)
For the icing:
1 cup confectioner’s sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F/175°C. Grease an 8 ½ by 4 ½ inch loaf pan or 8 ½ inch square pan.
- Combine the 1 ½ cups flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, mix together the yogurt, sugar, eggs, lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla, and oil.
- In batches, whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until the mixture is combined and smooth.
- Coarsely chop the raspberries, or leave whole if desired. Gently fold the berries into the batter and pour your batter into whichever pan you chose. (In this batch, my berries released a lot of juice after thawing from the freezer, so the batter got a pinkish raspberry swirl!)
- Bake the bread in your preheated oven for 50 minutes, or until the top of your loaf starts to brown. Allow the loaf to cool for 10 minutes in the pan before cooling fully on a rack.
- To make a lemon glaze for your bread, combine the confectioner’s sugar and lemon juice in a bowl and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Use slightly more or less lemon juice to reach the desired consistency. Spread the glaze over your lemon raspberry loaf only once the loaf has fully cooled.
Personally I like to eat thick slices of this type of bread with a little bit of butter and a cup of hot tea in the morning. I really do hope you try it out yourselves and, if you do, make sure to let me know in the comments how you like to take yours.
