It feels like the world is falling apart. My heart is heavy. I feel so weary. I feel helpless with the amount of hatred and evil in this world. So today I am caring for myself. Today I am baking.
I am overwhelmed. There has been an act of domestic terrorism here in the US. I am about to enter into my last semester of undergrad, one that will be busy and stressful. I feel on edge. I originally planned on posting this yesterday, but it didn’t feel right.
So here I am. Not much has changed from yesterday to today. Not much has changed from 2020 to 2021. The only thing that changed is that I realized this helps me. Baking, blogging, its all an act of self care. So here I am, trying my hardest in the midst of uncertainty and chaos.
Okay that was a lot. Anyways, here’s the recipe! I LOVE citrus flavors! I LOVE lemon! I wanted to experiment with something sweet and savory, so here it is! My lemon loaf with thyme infused simple syrup. This is sweet. It is savory. It tastes a bit like summer, something I am wishing for in these dreadfully gray days.
This loaf is quick and easy to throw together. First, you’ll cream together the butter, sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice. I mixed mine on medium speed for 3-4 minutes, until the mixture was light and fluffy. Next, mix in the eggs and Greek yogurt until combined.
Next you’ll add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture. I used a sifter to ensure that there were no clumps in my batter. The batter should be light and fluffy. I definitely stole a few bites of batter before baking it!
Bake the loaf at 350 degrees for 60-65 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.
While the loaf is cooling, prepare the simple syrup. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, stir sugar, lemon juice, and thyme until sugar has melted.
Pour simple syrup through a strainer over the loaf. Slice and enjoy!
Lemon Loaf with Thyme Infused Simple Syrup
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
Thyme Infused Simple Syrup
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 3 sprigs thyme
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare a 2 quart loaf pan.
- Cream butter, sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a large mixing bowl on medium speed for 3-4 minutes. Add eggs and Greek yogurt. Mix until combined and smooth.
- Add dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Mix on low until combined.
- Transfer batter to prepared load pan. Bake for 60-70 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool.
- While cake is cooling, prepare simple syrup. Place sugar, lemon juice, and thyme in a saucepan on the stove. Heat on medium heat until sugar has melted, stirring throughout.
- Remove the loaf from the loaf pan. Pour simple syrup through a strainer to catch pieces of thyme. Cover loaf in simple syrup. Slice and enjoy.
