Lemon Thyme Loaf

I’ve been making lemon loaves all afternoon and, I must say, I love the lemony sweet smell coming from my oven!
These lemon loaves are not your grandma’s traditional lemon squares- the addition of thyme adds a refined taste and depth of flavour that blows any other lemony treat out of the water!

lemon thyme loaf, fresh out of the oven, garnished with candied thyme stalk

To add to the richness and luxurious flavour of this loaf, I’ve added a goat cheese-cream blend to the batter. If you don’t have goat cheese on hand, or are trying to keep cost down, substitute for 1 tbsp sour cream. I highly recommend trying this reccipe with goat cheese at least once, though, as it is a beautiful and unexpected addition to this recipe.

Baking requires organization and good time management, so make sure you’re well prepared before you begin. Sift together the flour, salt and baking powder into a bowl and set aside. Mix the goat cheese and cream in another bowl, and set aside. Make sure your oven is preheated and loaf pan is prepared. This way, once you have creamed the butter, zest and thyme, and sugar, everything can be quickly incorporated and baked immediately. While the loaf is baking, prepare the syrup so it will be ready at the appropriate time.

I hope you all enjoy my lemon thyme loaf as much as I do! Happy baking everybody!

I always keep the first loaf for myself and my team.. deliciously motivating! 😉

Lemon Thyme Loaf

You will need:

2 lemons, zested and juiced

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

1 tbsp thyme leaves, chopped finely

1 tsp goat cheese

2 tsp 35% cream

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter, lemon zest, thyme, and sugar. Use the low speed on your mixer until everything is incorporated and fluffy.
3. Add one egg at a time, mixing well on medium speed between each addition. Make sure to scrape the sides of the bowl as you go.
4. In another bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt.
5. In a small bowl, combine goat cheese and cream, making sure it is well incorporated.
6. Fold in half of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, and then the other half.
7. Add the goat cheese and cream mixture to the batter, mixing just to incorporate everything evenly.
8. Pour into a prepared loaf pan lined with parchment paper, and bake for 40 minutes. After about 25 minutes, reduce heat to 325F and finish baking. The loaf is finished when golden brown, and a fork comes out clean when inserted.

Syrup for topping

You will need:

1 lemon, zested and juiced

½ cup sugar

2 tbsp cold water

1 tsp thyme leaves, chopped finely

1 stalk thyme for garnish

1 tsp sugar for garnish

Method:

1. Heat all ingredients over medium high heat in a small saucepan.
2. Reduce heat to low after about 5 minutes, and cook for another 5 minutes.
3. Dip the thyme stalk into the syrup, immediately remove and coat with sugar. Allow to cool.
4. While the loaf is still hot from the oven, pour the syrup over top of the entire loaf and continue to allow it to cool.
5. Place thyme stalk on top of the loaf for garnish. Allow to cool thoroughly before slicing and serving.