Growing up in Mississippi, I hated having a summer birthday. 

Look, there are some definite benefits to it when you’re younger. Not being in school was one of them. But there are other issues you have to contend with. Namely, the oppressive heat that makes every sane person avoid being outside at all costs. 

That’s why I vividly remember the day my parents installed an above ground pool in our backyard. From then on, birthdays became annual swim parties. 

Every year, we would do the exact same thing. A few friends would come over, swim for a few hours, eat pizza, watermelon and Mimi’s chocolate birthday cake (which was to die for, but that recipe is still under lock and key. It’s a “take that to the grave” kind of recipe). 

Now, coming up on my 24th birthday, things are a little bit different. I’m not exactly a birthday party person anymore. Honestly, most of the time I’m working on my birthday, and I don’t feel like planning anything. 

Plus, as I lamented in a previous column, I don’t have easy access to a pool anymore. And what’s the point of trying to plan anything in Mississippi in June without one? 

There are still a few holdovers, though. Every year, I eat watermelon on my birthday. It doesn’t matter what else I’m doing – whether I’m at work or on a trip or out of the country – I eat watermelon on my birthday. 

Typically, this is a “cut it in half and eat straight out of the melon like it’s a bowl” situation, so it’s not exactly the most photo-worthy birthday celebration. 

For a few years, I’ve also made myself some kind of cake for my birthday, since I’ve been spending them with my husband instead of my folks and my Mimi. I’ve made the chocolate birthday cake recipe before, which is never as good as when she makes it, but this year, I decided to go for something a little more low-key. 

Rather than going for a cake I would have to construct and ice and try to decorate to be presentable, I decided to make a little lemon loaf cake from Plated Cravings to enjoy throughout the week. 

Best. Choice. Ever. 

While it’s not the traditional birthday cake I’m used to, I love the bright, fresh flavor of this cake, especially with it being the middle of summer. I also loved how easy it was to make, and how good it made my house smell while it was baking. 

But more than anything, making a loaf cake means that I can trick myself into eating it any time of day. 

Breakfast? Lemon Loaf. It’s practically a pastry. Lunch? Well, I can just have one more bite of this cake. It’s not going to kill me. An after-dinner sweet little treat? What is one slice going to hurt? It’s lemon. It’s basically a fruit. 

I hope you enjoy this lemon loaf recipe, but I would be careful if I were you. This one may not make it to my birthday. It practically eats itself. 

Lemon Loaf Cake

(Adapted from Plated Cravings) 

Ingredients 

For the lemon pound cake:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 tablespoon lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons lemon juice, about 1/2 lemon

1/2 cup buttermilk, see below for substitution

For the lemon syrup:

1/4 cup lemon juice, about 1 lemon

3 Tbsp powdered sugar

For the lemon icing:

1 cup powdered sugar, sifted

1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon milk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan. In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, lemon zest, and salt. Set aside.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or using an electric mixer), cream the butter and sugar together at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 4-6 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.
3. With the mixer running on low-speed, add the eggs one at a time, then beat in the vanilla extract and lemon juice. Beat on medium-high speed until combined.
4. With the mixer on low, add about one-third of the flour mixture and mix until almost combined, then add half the buttermilk and mix until just combined. Repeat with another third of flour mixture and then the last half of the buttermilk, ending with the last third of the flour. Beat until just incorporated.
5. Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 40-55 minutes until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick comes out mostly clean with only a couple moist crumbs. Bake times vary. (Mine took about 45 minutes, but I needed to check it earlier).
6. Let the cake cool for about 15 minutes in the pan. Stir together the lemon juice and confectioners’ sugar for the lemon syrup. Carefully remove cake from pan, and transfer the cake to a cooling rack, then brush the syrup on the cake while it’s still warm. Allow cake to cool completely.
7. When the cake is cooled, combine all the icing ingredients, start with 1 tablespoon lemon juice and milk and add the remaining lemon juice as needed. Pour icing over the cake and let dry before serving. (Or don’t. I won’t judge you.)

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