Make This Lemon Raspberry Loaf for Brunch or Afternoon Tea
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This delicious Lemon Raspberry Loaf is a welcome addition to Sunday Brunch, Afternoon Tea, or it can be enjoyed as a not-too-sweet treat any time of day. For a little added sweetness, be sure to add a light drizzle of the optional lemon glaze right before serving!
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Lemon Raspberry Loaf
The full ingredients list and instructions are found in the printable recipe card at the end of this post. I highly recommend reading the blog post all the way through so that you don’t miss any tips or substitution suggestions; to ensure that you have all the ingredients and equipment required, and to understand the steps and timings involved.
Raspberries and lemons are a match made in heaven, and if you love these flavors, this recipe for lemon raspberry loaf is one to try!
While the name loaf suggests that this type of baked good is a bread, it is in fact a cake – and a delicious one at that! I am going to guess that it gets its name from the loaf pan it is cooked in?
The cake batter is easy to mix up, and the loaf will take around 50 minutes to cook. All ovens can be a little bit different. I know with our gas over we have to cook things a little bit higher or for a little bit longer than recipes states.
To make sure your raspberry and lemon loaf is cooked through, insert a sharp knife or skewer into the center and if it has batter on it, the loaf will need to be baked for a bit longer. Test again after 5 mins. If it comes out clean, you’re good to go!
The loaf cake itself isn’t too sweet, but for added sweetness there is a lovely lemon glaze that can be added on top.
This type of bake is perfect with a cup of tea or coffee, making it wonderful to prepare for an Afternoon Tea Party. Or just as a self-indulgent treat any time of day!
Ingredients & Equipment Used In This Recipe
While most ingredients can be bought in grocery stores, for your convenience, any specialized or notable ingredients (and equipment) needed for this recipe have been listed below and linked to Amazon or other stores if available online.
It doesn’t include staple ingredients such as oil, sugar, salt, and pepper, as you’re likely to have those in your kitchen already. The complete list of ingredients with measurements is found in the recipe card.
- Fresh Produce – Lemons, Raspberries.
- Dairy – Unsalted Butter, Eggs.
- Pure Vanilla Extract – always buy good vanilla as it really does make a flavor difference.
- Unsweetened Applesauce – not a common ingredient in the UK, but it is essentially apples that have been cooked then mashed or puréed. Don’t confuse it with the condiment apple sauce! Holland & Barrett sell a no added sugar apple purée which you could use, and in the past, I’ve used a jar of baby food!
- All-Purpose Flour – also known as Plain Flour.
- Baking Soda – also known as Bicarbonate of Soda.
- Powdered Sugar – also known as Icing Sugar or Confectioner’s Sugar.
- 8½” Loaf Pan
Recipes on The Purple Pumpkin Blog use both cup measurements and/or weighted measurements. American cups and kitchen food scales are handy pieces of equipment to have in your kitchen as it means you’ll be able to make all of the different recipes on my blog. I try to give American, imperial, and metric measurements in my recipes. You can mix cup measurements with weighted measurements, but never mix imperial (pounds, ounces, pints, etc.,) with metric (kilograms, grams, litres, etc.,).
More Recipes Using Raspberries
One of the hero ingredients in this dish is raspberries, so here are some more recipes using the same:
More Loaf Cake Recipes
Looking for more loaf recipes to make? Check these out next:
- Gingerbread Loaf with Cream Cheese Frosting and Gingersnap Crumbles
- Gluten-Free + Paleo Spiced Apple Loaf
- Fruit & Nut Banana Bread Mini Loaves Recipe
- Spiced Pumpkin & Walnut Tea Loaf
Can I Freeze Lemon Raspberry Loaf?
If you’re baking this loaf for a gathering, you might want to get it made in advance so you don’t have to stress about preparing everything at once.
- Bake according to the recipe but stop before adding the lemon glaze. Allow the loaf to cool completely. Wrap well in plastic wrap first, followed by aluminum foil (to prevent freezer burn), and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Loosen the foil and plastic wrap but leave to defrost in the packaging at room temperature for several hours before serving.
- To serve the loaf warm, place it on a baking sheet for 10 minutes in a moderate oven (180-190 °C / 350-375 °F / Gas 4-5).
- Add the lemon glaze after the loaf has fully defrosted and is at room temperature.
How Do I Make Lemon Raspberry Loaf?
Check out the printable recipe card below with full ingredients and instructions. Any demonstration photos do not print out to save your ink.
Lemon Raspberry Loaf
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar + 2 Tbsp for sprinkling
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup unsweetened applesauce
- 3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp fresh lemon zest
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ⅛ tsp salt
- 1 pint 320g fresh raspberries, rinsed and patted dry
For the Lemon Glaze
- ¼ cup powdered sugar icing sugar
- 2-3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- ½ Tbsp fresh lemon zest
SUGGESTED PRODUCTS
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Line a standard 8½” loaf pan with parchment paper cut to size with the longer edges hanging over the sides. Set aside.
- Cream the butter and one cup of sugar together with a hand or stand mixer in a large mixing bowl. Add the vanilla extract, applesauce, lemon juice, and lemon zest and mix until thoroughly combined.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until incorporated into the mixture.
- Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl and stir to combine. Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients a little at a time until incorporated into the batter. Use a plastic spatula to scrape the sides of the bowl while mixing.
- Once the wet and dry ingredients are just blended, carefully fold the raspberries into the batter with a plastic spatula.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and spread evenly. Sprinkle the remaining granulated sugar evenly across the top.
- Place the loaf pan into the center of the preheated oven and bake for 40-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. (Check after 40 minutes and adjust final cook time accordingly).
- Remove from the oven and carefully lift the parchment paper to transfer the loaf to a wire rack to cool completely.
- If using, prepare the lemon glaze by combining the powdered sugar, two tablespoons of lemon juice, and the lemon zest together in a small bowl. Add additional lemon juice, if desired, to adjust the consistency. Set aside.
- Once cooled, drizzle the lemon glaze, if using, on top right before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is always approximate and will depend on the quality of ingredients used and serving sizes. If you need exact calories and macros, please do your own calculations.
Make It A Full Meal!
This sweet bake would be great for brunch or afternoon, but what about the rest of the courses?
Here are some additional brunch and afternoon tea recipes to make a full meal for a special occasion:
Brunch
- Strawberry Banana Granola Parfaits
- Potato, Sausage, and Broccoli Breakfast Casserole
- Dairy-Free & Gluten-Free Coconut Flour Pancakes for Breakfast
- Mint Grapefruit Mimosas for Sunday Brunch
Afternoon Tea
- Grilled Chicken Brie Panini with Savory Peach Compote
- Fruit Salad Cupcakes
- Ginger Peach Iced Tea Recipe
There are 500+ Recipes on The Purple Pumpkin Blog for you to enjoy – please feel free to check them out too!