Cookie's Lemon Bread

I'm lucky. I got to grow up being spoiled rotten by two fantastic women (in addition to my mom and sister), my godmothers Mamie and Cookie. No, those aren't their real names, just nicknames. ;) They were there for every big and little thing in life and are totally irreplaceable as far as I'm concerned. I always thought they must be family when I was growing up, because it felt like it. They were mother and daughter duo. I didn't realize until later that we weren't all related, but nothing holds more true than "friends are family you choose".

Cookie was like a grandmother to me, Mamie like a second mom. See, I told you I was lucky!

Cookie and myself at my christening

We had a certain routine when I was growing up in Florida. They would come over almost every evening for coffee with my parents. Cookie was the best baker ever, it's obviously how she got her nickname! She used to bring this lemon bread over that my parents loved. I never understood how cake could be bread, and I never really liked it as a kid (except for the lemon glaze bits), but as time went on and I learned to bake myself, it's become a jewel in my repertoire...and it's awesome to carry on her memory in such a way. She passed away in 2006 at the ripe old age of 94. Every time I bake this, I think of her, and I can't help but smile. My mom still has the original recipe card given to her, it's in Cookie's distinctive handwriting and has slightly yellowed with time. I have no idea where she got the recipe from originally, but it must be from at least the late 80s or early 90s. 

I wanted to use this recipe as the base for a lemon cake that I was going to smother in the raspberries that I couldn't fit in the freezer. :) Lemons and raspberries are kind of a cliche pairing, but they just work together so well. This cake tasted just like raspberry lemonade. YUM!

Cookie used to make this in a bread tin. I've made it into muffins, cake, and as Cookie did, in a bread tin. I've also made it into a vanilla cake recipe by adding 1-2 tsp vanilla extract and not using the lemon zest. It's such an easy and diverse recipe to tweak...making it the best kind of recipe! :)

Do try!

Cookie's Lemon Bread Recipe 

(a.k.a. The Best Lemon Cake ever)

1/2 cups shortening (I use vegetable oil since shortening doesn't exist here)

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup milk

zest of 1 lemon

Glaze 

1/3 cup sugar

1 tbsp lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 F (about 175 C).

Beat the shortening and sugar together. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. In a separate bowl, mix together the dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the sugar mixture, alternating with the milk.

  Once combined, carefully stir in the lemon zest. Pour into your buttered dish of choice, and bake for 45 min (if using bread tin) or until golden brown and toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Make the glaze by mixing together the sugar and lemon juice. (I use the juice of 1 whole lemon)

Once the cake has been removed from the oven, poke holes all over it with a toothpick. Pour or spoon the glaze over the cake, letting it absorb all that lemon juice goodness.

Let cool and then enjoy!!

How I made the raspberry-lemon cake:

I baked the lemon bread batter in an 8 in cake tin.

I let it cool and then sliced it into two layers. Don't be like me, try to make them even ;)

I moistened each layer with the juice of one lemon. Yeah, that easy, just squeeze lemon juice over your cake!

Then I smothered the bottom layer with lots of homemade raspberry jam.

Once the cake layers were assembled, I decorated the cake with this fabulous raspberry buttercream from MyRecipes.com. 

Seriously. Delicious.

Thanks for stopping by!!