Lemon Zucchini Bread

A fluffy and moist zucchini bread with a tangy lemon flavour.

This lemon zucchini bread has been a long time coming. I cannot believe I didn’t have a zucchini bread recipe on my blog up till now! Zucchini bread is one of my favourite quick breads. It’s right up there along with banana bread, or actually CHOCOLATE banana bread. Zucchini bread is a fairly simple recipe with very straight forward ingredients and instructions. But because my expectations are so high, I made a total of 6 batches before I perfected this recipe. That means all our friends were force-fed lemon zucchini bread these past few weeks. There wasn’t a single complaint though. 😉

The perfect zucchini bread is fluffy, moist and has a soft crumb. It’s light but also a bit dense with a wonderful subtle zucchini flavour. To achieve that, I opted for butter as opposed to oil. I found that creamed butter results in a lighter and not-so-greasy-but-still-moist bread as opposed to using oil. The first batches were too heavy and didn’t rise enough. I added more flour and increased the amount of baking powder- that worked wonders. By the 5th batch all the ingredients worked together harmoniously and it resulted in that perfect lemon zucchini bread I described to you just now. Then I made it one more time to ensure that it baked the same. (When developing a recipe you always need to make it at least two times to ensure that it turns out the same each time.) #goingbrokeonbutter

In our household, zucchini bread is typically enjoyed for either breakfast or a quick coffee break. I usually enjoy it with a bit of butter, or if I am feeling fancy, with this vanilla honey butter. (It makes everything taste incredible!) On warmer days, this lemon zucchini bread is a great dessert because it’s not too heavy and has a refreshing tangy taste from the lemons. One whole lemon is the perfect amount for this bread. You can taste that there is lemon inside, but it’s not completely overpowering.

If you have ever made zucchini bread, you will know that it’s always better the second day. Sure you could also serve this on the first day, but it will be slightly crunchy on the outside and the flavours won’t be as intense. The magic happens overnight when you store it in an airtight container on your kitchen counter. The bread gets a wonderful soft texture and the flavours seriously intensify. Before serving, sprinkle it with some powdered sugar (or you could also make a glaze if you wanted to) and add some lemon slices as decor. 

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Lemon Zucchini Bread

A fluffy and moist zucchini bread with a tangy lemon flavour. Perfect for summer!

• Prep Time: 20
• Cook Time: 45
• Total Time: 65
• Yield: 1

Ingredients

• 240g flour (2 cups)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 110g butter (1 stick), softened
• zest of 1 medium lemon*
• 80g white granulated sugar
• 80g brown sugar
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• juice of 1 medium lemon
• 125ml whole milk (1/2 cup), room temperature
• 150g shredded zucchini (1 cup)
• powdered sugar and lemon slices for decorations

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 180C or 350F and spray a bread pan with non-stick spray.
2. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl and stir with a whisk until well combined.
3. In another bowl, beat the butter and lemon zest with a hand mixer until pale and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add the white granulated sugar, brown sugar and eggs and continue to beat for 2 minutes. Add in the lemon juice and milk and beat once more until well incorporated.
4. Add the flour mixture to your wet mixture and gently mix with a whisk until no clumps remain. Be careful not to over-mix.
5. Lastly add the shredded zucchini and, using a spatula, fold into your batter. Pour into the prepared bread pan and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
6. Let it cool completely. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and garnish with lemon slices as desired.

Notes

• *Be sure to use an organic lemon where the rind hasn’t been treated.

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