Ingredients:

  • 1 ¾ cups All-Purpose (Plain) Flour, sifted
  • 1 ½ teaspoons Baking Powder
  • ½ teaspoon Baking Soda
  • ¼ teaspoon Fine Sea Salt
  • ½ cup Unsalted Butter, softened (1 stick)
  • 1 cup Granular Sweetener (e.g., Erythritol/Monk Fruit Blend)
  • 3 large Eggs, at room temperature
  • ½ cup Full-Fat Greek Yogurt (or Sour Cream)
  • 2 tablespoons Lemon Zest (from 2 medium lemons)
  • ¼ cup Fresh Lemon Juice
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
  • For Optional Lemon Soak: 2 tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice
  • For Optional Lemon Soak: 5–8 drops Liquid Stevia or Monk Fruit Drops
  • For Glaze: ¾ cup Powdered Sweetener (Icing Blend)
  • For Glaze: 2–3 tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice
  • For Glaze: 1 teaspoon Cold Milk (Dairy or Almond)

Instructions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease the 9x5 inch loaf pan and line it with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the long sides for easy removal.
  2. Combine Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  3. Cream Butter and Sweetener: In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and granular sweetener on medium speed until light and fluffy—about 3 to 4 minutes. This step incorporates essential air.
  4. Incorporate Eggs: Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl.
  5. Add Flavoring: Mix in the Greek yogurt, lemon zest, vanilla extract, and lemon juice. The mixture may look slightly curdled at this point.
  6. Combine Wet and Dry: Reduce the mixer speed to low. Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet mixture, mixing only until just combined. Stop immediately when no streaks of flour remain (do not overmix).
  7. Transfer: Pour the batter evenly into the prepared loaf pan.
  8. Bake: Bake for 45–50 minutes. The cake is done when a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. If the top begins to brown too quickly, loosely tent the cake with foil after 30 minutes.
  9. Soak (Optional): Remove the cake from the oven. While still hot, mix the lemon juice and liquid sweetener (Soak ingredients). Prick the entire top surface of the cake gently with the skewer, then brush or drizzle the soak evenly over the hot cake.
  10. Cool: Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before carefully lifting it out onto a wire rack. Let it cool completely before applying the glaze (about 25 minutes).
  11. Prepare Glaze: Sift the powdered sweetener into a small bowl (this prevents lumps). Whisk in 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and the cold milk. Add the remaining lemon juice drop by drop until you reach a thick, pourable consistency.
  12. Glaze and Set: Drizzle or pour the glaze over the top of the cooled cake. Allow the glaze to set for 15–20 minutes before slicing and serving.