My awesome friend Sarah knows I love to bake and gifted me with How to Be a Domestic Goddess by Nigella Lawson for my birthday. After reading it from cover to cover, I’ve earmarked many recipes to try, starting with the very first one in the book. One glance at the gorgeous yellow loaf cake with its crack down the center was all the motivation I needed to get into the kitchen.
Golden and lemony, with a sandy crumb and a crisp, sugary crust, this loaf cake most closely resembles a pound cake. I couldn’t resist adding a swirl of strawberry jam to the batter and serving the slices topped with fresh berries.
Strawberry Swirl Loaf Cake
Adapted from Nigella Lawson
1 1/3 cups cake flour*
1/2 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar, plus 1 tsp for sprinkling
grated zest and juice of 1 lemon, divided
3 large eggs
1/3 cup strawberry jam
*To make your own cake flour, place 2 tablespoons cornstarch in an empty 1-cup measure, then top up with flour. Sift the mixture several times to evenly distribute the cornstarch.
Preheat oven to 350°F and spray a 9″ x 5″ loaf pan with nonstick spray.
Whisk together cake flour, flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Beat butter, sugar, and lemon zest with a mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time with a tablespoon of the flour mixture for each. Reduce speed to low and add remaining flour mixture, beating just to combine; mix in lemon juice.
Pour half of the batter into prepared pan. Spoon jam across batter; use a small spatula to swirl jam through the batter. Top with remaining batter, then sprinkle with teaspoon of sugar and bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Place a foil tent over cake after 40 minutes to protect from over-browning. Remove from oven and let cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Wrap well and store at room temperature up to 2 days.
Yield – 16 slices (serving size: 1 slice)
Calories – 190
Carbs – 24
