Iced Lemon Poppyseed Loaf with Candied Lemons

Something about Spring - the fragrant breeze, the flowering buds on trees, and the sunny smiles, make me want to eat desserts of the lemon, lime and berry variety.  Take this Iced Lemon Poppyseed Loaf for instance.

Here in Cali, we get Citrus all through the winter, and in March there are still lemons on trees saying to you "Please Caroline, make me into something super delicious, bright and happy!" so how could I not acquiesce and create this wonderful iced lemon poppyseed loaf with candied lemons.  If you're in the citrus mood, we also have dozens of lemon/lime recipes on twocarolines.com such as our Lemon Cream Pie, CK 1.0's famous Lemon Bars, Lemon Blueberry Bundt Cake, or the super tart and sweet magic of Maple Lime custard pie!  I could heartily recommend any of the lemon, lime and orange recipes we've posted, but I'm sharing this one with you because it's brand new, so easy, super beautiful, and it tastes like a sunny spring breeze~

Feel free to double this so you can bring one to a friend, save one for later, or feed a crowd.  You can also keep is super simple and skip the icing, the lemons, or both and just do the loaf - it's fantastic on it's own!

Iced Lemon Poppyseed Loaf Recipe

For the loaf:1 1/2 cups all purpose flour1 teaspoon baking soda1/2 (scant) teaspoon salt6 tablespoons butter (softened or room temperature)1 cup sugar2 eggs1/4 cup lemon juice1/3 cup plain yogurt (I like to use whole milk greek, but as long as it's plain it will work - and sour cream works if you don't have yogurt!)zest of 1 lemon (about a tablespoon and a half)3 tablespoons poppy seeds (go a full 1/4 cup if you want it extra seedy!)For the candied lemons:2 lemons1 cup sugar2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice3/4 cup waterFor the glaze:1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest1 cup confectioners (powdered) sugar3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice1.  Preheat oven to 350 and prepare a loaf pan by spraying it with cooking spray and I always line the bottom with parchment just to be sure I get a clean loaf.2.  Mix the flour baking soda and salt in a bowl and set aside.3.  In a large bowl or bowl of a stand mixer cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy - about 3-4 minutes then add the eggs one at at time.4.  Mix lemon juice and yogurt together and add alternately with the flour mixture until just blended.  Stir in the lemon zest and poppy seeds.5.  Pour into your prepared loaf pan and bake at 350 for about 50 minutes or until browned and a toothpick comes out clean.6.  While your loaf is baking make your candied lemons. Cut lemons into 1/8-inch-thick rounds; discard seeds. Stir together sugar, lemon juice, and water in a large skillet over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Add lemon slices, and simmer gently, keeping slices in a single layer and turning occasionally, 14 to 16 minutes or until slightly translucent and rinds are softened. Remove from heat. Place slices in a single layer in a wax paper-lined jelly-roll pan, using tongs. Cool completely (about 1 hour). Cover and chill 2 hours to 2 days. Reserve syrup for another use - haven't figured out that use yet, but I'm sure it will be delicious when I do.7.  For the glaze, whisk together confectioners' sugar, lemon zest, and fresh lemon juice until smooth.  You can use more or less of the sugar/lemon juice to get to desired consistency.8.  Once loaf has cooled, drip on your lemon icing and place your candied lemons - voila!

Lemon icing/glaze recipe from Martha Stewart Cake Book, Candied Lemon recipe adapted from MyRecipes.com Candied Lemon Slices