Nigella’s lemon loaf becomes a Monday tradition

Some recipes stay with people for years and eventually become fixtures in the kitchen. For food blogger Svava Gunnarsdóttir, that recipe is Nigella Lawson’s lemon loaf, which she has baked again and again.

Svava has long been a fan of Lawson’s books, including *How to Eat* and *How to Be a Domestic Goddess*. Her copies are filled with sticky notes marking recipes she wants to try and comments on those that have already made it into her kitchen. The lemon loaf earned a permanent place there.

She once wrote a simple verdict beside the recipe: “Very good.” She still stands by it. Svava has made small adjustments for Icelandic ingredients and settled on proportions that work reliably. The result is a soft, moist lemon cake that deserves its own sticky note, or a place straight in the oven.

To make it, beat 125 grams of unsalted butter with 175 grams of sugar, then add two large eggs and the grated zest of one lemon. Fold in 175 grams of flour, just over 1.5 teaspoons of baking powder and half a teaspoon of salt, followed by four tablespoons of milk. Bake the batter in a greased loaf tin at 180 degrees Celsius for about 45 minutes.

For the syrup, gently heat the juice of about 1.5 lemons with 100 grams of icing sugar until the sugar dissolves. When the cake comes out of the oven, prick holes across its surface and pour over the syrup. Let it cool slightly before removing it from the tin.

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Very good