Growing up I had no idea that Bermuda was full of stone fruit and citrus trees. Even now, it seems to be a hidden secret. Maybe it is just me, but I do feel that their rarity makes them that much more special – hidden gems only to be found in a few backyards across the island.
This loaf is based off of a classic lemon drizzle cake, and the same sweet and sour flavours carry through. This loaf is on the denser side, but that comes from the moist crumble and lemon pour-over after baking. We use Bermuda Meyer lemons in this recipe. If you cannot find local Meyer lemons, go ahead and use lemons from your grocer. It’s important to buy organic citrus when you are using the rind in cooking because in thick skinned fruit, the skin is where pesticides remain.
The Meyer variety is a little less sour and has a hint of sweet. Meyer lemons aren’t crucial to making this an incredible citrus loaf, but I would insist that you find yourself a Bermuda Meyer sometime this spring because they are pure magic.
As usual, this recipe is gluten and dairy free for allergen purposes.
Ingredients:
1 cup brown rice flour
1 cup almond flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
2 Tbsp. lemon zest
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup + 1 tbsp. coconut oil, melted
2 eggs, organic and free range*, room temperature
1-cup dairy free ‘buttermilk’ (1/4 cup lemon juice and top up with . cup dairy free milk)
Lemon Glaze:
1/4 cup Meyer lemon juice
2 tbsp. maple syrup or other natural sweetener
Method
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease a loaf pan and then line with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, mix rice flour, almond flour, baking soda, baking powder and lemon zest – set aside. In a small bowl, mix the lemon juice and nut milk for the ‘buttermilk and let sit for 5 minutes. Get out one last bowl and whisk together maple syrup, melted coconut oil and eggs. Once buttermilk is ready, add it in and whisk until combined. Now you can slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet – trying to incorporate as much air as possible. You want to incorporate air without over mixing, so be careful in this last step.
Pour batter into your loaf pan and bake for 40 – 50 minutes until you can stick a knife in and it comes out clean. It will be moist, but shouldn’t be dough like.
Once cooled, whisk maple and lemon juice together until combined and pour over loaf.
Keeps for 4 days but is best eaten after 2, so share and freeze as you please.
