Can I add extra lemon juice?

No. Lemon juice is highly acidic, which interferes with the leavening agents here and can cause the loaf to deflate. If you'd like more lemon flavor in the loaf itself, we recommend adding a bit of lemon extract to the zucchini bread batter (similar to our lemon vanilla cupcakes or this lemon scone recipe !) as opposed to simply adding more lemon juice. Extra lemon juice speeds up the chemical reactions with the baking powder and soda in this recipe, which essentially "burns through" our leavening agents and causes the loaf to collapse under its own weight in the oven. (Importantly, our recipe testers also agreed that adding additional lemon juice DIDN'T make a noticeable difference in the intensity of the lemon flavor - so by adding extra lemon juice, you lose a lot of this loaf's airy texture without actually gaining more lemon-y-ness in return). Below is an example from one of our recipe tests, which used just 2 extra Tablespoons of lemon juice. The interior crumb was fairly dense, and you can see that the loaf sinks noticeably in the middle and down to one side, with a rectangular shape (as opposed to a domed top):

Can I freeze this bread?

This lemon zucchini bread recipe freezes fairly well (although truth be told, we prefer it fresh out of the oven!) You can freeze it with or without the frosting. We recommend freezing individual slices of leftover bread in an airtight container or freezer bag and defrosting just a slice or two at a time, as needed. Defrost for an hour or two on the counter when you're ready to serve. Sliced bread will keep in the freezer for 3-4 months before it starts to dry out.

Lemon Zucchini Bread with Lemon Glaze

Description

This moist zucchini bread is soft and summery, with a pop of flavor from fresh lemon zest and a tangy lemon glaze on top!

Ingredients

Scale

Prep:

1 large lemon

For the batter:

53 grams unsalted butter (½ stick, or ¼ cup), melted
80 grams milk
1 egg
4 grams vanilla extract (1 teaspoon)
100 grams sugar
15 grams lemon juice (1 Tablespoon)
180 grams shredded zucchini (about 1 medium-large zucchini; do not squeeze any of the moisture out)
270 grams all purpose flour (2 1/4 cup)
4 grams kosher salt (1 teaspoon)
5 grams baking soda (1 teaspoon)
7 grams baking powder (1 ½ teaspoons)
1 gram lemon zest (1 teaspoon), about half of your total lemon zest

For the glaze:

1 Tablespoon butter, melted
75 grams powdered sugar (3/4 cup)
5 grams lemon juice (1 teaspoon)
Pinch of kosher salt
Remaining lemon zest (about 1 teaspoon)
1-2 Tablespoons very hot water

Cook Mode Keep screen awake

Instructions

Prep

Heat oven to 325° Fahrenheit. Line a 9x5" metal loaf pan with parchment paper.
Zest and juice the lemon. Use a microplane or fine grater to remove the zest from the lemon and set it aside, then juice the lemon. You should have about 2 teaspoons of zest and 3-4 Tablespoons of juice. Note: You'll use just 15 grams (1 Tablespoon) of lemon juice in the batter, and another 5 grams (1 teaspoon) in the icing. The lemon zest will be split evenly between the batter and the icing. Save any leftover lemon juice for another recipe.

Make the Batter

In a large bowl, whisk together melted butter, milk, egg, vanilla, and sugar together, along with 15 grams (1 Tablespoon) of your lemon juice.
Stir shredded zucchini into the wet ingredients.
Add flour, kosher salt, baking soda, and baking powder to the wet ingredients, along with half of the lemon zest. Stir until just combined. You should have a thick, airy batter.
Transfer batter to the prepared bread pan and spread it into a fairly even layer. Bake at 325° F for 50-60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.
Let the loaf cool for 5-10 minutes right in the pan, then carefully transfer it to a wire rack. Let the loaf cool completely before making the lemon glaze.

Make the glaze

In a small bowl, whisk together melted butter, powdered sugar, a pinch of kosher salt, the remaining lemon zest, and 5 grams (1 teaspoon) of the remaining fresh lemon juice. The mixture will look a little clumpy at this point - that's ok!
Whisk hot water into the glaze a tiny bit at a time, until you've worked out any lumps and the icing has reached a smooth, drizzle-able consistency. You won't need all of the hot water here!
Drizzle the lemon glaze over the cooled zucchini loaf. If needed, use the back of a spoon to spread the glaze over the loaf in an even layer. Let it set for an hour or so, then slice and serve.

Notes

Please use a kitchen scale! Measuring ingredients like flour by volume (with cups) is notoriously unreliable. While we've provided approximate volume measurements for convenience, we recommend using a kitchen scale and following the gram measurements listed above. We use and recommend Escali kitchen scales. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, measure ingredients (especially flour, which is the most finicky) with the scoop and level method for best results. Note: If you have a different brand of kitchen scale, you may want to use a volume (teaspoon) measurement for ingredients less than 5 grams; some scale brands struggle to measure such small amounts, although we've found Escali scales to be very reliable at small quantities!

Don't worry if your zucchini isn't a perfect 180 grams. We've successfully tested this recipe with as low as 125 grams of shredded zucchini - the loaf won't be quite as moist, but it'll still taste good! If you have extra zucchini, save it in an airtight container in the fridge for other recipes later in the week.

How hot should my water be? Hot water is our secret ingredient for a smooth icing that sets as it dries. We heat our water to near-boiling with an electric tea kettle; you can also use tap water on its hottest setting.

Additions and Substitutions. If you'd like more lemon flavor, add up to 1 teaspoon of lemon extract to the batter here (We don't recommend adding additional lemon juice to the batter, as it will affect the shape and texture of the loaf). Adjust the amount of lemon juice and lemon zest in the icing to suit your tastes. You may use brown sugar in place of white granulated sugar here, which will yield a slightly more complex flavor but a less dramatic rise with a tighter crumb.