Description
This Lemon Rhubarb Bread is soft, buttery, and bursting with bright lemon flavor and juicy rhubarb in every bite. Made with simple pantry ingredients and topped with a light sugar crust, it’s an easy quick bread that’s perfect for breakfast, brunch, dessert, or enjoying with a cup of coffee.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Bread
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1¼ cups granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup sour cream
- 1½ tablespoons lemon zest
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1¾ cups fresh rhubarb, diced into ½-inch pieces
For the Topping
- ¼ cup fresh rhubarb, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 9×5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides.
- Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes.
- Beat in the eggs one at a time. Stir in the sour cream, lemon zest, and vanilla extract until combined.
- In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cardamom.
- Toss the diced rhubarb with the flour mixture until evenly coated.
- Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top.
- Arrange the sliced rhubarb over the batter and sprinkle evenly with the 2 tablespoons of sugar.
- Bake for 55–65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
- If the loaf browns too quickly, loosely tent it with foil during the last 20–25 minutes of baking.
- Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Coat the rhubarb with the flour mixture to help prevent it from sinking.
- Don’t overmix the batter or the bread may become dense.
- Fresh lemon zest provides the brightest flavor.
- Frozen rhubarb can be used if thawed and well drained.
- Tent the loaf with foil if the top browns before the center finishes baking.
- Store covered at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for up to 1 week.
- Freeze the cooled loaf for up to 3 months.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 335 kcal
- Sugar: 24 g
- Sodium: 220 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 47 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 65 mg