If life gives you lemons, make some kind of fruity juice.

Lemon Tea Bread

1 3/4 cups (8 3/4 ounces) all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/3 cups (9 1/2 ounces) sugar
2 tablespoons grated fresh lemon zest
3 large eggs
1/4 cup whole milk
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a loaf pan.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bow,. Beat the butter, sugar, and lemon zest together in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy (3 to 6 minutes). Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until combined, about 30 seconds. Beat in the flour mixture, milk, and lemon juice until just combined (about 20 seconds) Do Not Overmix.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few crumbs attached (65 to 75 minutes), rotating the pan halfway through baking.

Let the loaf cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and let cool for 1 hour before serving.


Variations:

Orange Tea Bread: Substitute 1 tablespoon fresh orange zest and 1 tablespoon orange juice for the lemon zest and lemon juice.

Almond Tea Bread: Substitute 1 tablespoon almond extract for the lemon zest and lemon juice. Sprinkle 1/4 cup sliced almonds over the loaf before baking.