Lemon-Poppy Seed Zucchini Bread
This buttery, pound cake-like bread is especially good when toasted. Serve it with a steaming cup of coffee for breakfast or a cold glass of milk for a snack.
This buttery, pound cake-like bread is especially good when toasted. Serve it with a steaming cup of coffee for breakfast or a cold glass of milk for a snack.
- 3 eggs
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon table salt
- 2 teaspoons poppy seeds
- 1 1/3 cups sugar
- 1/2 cup butter (softened)
- butter-flavored cooking spray
- 1/2 cup nonfat plain yogurt (storebought or a recipe for your own in the instant pot at the bottom.)
- 1 tablespoon lemon rind (grated)
- 1 cup zucchini (shredded)
- 2 tablespoons plain yogurt (with live active cultures room temperature)
- 2 quarts milk (any percentage will work)
- Carbohydrate 13.4478191814481 g
- Cholesterol 41.8958333505239 mg
- Fat 16.8763675066784 g
- Fiber 0.51287500798813 g
- Protein 2.80677833537032 g
- Saturated Fat 10.0654135041378 g
- Serving Size 1 1 serving (113g)
- Sodium 6639.72343479024 mg
- Sugar 12.93494417346 g
- Trans Fat 1.16676558385103 g
- Calories 215 calories
Step-by-step
- Coat a 6-cup nonstick Bundt pan or loaf pan with cooking spray. Dust with flour, tapping pan to shake out excess. Pour 1 1/2 cups water into the inner pot of a 6-quart Instant Pot.
- Beat butter at medium speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.
- Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, salt, and baking soda, stirring with a whisk.
- Add poppy seeds, stirring with a whisk. Add to butter mixture alternately with yogurt, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
- Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. Stir in lemon rind and zucchini.
- Spoon batter into prepared pan, smoothing top. Tap pan on work surface to remove air bubbles.
- Cover pan with aluminum foil. Lightly crimp edges to secure foil to top of pan. Place pan on the steam rack. Using rack handles, gently lower pan into inner pot. Place inner pot into the Instant Pot.
- Close and lock the lid of the Instant Pot. Turn the steam release handle to “Sealing†position. Turn off the Keep Warm light. Cook at High Pressure 55 minutes. Allow a 10-minute Natural Pressure Release. Turn steam release handle to “Venting†to release remaining pressure. Open the lid.
- Use rack handles to lift pan from pot, leaving pan on rack. Remove foil. Let cool 10 minutes in pan. Loosen cake from sides and center of pan using a plastic knife or spatula. Invert cake onto a wire cooling rack; cool completely.
- Place yogurt in a 1-cup glass measuring cup; stir well. Cover and let stand while preparing the milk.
- Pour milk into the inner pot of a 6-quart Instant Pot. Close and lock the lid; turn the steam release handle to “Venting.†Press Yogurt, and select “More†mode. (You should see the word “boil†on the display.) Stirring the milk occasionally will help prevent hot spots on the bottom of the pot. When the milk reaches 180°F, the word “yogt†will appear, and the Instant Pot will beep. Stir well, and check that the milk registers at least 180°F, but not more than 185°F on a thermometer. If temperature is less than 180°F, press Yogurt, and repeat the cycle.
- Open the lid. Remove the inner pot from the cooker, and place on a wire rack to cool to 110° to 115°F, stirring occasionally.
- Stir yogurt, and gradually stir in 1/2 cup of the milk, about 1/4 cup at a time, stirring until smooth after each addition. Pour into the remaining milk in the inner pot, and stir well. Place the inner pot in the cooker. Close and lock the lid. Turn the steam release handle to “Sealing†or “Venting†position, and press Yogurt. (Insure that “Normal†mode is selected.) Set timer for 8 hours.
- When time is up, the Instant Pot will beep, “yogt†will appear on the display, and the cooker will go into standby mode.
- Test to see if yogurt is set: Insert a clean coffee spoon into the center of the mixture, and without stirring or otherwise disturbing the rest of the mixture, remove a spoonful to taste. Yogurt should be the texture of custard and taste mildly tart. (Yogurt will continue to thicken and become slightly more tart as it chills.) If yogurt is not set, or you desire a more tart product, press Yogurt; set time for an additional 1 to 2 hours, and test again.
- When yogurt is ready, remove inner pot from cooker, being careful not to disturb the set. Cover and chill 12 hours or overnight.
- Transfer yogurt to smaller containers if desired, and store in the refrigerator up to 1 month.
Swapping the standard all-purpose flour for a measure-for-measure gluten-free blend featuring xanthan gum alters the crumb structure significantly by reducing gluten network development, yielding a more tender slice that requires careful handling during the inversion step. Electric stand mixers incorporate air into softened butter and granulated sugar during the creaming phase, establishing microscopic pockets that expand under thermal energy to lift the dense batter. Achieving an even crumb requires weighing the flour into dry measuring cups and leveling it precisely rather than scooping directly from the bag, which packs excess starch and causes a dry, heavy loaf. Steaming this cake inside a six-quart electric pressure cooker at high pressure for fifty-five minutes traps moisture within the sealed aluminum foil covering, preventing a hard crust from forming on top while the interior sets uniformly. Pair this citrus-forward loaf with a hot cup of black coffee or chilled whole milk, as the bitterness of roasted coffee and the fat content of dairy neutralize the concentrated lemon acidity and sweetness of the sugar. Historically, home bakers utilized summer squash harvests to add moisture to quick breads without altering the primary flavor profile. Heating the milk precisely to 180 degrees Fahrenheit during the secondary component preparation kills competing bacteria before the yogurt culture is introduced at 110 degrees.
