Lemon Drizzle Cake
I love making lemon drizzle cake, it’s one of those recipes that I hold dear to my heart and I’m quite honestly not too sure why. This is my go to ‘gift’ cake because I love making it and I love giving gifts. So any time I get invited to a dinner party, I often make a dessert of some sort to gift to the host instead of buying a bunch of flowers or box of chocolates.
I remember the first time I went to my brother in laws after lock down, I made him and his wife a lemon drizzle cake and I decided to package it fancily as well. Truth be told, I did think the packaging would look nicer in my head but still, I’m sure they appreciated it none-the-less. When I gave it to them, they were grateful and said they would let me know how it tasted.
Spreading the Love
When my husband and I returned home, he asked if I would make him one too because he said it smelled too good. I happily obliged and made one for us to share over a cup of tea in the afternoon. It tasted great and I thought to myself that blueberries in the batter would taste good (so I made a mental note to add them next time I make it).
A few days later I received a thank you text saying that it was really tasty and their kids loved it too. I felt so pleased that they liked it because it was made with love and I didn’t want it to go to waste if the taste wasn’t great.
I’ve since made lemon drizzle cake countless times and I still get excited to make it every time!
WHY YOU’LL LOVE LEMON DRIZZLE CAKE
- Bright and Fresh flavours: This lemon drizzle cake is infused with vibrant and zesty lemon flavour. The citrus adds freshness to every mouthful.
- Sweet and Tangy: The tangy lemon balances perfectly with the addition of the sugar.
- Moist cake: The drizzle, made with lemon juice and icing sugar, is poured over the cake whilst still warm. This adds lots of flavour to the cake and makes it really moist.
- Easy to follow recipe: This recipe is really easy to follow and doesn’t require a great deal of preparation. This makes it great for both novice and experienced bakers.
- Comforting and nostalgic: This is a very familiar and comforting cake flavour making it the go-to recipe for different occasions; including afternoon tea and family gathering.
TOP TIPS ON MAKING THE BEST LEMON DRIZZLE CAKE
- Use Fresh Lemons: Choose fresh and ripe lemons to extract both the juice and zest. Fresh lemons provides a more vibrant and authentic flavour to the cake.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Ensure that your butter and eggs are at room temperature before mixing. Doing this will create a smoother batter.
- Cream Butter and Sugar Properly: Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. This step is crucial for incorporating air into the batter, leading to a lighter sponge.
- Incorporate Lemon Zest: Include finely grated lemon zest to the batter for extra citrus flavour. The zest contains aromatic oils that enhance the overall taste.
- Sift Dry Ingredients: Sift the dry ingredients, including the flour and baking powder, to prevent lumps in the batter. This will also give the sponge a light and fluffy texture.
MORE TIPS
- Avoid Overmixing: Mix the batter until just combined as overmixing can lead to a dense cake. As soon as the ingredients are incorporated then stop mixing.
- Bake at the Right Temperature: Bake the cake at the recommended temperature as fan ovens tend to run more hot. This ensures even baking and helps the cake rise properly.
- Check for Doneness: A toothpick or cake tester to check if the cake is done. Insert it into the centre of the cake and if it’s clean or with a few moist crumbs then the cake is done.
- Pre-heat the Oven: Ensure you pre-heat the oven so that the cake will rise evenly.
OTHER RECIPES YOU MIGHT LIKE
School Cake: School Cake – My Simple Eats
Salted Caramel Chocolate Cake: Salted Caramel Chocolate Cake – My Simple Eats
Jam and Coconut Sponge Cake: Jam and Coconut Sponge Cake – My Simple Eats
CONCLUSION
Lemon drizzle cake a simple, delicious and comforting. It’s perfect with a cup of tea and the tangy lemon flavour balances the sugar perfectly. It has an easy to follow recipe and doesn’t require much prep work.
Lemon Drizzle Cake
Ingredients
- 2 Lemons (Zest)
- 200 g Sugar
- 200 g Butter
- 3 Eggs Medium size
- 50 ml Milk
- 1/2 tsp Lemon Juice
- 220 g Self-raising flour
- 1/4 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
- 1/8 tsp Salt
- 60 g Sugar for the drizzle
- Juice of 1 Lemon for the drizzle
Instructions
Cake instructions
- Pre-heat your oven to 180°C/160°C fan and line a 2lb loaf tin with greaseproof paper.
- Zest 2 lemons.
- In a bowl, mix the butter and caster sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add in the eggs one by one, milk and lemon juice into the butter and sugar and beat in.
- Add the dry ingredients: self-raising flour, bicarbonate of soda, salt and the grated lemon zest to the other ingredients and fold together until combined.
- Pour the mixture into your lined baking tin and bake for 50-60 minutes until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Lemon Drizzle instructions
- Mix the caster sugar and lemon juice together.
- Once you’ve removed the cake from the oven and while it’s still hot in its tin, using a skewer poke lots of small holes all over the top of the cake and pour over the lemon and sugar mixture so the top of the cake is evenly coated.
- Leave the cake in the tin to cool before placing on a wire rack to cool completely.
