My Simple Eats

Lemon Drizzle Cake

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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

  1. Bright and Fresh flavours: This lemon drizzle cake is infused with vibrant and zesty lemon flavour. The citrus adds freshness to every mouthful.
  2. Sweet and Tangy: The tangy lemon balances perfectly with the addition of the sugar.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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

  1. 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.
  2. Room Temperature Ingredients: Ensure that your butter and eggs are at room temperature before mixing. Doing this will create a smoother batter.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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

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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Resting time 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 8 Slices
Course: baked good
Ingredients Method

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

Method
 

Cake instructions
  1. Pre-heat your oven to 180°C/160°C fan and line a 2lb loaf tin with greaseproof paper.
  2. Zest 2 lemons.
  3. In a bowl, mix the butter and caster sugar until light and fluffy.
  4. Add in the eggs one by one, milk and lemon juice into the butter and sugar and beat in.
  5. 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.
  6. 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
  1. Mix the caster sugar and lemon juice together.
  2. 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.
  3. Leave the cake in the tin to cool before placing on a wire rack to cool completely.
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