Lemon Drizzle Cake

This Lemon Drizzle Cake features a light and fluffy lemon-flavored sponge cake topped with a sweet and tangy lemon glaze. This moist and tangy cake is perfect for using those zesty lemons you have sitting in the fruit bowl.

The easy recipe yields a delicious citrus cake bursting with lemon flavor. Topped with an easy lemon glaze that rounds out the citrus flavor. Thanks to its moist texture, this loaf cake stays fresh for several days, making it an excellent choice for a make-ahead dessert or a delightful snack cake to savor throughout the week.

Ingredients and substitutions for Lemon Drizzle Cake

• Butter: Butter must be room temperature here to create the nice and fluffy base of the cake. Unsalted was used, though, you can substitute with salted butter.
• Sugar: Superfine or caster sugar gives sweetness without adding additional flavor so the lemon flavors can come to the fore. You could substitute with raw sugar or half and half with brown sugar, though your cake would have slightly more caramel flavor. Icing or powdered sugar is best in the glaze because it dissolves into the lemon juice thanks to it’s incredibly fine texture.
• Plain flour: The finer crumb in plain flour gives our sponge cake it's signature texture. However, you can substitute in equal measure with self-raising flour and omit the baking powder.
• Baking powder: This helps our cake rise so to create the nice light crumb and avoid a dense cake. Baking powder can expire, so it's best to check the best before date.
• Eggs: Room temperature eggs are essential to bind with the butter and sugar. This allows more air to be introduced and gives our cake that nice and light texture.
• Lemon: Verna lemons were most easy to source for this recipe, but honestly, any unwaxed lemon you have on hand works. You will want the skin to be as blemish free as possible for the zest.

See recipe card for quantities.

How to make Lemon Drizzle Cake:

Step 1: Rub: Toss the sugar and lemon zest into a bowl and rub together to draw out the oils in the peel.

Step 2: Pale and fluffy: Add the butter and beat until pale and fluffy with an electric beater.

Step 3: Eggs: Add the eggs and beat until well combined and fluffy.

Step 4: Dry ingredients: Add the flour and baking powder into a bowl and stir together.

Step 5: Toss: Into the wet ingredients and beat on low until just combined.

Step 6: Cake batter: Spoon the batter into your loaf tin and spread out evenly, placing pieces of butter down the center.

Step 7: Bake: Until golden brown and slightly pulling away from the sides of the tin.

Step 8: Lemon glaze: Whilst the cake is still warm, stir the glaze together until it drizzles off your spoon.

Step 9: Drizzle: Over your lightly warm cake and allow to cool fully to set.

Step 10: Serve up: Slice it up and serve with your favorite hot beverage.

Step 11: Enjoy: Dig in!

FAQ's for the best Lemon Drizzle Cake

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Lemon Drizzle Cake

Sylvie Taylor

A lemon drizzle cake is unassuming, but bursting with flavor thanks to the zest being rubbed into the sugar and that lemon glaze. This is a perfect snack cake for those days where you want something quick to whip up with simple ingredients.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 55 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine British

Servings 10

Calories 396 kcal

Ingredients

  

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Lemon sponge cake

• 200 grams / 1 cup superfine/caster sugar
• 10 grams / 2 tablespoons lemon zest finely chopped
• 200 grams / 7 ounces butter room temperature
• 165 grams / 3 large eggs room temperature
• 200 grams / 1 ¼ cups plain flour sifted
• 6 grams / 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

Lemon glaze

• 115 grams / 1 cup confectioner’s/icing sugar sifted
• 21 grams / 1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice (1 large lemon)

Instructions

 

Lemon sponge cake

• Preheat your oven to 180C/350F and lightly greaseproof a loaf tin, lining the base with greaseproof paper.
• Place the sugar and lemon zest into a bowl and rub together to coat the zest thoroughly with sugar and draw out the oils in the peel.
• Add the butter and beat until pale and fluffy, approximately 3 minutes with an electric beater.
• Add the eggs and whip until combined, approximately 1 minute.
• Stir the flour and baking powder together and add to the wet ingredients.
• Beat on low until just combined and no dry portions remain in your bowl.
• Spoon your batter into your loaf tin and spread out evenly.
• Optional step: Place a thin line of butter into the center of your cake before baking (this helps it rise evenly in the center).
• Place in the oven and bake until golden and slightly pulling away from the sides of the tin, approximately 55 minutes.
• Remove and allow to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before turning onto a cooling rack.

Lemon glaze

• Whilst the cake is still warm, place the confectioner’s sugar and lemon juice into a small bowl and stir together until it drizzles off your spoon when you lift it up.
• Optional step: Whilst warm, brush over 1-2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice before topping with your glaze.
• Slowly and surely drizzle over your lightly warm cake and allow to cool fully to set.
• Slice it up and serve with your favorite hot beverage.
• Dig in!

Video

Notes

• Butter: Butter must be room temperature here to create the nice and fluffy base of the cake. Unsalted was used, though, you can substitute with salted butter.
• Lemon: Verna lemons were most easy to source for this recipe, but honestly, any unwaxed lemon you have on hand works. You will want the skin to be as blemish free as possible for the zest.
• Sugar: Superfine or caster sugar gives sweetness without adding additional flavor so the lemon flavors can come to the fore. You could substitute with raw sugar or half and half with brown sugar, though your cake would have slightly more caramel flavor. Icing or powdered sugar is best in the glaze because it dissolves into the lemon juice thanks to it’s incredibly fine texture.
• Loaf tin: A traditional loaf pan is ideal for this recipe, as it allows the cake to bake evenly and gives it that perfect shape. The loaf tin used here fits 1 kilo or 2 pounds.
• Increasing the lemon flavor in the cake: There are 2 steps to increase the flavor in your baked goods with lemon. Firstly, rubbing the finely chopped zest with the sugar helps draw out the oils, adding additional flavors. Secondly, you can increase the lemon flavor by simply adding the freshest juice into your glaze. Roll the lemon on your board to warm up and make it easier to get more juice out of the fruit for the glaze.

Recipe by Roamingtaste

Nutrition

Calories: 396kcal

Keyword cake, citrus, snack cake, winter baking

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