Sweet, sour & delicious! This lemon drizzle cake is a light, buttery sponge cake given a magic lift by the sharp, crunchy lemon syrup that soaks into the crust—decorated with lemon slices and a slick of water icing. This lemon drizzle cake can be cut into 8-10 slices. It has a preparation time of 15 minutes and a cooking time of 1 hour.
I don’t have the biggest sweet tooth, so lemon drizzle cake is a favourite of mine because it has the perfect balance of sweet and sour. It is light, fluffy, and an absolutely divine recipe passed down to me – I love keeping old traditions. Why change something when it’s perfect as it is?
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Lemon Drizzle Cake Ingredients
Sugar
Many of the soluble, sweet-tasting carbohydrates in food are called sugar. Although sugar is known to be bad for you, it has a few benefits, including boosting energy, being a mood booster, providing a good calorie source, and providing insulin benefits.
Butter
Butter is a dairy product made from churned cream’s fat and protein. It is used as a spread at room temperature, melted as a condiment, and as a fat in pan frying, making sauces, baking, and other cooking processes. Butter is known to lower cancer risk, promote healthier skin, strengthen bones, and assist with eyesight.
Milk
Milk is a liquid that contains numerous supplements, including protein and lactose. Milk is good for bone health; it prevents weight gain and provides a great protein source.
Eggs
For thousands of years, humans have consumed animal eggs. Eggs from birds, particularly chickens, are the most commonly consumed food item. The health benefits of eggs include them being rich in nutrients, they’re a high source of protein, and they raise a good type of cholesterol.
Lemon
The lemon is a species of small, evergreen tree. The yellow, elliptical fruit of the tree is used for both culinary and non-culinary purposes all over the world. Lemons reduce cancer risk, support heart health, prevent kidney stones and help control weight.
Water
Water is vital for all known life forms despite providing neither food, energy, nor organic micronutrients. It is also essential as a liquid in this recipe.
Self-Rising Flour
Most self-raising flour components are carbohydrates, starch, vitamins, minerals, fibre, and a small amount of protein. Self-rising flour contains essential nutrients, gives you energy, and controls blood sugar levels.
Lemon Drizzle Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Cake
- 175 grams Unsalted butter room temperature
- 175 grams Castor sugar
- 3 Eggs lightly beaten
- 225 grams Self-rising flour
- 2 tablespoon Milk
- Lemon zest from 1 lemon, finely grated
- 6 tablespoon Lemon juice
- 3 tablespoon Golden syrup
To Decorate
- 1 small Lemon, finely sliced
- 50 grams Granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon Lemon juice
- 1 teasepon Cold water,
- 50 grams Icing sugar, sieved
Method
Directions For The Cake
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (or 160°C for fan oven) and lightly butter and flour a standard loaf pan.
- Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl until light and fluffy. Whisk in the eggs a little at a time, adding a spoonful of the measured flour to the mixture if it threatens to curdle. Sift the remaining flour and fold it in with a metal spoon. Then fold in the milk, lemon zest and half of the lemon juice (3 tbsp.). Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan and level the top.
- Bake for one hour or until a skewer is inserted into the middle of the cake and comes out clean.
- While the cake cooks, cut the lemon slices into two. In a small pan, dissolve the sugar with 100 ml of water, add the lemon slices and cook gently for 10 minutes or until the syrup starts to thicken. Leave to cool and then drain the slices on kitchen paper.
- Just before the cake comes out of the oven, heat the remaining lemon juice (3 tbsp.) and golden syrup up in a pan.
- Prick the warm cake all over with a skewer and drizzle the lemon syrup all over it. Leave to cool in the pan.
- Make a thin water icing with lemon juice, water and icing sugar.
- Once the cake has cooled and been removed from the pan, pipe (or pour carefully from a small jug) the water icing over the cake before arranging the lemon slices on top.
Alternative Ingredients
- If you prefer not to use sugar in this recipe, use maple syrup or honey to add the extra sweetness.
- Instead of using butter in this recipe, you can substitute it for margarine or oil with the same fatty consistency.
- If you prefer not to use eggs in this recipe, you can use regular yoghurt or condensed milk.
- You are free to use any kind of milk. If you’re using canned coconut milk, mix 1/3 cup water with 1/3 cup coconut milk to make it runny like regular milk.
Serving Tips
- Serve on a medium sized serving plate or cake stand.
- Top with grated lemon if you prefer it on the more sour side!
- Serve at room temperature.
Storage Tips
- You can make the cake in advance and keep in the fridge sealed with cling film
- The water icing and lemon syrup for the cake can be made ahead of time and kept in the fridge in a sealed container until you are ready to use it on the cake.
- The whole cake or just the unfrosted layers can be frozen. To ensure that the cake is ready to assemble in time to serve, let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
One of the world’s most beloved teatime sweets is lemon drizzle cake. And given its zesty, vibrant nature and pure deliciousness, it should be no surprise. But I must admit that this one is the best lemon drizzle cake recipe I’ve ever tasted!
Give it a try. It really is a treat.
