This is not only the world’s BEST Lemon Drizzle Loaf Cake it is also the easiest! Just five ingredients whisked together in one bowl and you can create a beautifully moist, buttery, tangy lemon cake with the softest crumb.
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Lemon drizzle is one of my personal – and the nation’s – favourite cakes. It’s hard to explain how such a simple, humble and unassuming bake regularly tops the most popular cakes lists… until you take a bite.
The crunchy sugary topping giving way to a light soft crumb with zingy lemon flavour coming through… I am literally sighing as I type this. SO GOOD!
I already have a wonderful round lemon drizzle cake recipe on this site but it makes an impressively large cake that can feed a crowd.
This lemon drizzle recipe is perfect if you prefer to make a more manageable lemon loaf which knocks the socks off the popular Starbucks lemon cake!
SUPER EASY LEMON DRIZZLE CAKE
You only need FIVE ingredients! Five easy to find, in everyone’s pantry, purse friendly ingredients. Isn’t that amazing? You just need to make sure they are all at room temperature before making this lemon loaf.
- Soft unsalted butter or Stork
- Caster Sugar – this is finer than granulated sugar, also known as superfine sugar in the US. You can use granulated sugar if you can’t get hold of caster or blitz the sugar in a processor, very briefly, to make the grains smaller.
- Self raising flour (self rising in the US). Make sure this is fresh or the cake will not rise properly!
- Eggs – medium
- Lemon zest and juice (please use unwaxed lemons).
HOW TO MAKE A LEMON DRIZZLE LOAF CAKE
Full measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page. Please take a look at the steps and video before attempting this recipe!
This is so easy to make you don’t really need instructions… But I will tell you anyway. Reminder to have all ingredients at room temperature otherwise your batter won’t mix properly!
STEP 1 Preheat the oven to 180C (350F) or 160F (220F) Fan Setting. Line a 2 pound / 900g loaf tin with parchment paper letting the ends of the paper hang over the edge of the tin. Alternatively use a loaf tin liner.
STEP 2 Put all the cake ingredients in a large mixing bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment).
STEP 3 Beat together on low speed to start with then increase the speed once the ingredients have combined. Add 1-2 tablespoons of the lemon juice and keep mixing, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl, until you have a smooth batter.
STEP 4 Spoon the cake batter into the prepared cake tin and level. Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until the cake is golden, well risen and springy to the touch. A toothpick inserted in the centre should come out clean.
STEP 5 Prick holes over the entire cake. Mix together the remaining lemon juice and sugar and drizzle over the warm cake (still in the tin) until it soaks in. Sprinkle with some extra sugar before the syrup dries (unless you want to add a glaze).
STEP 6 Use the paper to lift the cake out of the tin and leave it to cool on a wire rack (this is the hardest part of the recipe) before slicing. The cake will keep for several days in a covered container.
FINISHING TOUCHES
You can leave your lemon loaf as is or decorate with lemon slices, lemon zest or edible flowers. If you want to add a simple glaze, mix icing sugar and lemon juice until you have a thick but pourable glaze. Drizzle the glaze over the cool cake, letting it drip down the sides.
TIPS FOR THE BEST LEMON DRIZZLE CAKE
- Use softened butter or Stork (margarine). The butter should be soft enough for your finger to leave an imprint if prodded.
- Remaining ingredients, namely the eggs, also need to be room temperature.
- Use a microplane zester to zest the lemons – I have specified the zest of two but you can add even more zest if you like!
- Make sure the self raising flour is fresh.
- Check the cake five minutes before the baking time indicated in the recipe. Some ovens run hot, others are not hot enough.
TROUBLESHOOTING
WHY DID MY LEMON DRIZZLE LOAF SINK? You have followed the recipe to the letter, yet your cake has sunk in the middle, but why?
- The batter was not mixed well enough.
- The oven was turned up too high, causing the cake to rise too rapidly then deflate.
- You have been opening the oven door causing the temperature to fluctuate.
- The cake needed a few more minutes in the oven – this is the most common culprit.
MY CAKE IS FLAT! If your cake didn’t rise then your self raising flour wasn’t active. Check the flour is fresh, especially if you don’t bake often. If you have used pain flour (all purpose flour) then check the baking powder and soda bicarbonate are within date.
MY CAKE EXPLODED Did you use self raising flour and added raising agents? That would definitely cause the cake batter to expand too much and overflow.
Another possible reason? The cake tin was too small and overfilled. I have noticed that loaf pans marked as 2lb (900g) can vary slightly. If you find you have too much batter it’s best to use it to bake some cupcakes “on the side”. Only fill your cake tins ¾ of the way to allow for the cake to rise.
MY CAKE BURNED ON TOP Oven temperature was too high or the oven has hot spots. You can tend your loaf with some foil halfway through to avoid the cake browning too much. Make sure the foil doesn’t touch the tin.
YOU WILL ALSO LOVE THESE LEMON RECIPES!
Lemon Drizzle Cupcakes
Slimming World Lemon Drizzle Cake
HAVE YOU MADE MY LEMON DRIZZLE LOAF RECIPE? Please leave a rating, post a photo on my Facebook page, share it on Instagram, or save it to Pinterest with the tag #supergoldenbakes and make my day!
Easy Lemon Drizzle Loaf Cake
Ingredients
FOR THE CAKE
- 226 g (1 cup) softened unsalted butter or margarine (Stork)
- 300 g (1 ½ cups) caster sugar (superfine sugar)
- 260 g (2 cups) self raising flour
- 4 medium eggs
- 2 lemons, zested and juiced
FOR THE DRIZZLE
- 100 g ( ½ cup) caster or granulated sugar , plus extra if needed
- Remaining lemon juice
FOR THE ICING (OPTIONAL)
- 100 g (scant 1 cup) icing sugar
- Lemon juice , as needed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C (350F) or 160F (220F) Fan Setting. Line a 2 pound / 900g loaf tin with parchment paper letting the ends of the paper hang over the edge of the tin. Alternatively use a loaf tin liner.
- Put all the cake ingredients in a large mixing bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment). Beat together on low speed to start with then increase the speed once the ingredients have combined. Add 1-2 tablespoons of the lemon juice and keep mixing, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl, until you have a smooth batter.
- Spoon the cake batter into the prepared cake tin and level. Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until the cake is golden, well risen and springy to the touch. A toothpick inserted in the centre should come out clean.
- Prick holes over the entire cake. Mix together the remaining lemon juice and sugar and drizzle over the warm cake (still in the tin) until it soaks in. Sprinkle with some extra sugar before the syrup dries (unless you want to add a glaze).
- Use the paper to lift the cake out of the tin and leave it to cool on a wire rack (this is the hardest part of the recipe) before slicing.
- You can leave your lemon loaf as is or decorate with lemon slices, lemon zest or edible flowers. If you want to add a simple glaze, mix icing sugar and lemon juice until you have a thick but pourable glaze. Drizzle the glaze over the cool cake, letting it drip down the sides.
Video
Notes
- Use softened unsalted butter or Stork (margarine). The butter should be soft enough for your finger to leave an imprint if prodded.
- Remaining ingredients, namely the eggs, also need to be room temperature.
- Use a microplane to zest the lemons – I have specified the zest of two but you can add even more zest if you like!
- Make sure the self raising flour is fresh.
- Check the cake five minutes before the baking time indicated in the recipe. Some ovens run hot, others are not hot enough.
Jackie says
First time I have ever made a lemon drizzle cake. This turned out perfectly. I will use this recipe again. I had to bake it for 65 minutes in my fan oven at 160.