Simply the best and easiest Lemon Drizzle Loaf Cake! Just five ingredients whisked together in one bowl and you can create a beautifully moist, buttery, tangy lemon cake with the softest crumb.
226g(1 cup) softened unsalted butter or margarine (Stork)
300g(1 ½ cups) caster sugar (superfine sugar)
260g(2 cups) self raising flour
4medium eggs
2lemons, zested and juiced
FOR THE DRIZZLE
100g( ½ cup) caster or granulated sugar, plus extra if needed
Remaining lemon juice
FOR THE ICING (OPTIONAL)
100g(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.