Lemon Drizzle Loaf Cake
This lemon drizzle loaf cake is light, moist and bursting with lemon flavour. With simple ingredients, this is a classic recipe you'll make again and again!
Equipment
- 1kg/2lb loaf tin (I use a silicon loaf tin)
- Baking paper or non-stick cake tin spray
- Stand/hand mixer
- Hand whisk
- Spatula
Ingredients
- 170 g plain flour
- 1 tsp baking powder level
- 1/4 tsp salt level
- 160 g butter softened/room temperature
- 120 g caster sugar
- 50 g light brown sugar/light muscovado sugar if using light muscovado sugar, sift to remove lumps
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 40 ml fresh lemon juice about 1 medium sized lemon
- zest of 2 medium/large lemons
Lemon Drizzle Topping
- 60 g caster sugar
- 30 ml fresh lemon juice almost all of 1 medium sized lemon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 170°/150° fan.
- Line a 1kg/2lb loaf tin with baking paper or spray with non-stick cake tin spray. I just lightly spray my silicon loaf tin with non-stick cake tin spray.
- In a medium bowl whisk together the plain flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer (with paddle attachment) or a large bowl if using an electric hand whisk, beat the butter and both sugars on medium speed for a full 1 minute until pale and fluffy.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating on medium speed between each addition for around 20 seconds until fully combined.
- Add the vanilla extract, lemon juice and lemon zest and beat again on medium speed for around 20 seconds until fully combined.
- Add half the dry ingredients to this bowl and beat on low until just combined, then add the remaining half and beat again until just combined. Try not to over-mix the batter or the cake will be dense.
- Pour the batter into the loaf tin and spread evenly with a spatula. Batter will be slightly thick.
- Place in the preheated oven and bake for around 45-50 minutes.
- While the cake is baking, make the lemon drizzle topping by simply mixing the caster sugar and lemon juice together with a spoon in a small bowl. Sugar will settle to the bottom so give it a good stir before using later on when the cake is baked.
- To reduce browning on top of the cake, after around 30 minutes in the oven I quickly place some foil loosely over the cake, closing the oven door as soon as possible to retain the heat and prevent the cake from sinking. Continue baking for 15-20 minutes.
- Check the cake is baked through by inserting a cake skewer or cocktail stick into the centre. It should come out clean. If not, place back in for 5 minutes before checking again.
- Once baked and still hot from the oven, poke lots of holes all over the cake with your cake skewer or cocktail stick. Now pour the lemon drizzle topping all over the cake.
- Leave to cool on a wire rack and wait until completely cooled before removing from loaf tin.
- Stored in an airtight container at room temperature, the cake should stay fresh for around 4-5 days.
Notes
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