Description
Zesty lemon drizzle cake promises a sunshine-soaked slice of pure delight, blending tangy citrus with sweet, moist crumb. Effortless baking technique and simple ingredients guarantee a crowd-pleasing dessert you’ll crave again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 225 grams (8 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
- 225 grams (8 ounces) self-raising flour
- 4 large eggs
- 225 grams (8 ounces) caster sugar
Citrus Components:
- 1 lemon, zested
- Juice of 1.5 lemons
Drizzle Topping:
- 85 grams (3 ounces) caster sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan) or Gas 4 and prepare an 8x21cm loaf tin with parchment paper.
- Using an electric mixer, whip butter and sugar until the mixture becomes pale and airy, creating a smooth consistency.
- Incorporate eggs individually, mixing thoroughly after each addition to ensure a uniform batter.
- Gently fold flour into the mixture using a spatula, maintaining the air and lightness of the batter.
- Incorporate freshly grated lemon zest, distributing it evenly throughout the mixture.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf tin, smoothing the surface with a spatula for an even bake.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 45-50 minutes, checking doneness by inserting a skewer which should come out clean when the cake is fully baked.
- While the cake is baking, prepare the drizzle by combining lemon juice and sugar in a small bowl.
- Once removed from the oven, immediately pierce the hot cake multiple times with a skewer to create channels for the drizzle.
- Pour the lemon sugar mixture over the warm cake, allowing it to seep into the holes and create a moist, tangy topping.
- Allow the cake to cool completely within the tin before carefully removing and slicing.
Notes
- Ensure butter and sugar are at room temperature for smoother, fluffier creaming.
- Gently fold flour to maintain cake’s light texture and prevent tough, dense results.
- For gluten-free version, substitute regular flour with almond or gluten-free blend and add extra xanthan gum for binding.
- Customize flavor by adding poppy seeds, lavender, or swap lemon with orange zest for variation.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45-50 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: British
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 392
- Sugar: 41g
- Sodium: 1mg
- Fat: 19g
- Saturated Fat: 12g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 47g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 70mg