Lemon Drizzle Cake
A soft lemon loaf soaked with a crunchy sugar-and-lemon drizzle while still warm.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 50 min
- Total
- 1 hr 30 min
- Makes
- one 2lb loaf
- Difficulty
- Easy

Ingredients
Cake
- 225gunsalted butter, softened
- 225gcaster sugar
- 4medium eggs
- 225gself-raising flour
- 1unwaxed lemon, finely grated zest
Drizzle
- 1½lemons, juice only
- 85gcaster sugar
Equipment
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Method
- 1
Heat the oven to 180°C / 160°C fan / gas 4. Line a 2lb (900 g) loaf tin with baking paper.
- 2
Beat the butter and sugar until pale and creamy, then beat in the eggs one at a time.
- 3
Fold in the flour and lemon zest until just combined. Spoon into the tin and level the top.
- 4
Bake for 45–50 minutes, until a skewer pushed into the centre comes out clean.
- 5
While the cake bakes, stir the lemon juice and sugar together for the drizzle; do not let the sugar dissolve completely.
- 6
As soon as the cake comes out, prick it all over with a skewer and spoon the drizzle evenly over the top.
- 7
Leave in the tin until completely cool: the sugar sets into a crisp crust.
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