Lemon Drizzle Loaf Cake (Printable Version)

A zesty, moist lemon loaf topped with a tangy citrus glaze perfect for spring baking.

# What You'll Need:

→ For the Cake

01 - 7 oz unsalted butter, softened
02 - 7 oz caster sugar
03 - 3 large eggs, room temperature
04 - 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest from 2 lemons
05 - 7 oz self-raising flour
06 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
07 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
08 - 3 tablespoons whole milk
09 - 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

→ For the Lemon Drizzle

10 - 2.8 oz icing sugar
11 - 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 2-pound loaf tin and line with baking parchment.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, cream together softened butter and caster sugar until pale and fluffy, approximately 3-4 minutes.
03 - Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Stir in the lemon zest until evenly distributed.
04 - Sift together self-raising flour, baking powder, and salt. Gently fold into the wet mixture until just combined, avoiding overmixing.
05 - Mix in the milk and lemon juice until the batter reaches a smooth, pourable consistency.
06 - Pour batter into the prepared loaf tin and smooth the top with a spatula for even baking.
07 - Bake for 45-50 minutes until a skewer inserted into the center emerges clean, indicating thorough baking.
08 - While the cake bakes, whisk together icing sugar and lemon juice to achieve a pourable consistency suitable for drizzling.
09 - Remove baked loaf from oven and cool in the tin for 10 minutes. While still warm, pierce the surface all over with a skewer and slowly drizzle the lemon glaze across the top.
10 - Allow the cake to cool completely in the tin before turning out and slicing into 8 portions.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It's practically impossible to mess up, and the reward feels disproportionately impressive for such minimal effort.
  • The warm glaze soaks into still-hot cake, creating pockets of intense lemon flavor that make you close your eyes a little.
  • It stays moist for days, making it perfect for slicing thin and sharing throughout the week.
02 -
  • The glaze must go onto warm cake or it sits on the surface like frosting instead of soaking in—this detail transforms the entire texture.
  • Those poked holes are not decorative; they're essential channels that let the syrup travel deep into the crumb where it belongs.
03 -
  • Zest your lemons before squeezing them—once they're halved and juiced, retrieving zest becomes nearly impossible.
  • If your kitchen is cold, warm your mixing bowl with hot water for thirty seconds before adding the butter and sugar; this helps them cream faster and more effectively.
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