Lemon Drizzle Loaf Cake (Printable)

A light, moist loaf with fresh lemon zest and a tangy lemon glaze for a bright citrus touch.

# 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

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line a 2 lb loaf tin with baking parchment.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, cream together softened butter and caster sugar until pale and fluffy.
03 - Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in lemon zest.
04 - Sift in self-raising flour, baking powder, and salt. Fold gently until just combined.
05 - Mix in milk and lemon juice until batter is smooth.
06 - Pour batter into prepared loaf tin and smooth the top with a spatula.
07 - Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
08 - While cake bakes, prepare lemon drizzle by mixing icing sugar and lemon juice to a pourable consistency.
09 - Remove baked loaf from oven and cool in tin for 10 minutes. While still warm, poke holes all over the top using a skewer and slowly drizzle lemon glaze over the cake.
10 - Allow to cool completely in the tin before turning out and slicing.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The batter comes together in about ten minutes, which means you can have fresh cake cooling by mid-afternoon.
  • That warm-cake-poked-with-a-skewer moment, where the glaze seeps into every little hole, creates this incredibly moist texture that somehow stays tender for days.
  • It tastes fancy and springtime-fancy without requiring any of those tricky techniques that make you nervous.
02 -
  • Room temperature eggs are non-negotiable—they emulsify properly and make the cake rise evenly, while cold eggs can cause the batter to split and separate.
  • Fresh lemon juice makes an enormous difference; bottled juice tastes flat and slightly bitter by comparison, and you'll taste the difference in every bite.
  • Poking the holes while the cake is still warm is essential—cold cake won't absorb the glaze, and you'll end up with a sticky surface instead of that beautiful, tender, juice-soaked crumb.
03 -
  • If you're worried about the cake sticking, freeze the lined tin for fifteen minutes before filling it—the parchment will stay perfectly in place.
  • The moment you smell that lemon-cake aroma filling your kitchen is the moment you know everything is going right; trust that smell.
  • Make the glaze slightly thinner than you think you need it—as it sits on the warm cake, it thickens slightly and creates a beautiful, glossy finish.
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