Lemon Drizzle Loaf Cake (Printable)

A moist, zesty lemon loaf with a tangy glaze ideal for brightening any occasion.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Cake

01 - 7.1 oz unsalted butter, softened
02 - 7.1 oz caster sugar
03 - 3 large eggs, room temperature
04 - 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest from 2 lemons
05 - 7.1 oz self-raising flour
06 - 0.5 teaspoon baking powder
07 - 0.25 teaspoon salt
08 - 3 tablespoons whole milk
09 - 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

→ Lemon Drizzle

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

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line a 2-pound loaf tin 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 well after each addition. Stir in lemon zest until evenly distributed.
04 - Sift self-raising flour, baking powder, and salt into the mixture. Fold gently until just combined, avoiding overworking.
05 - Mix in milk and lemon juice until batter reaches smooth consistency.
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 emerges clean.
08 - While cake bakes, combine icing sugar and lemon juice, stirring to achieve pourable consistency.
09 - Remove loaf from oven and cool in tin for 10 minutes. Pierce top repeatedly with a skewer and slowly drizzle lemon glaze over warm cake.
10 - Allow cake to cool completely in tin before turning out and slicing.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It's foolproof enough for a casual baker but impressive enough to bring to a friend's house without apologizing.
  • The whole kitchen smells like a lemon grove for hours after baking, which honestly might be the best part.
  • It stays moist for days and somehow tastes even better the next morning with a cup of tea.
02 -
  • The difference between room temperature eggs and cold eggs is genuinely significant; cold ones create a broken, separated batter that bakes into a dense cake instead of a light one.
  • Skipping the hole-poking step means a pretty glaze on top but no flavor penetration, so don't skip it even if it feels fussy.
03 -
  • If the top of your cake is browning too quickly while baking, tent it loosely with foil for the last 10-15 minutes, which is completely normal and nothing to worry about.
  • The secret to maximum lemon flavor is using the zest in the batter and then the fresh juice in both the cake and glaze, creating layers of citrus that build on each other rather than one big punch.
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