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    Home » Recipes » Cakes

    Published: Jul 4, 2019 · Modified: Oct 3, 2020 by Sylvie · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Easy Lemon Drizzle Cake

    Jump to Recipe

    This easy Lemon Drizzle Cake combines a moist Lemon Loaf Cake and a super tangy Low-Sugar Lemon Icing. So easy to make at home, you will never want to buy it from the store ever again!

    Sliced Lemon Drizzle Loaf

    Ingredients

    Making this Lemon Loaf Cake is so easy - and you will only need a few ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen.

    There are two steps in making this recipe. First, the very simple Lemon Loaf Cake.

    Second, a low-sugar Lemon Icing to bring some punch of flavour and a delicious crunch!

    Here is what you will need to make a lemon drizzle cake using lemon juice

    • Lemons: both the Zest and the Juice
    • Caster Sugar
    • Very soft Butter
    • Eggs
    • Milk, preferably Full-Cream but you can use whichever milk you prefer
    • Plain Flour
    • Baking Powder + Baking Soda
    • Salt

    Although most recipes for lemon cake use the Zest of Lemons only, I also used the juice of the fruit for a very tangy flavour.

    Icing Ingredients:

    • Icing Sugar
    • Lemon Juice

    Yes... it is that easy to make a lemon drizzle cake with icing!

    Lemon Loaf from Above

    How to make a lemon drizzle cake

    There is no crazy technique or equipment required to make this cake. As I said, it is a fairly simple one, making it a great cake to make when you do not have much time!

    First, you will need to prepare the Lemon Drizzle Cake batter and bake it:

    • Zest the Lemons. Mix it with the Caster Sugar and beat it together to release the aromas of the zest (this is best done with a hand mixer).
    • Add the very soft Butter and using your hand mixer, cream it with the caster sugar to get a thick paste.
    • Add the Eggs, one by one then the rest of the Wet Ingredients: Lemon Juice and Milk
    • Sift in the Dry Ingredients: Plain Flour, Baking Powder, Baking Soda and Salt.
    • Pour the batter in a Loaf Pan - I used a 10inch / 25cm metal loaf pan. (you can simply use whichever loaf pan you have, but will need to adjust the baking time accordingly).
    • Bake until the tip of a knife (or a skewer) comes out clean.

    Once the Lemon Cake has finished baking, transfer it onto a cooling rack without removing it from the pan yet.

    Prepare the Low-Sugar Lemon Icing for the cake drizzle:

    • In a small bowl, whisk the Icing Sugar and Lemon Juice to get a clear liquid.
    • Using a knife or a skewer, poke some small holes all over the Lemon cake.
    • Pour the Lemon Icing over the Cake and leave to cool down completely before removing from the pan.
    Sliced Lemon Loaf

    Low Sugar Icing

    You may wonder "wait... what icing!?" right now... It is true, you can barely see it on the photos - but there is a good reason for that.

    This recipe uses a very small amount of Icing Sugar to finish the cake, so it does not have the typical white colour of icing.

    Making an Icing usually requires a very high ration of Icing Sugar to Liquid, which gives you the typical thick, white looking finish. For this recipe, I used a simple ratio of 2:1 Sugar to Lemon Juice.

    You can absolutely make this version of Icing if that is what you like but I personally prefer an icing that has a strong tangy lemon flavour rather than a very sweet one.

    This Icing will still bring you a nice shine and finish to the cake, but without the super high quantity of sugar.

    Full Lemon Drizzle Cake

    How to keep this Lemon Loaf

    This lemon cake will stay fresh for 2 to 3 days at room temperature (in a dry environment) when wrapped properly.

    Alternatively, it will keep fresh in the fridge for up to a week. Keeping it in an air-tight container (or properly wrapped) is essential to make sure the cake stays fresh and moist.

    Note that in summer or warm conditions, it is better to keep this cake in the fridge.

    Can you freeze it?

    This cake Although a cake is always going to be better eaten fresh, you can freeze this cake if needed. This cake needs be frozen without the lemon icing.

    To freeze this drizzle cake, bake it according the the instruction and leave it to cool down completely. When cold, wrap it tightly with aluminium foil and/or plastic wrap and place it in the freezer.

    It will keep for up to 3 months in the freezer. Leave it to thaw overnight when ready to be eaten, then pour over the icing. You can also freeze individual slices by following the same instructions.

    Close up on Lemon Drizzle Cake

    More easy Lemon dessert recipes:

    • Lemon and Blueberry Muffins
    • Lemon Poppy Seed Loaf Cake
    • Lemon Meringue Cake
    • Lemon Sweet Rolls
    • Mini Lemon and Blueberry Bundt Cakes
    • Lemon Raspberry Muffins
    • Belgian Lemon Tea Cake - from It's Not Complicated Recipe
    • Lemon Coconut Tart - from The Home Cook's Kitchen
    • Lemon and Poppy Seed Muffins
    • Lemon Ricotta Cake
    Sliced Lemon Loaf

    Lemon Drizzle Cake

    This Lemon Drizzle Cake is such an easy and deliciously tangy lemon cake to make at home. Enjoy it for breakfast, morning and afternoon tea or dessert!
    5 from 15 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 30 minutes
    Total Time: 40 minutes
    Servings: 12 Slices (10'' or 25cm Loaf Tin)
    Calories: 202kcal
    Author: A Baking Journey
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    Equipment

    • 10" / 25cm Loaf Tin

    Ingredients

    Lemon Cake

    • 2 Lemons, Zested
    • 1/4 cup (50gr) Caster Sugar
    • 2/3 cup (150gr) Very Soft Butter
    • 3 Eggs
    • 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp (90ml) Full Cream Milk
    • 1 Lemon, Juiced
    • 1 1/4 cup (180gr) Plain Flour
    • 1 1/2 teasp. Baking Powder
    • 1/2 teasp. Baking Soda
    • 1 pinch Salt

    Lemon Drizzle

    • 4 tbsp. Icing Sugar
    • 2 tbsp Lemon Juice

    Disclaimer

    I highly recommend using the measurements in grams & ml (instead of cups & spoons) for more accuracy and better results.

    Instructions

    Lemon Cake

    • Preheat your oven on 160'C / 325'F.
      Grease a Loaf Pan and set aside.
    • Zest the two Lemons into a large bowl. Pour the Caster Sugar over the zest, and use a hand mixer to rub them together. Add the Soft Butter and cream it with the Caster Sugar.
    • When you get an homogenuous thick paste, add the Eggs one at the time, whisking well between each egg.
    • Whisk in the juice of 1 Lemon and the Milk
    • Sift in the Dry ingredients: Plain Flour, Baking Powder and Salt. Stir until combined.
    • Pour the lemon cake batter into the greased loaf pan and bake for 25 to 35 minutes or until the tip of a knife comes out clean. Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack.

    Lemon Drizzle

    • Whisk the lemon juice with the Icing Sugar. Set Aside.
    • Using a knife or a skewer, poke small holes on the top of the lemon cake, then pour the Lemon Drizzle over it while still warm. Leave to cool down completely.
    • Keep for 3 days at room temperature, well wrapped and covered with aluminium foil or cling wrap.

    Tried this recipe? Make sure to leave a comment and star rating below!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 202kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 69mg | Sodium: 179mg | Potassium: 79mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 387IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this Recipe?Leave a comment + star rating below and tag us @a.baking.journey on Instagram with a photo of your creation!

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    Bonjour! I'm Sylvie, a French Belgian expat living in Melbourne, Australia. I love sharing my passion for French Pastry and empowering all home bakers through easy to follow recipes.
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