Lovely Lemon Drizzle Cake

Lemon drizzle cake is the ultimate tea-time cake. Tender, tart, sweet, and super moist, you’re going to want more than one slice!

And luckily, it’s super easy to recreate at home!

Easy Lemon Drizzle Cake Recipe

Get ready to have your tastebuds whisked away because this lemon drizzle cake recipe is a slice of sweet, sunny bliss.

It’s bursting with citrus flavor, but it’s not sour. Instead, it’s light, bright, and deliciously rich.

And believe it or not, you only need a handful of ingredients.

The cake is made using flour, sugar, butter, and eggs. I use self-raising flour, but if you want to use cake flour, you’ll need to add baking powder.

From there, it’s baked until golden. Then you’ll add a lemon drizzle that seeps into every nook and cranny.

Every bite is a delightful balance of tart and sweet, leaving you craving another slice.

So whether you’re a citrus aficionado or simply looking to brighten up your day, this Lemon Drizzle Cake is a guaranteed showstopper.

Ingredients for Lemon Drizzle Cake

• Self-Raising Flour* - we Brits use this a lot in baking, and since this is my grandma’s recipe, I always stick to the original. But feel free to use the substitute below
• White Sugar - for sweetness
• Butter - for richness
• Whole Eggs - to help it rise
• Lemons (juice + zest) - I add lemon zest in with the sugar so the cake is lemony even without the glaze. Then you’ll use the lemon juice to make the drizzle
• Powdered Sugar - for the glaze

*Cake Flour + 2 teaspoons of Baking Powder

(If using Cake Flour, you will need 2 teaspoons of Baking Powder)

How to Make Lemon Drizzle Cake:

You will need one greased and lined 8 x 20 cm loaf pan for this recipe. Spray it with a little cooking spray so that the parchment sticks.

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C/325°F.
2. Place the butter, sugar, and lemon zest into a mixing bowl with the paddle attachment. 
3. Beat on low until it looks like a paste, then turn the speed up to medium and mix until well blended. It should be light and fluffy - this could take 5-10 minutes.
4. Turn the mixer to low, and add the eggs one at a time, mixing until just incorporated. Stop the mixer.
5. Add half of the flour (and the baking powder if using) and mix on low for 20 seconds.
6. Add in the rest of the flour and mix until just combined. Stop as soon as there are no visible streaks of flour. 
7. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
8. Bake for 45-50 minutes, until golden brown. Check after 40 minutes by inserting a toothpick into the center. It should come out clean. 
9. While the cake cools, make the glaze by stirring the juice of two lemons with the powdered sugar until smooth. Depending on the size of the lemons, you may need to add extra powdered sugar. 
10. Prick the top of the warm cake all over with a skewer and pour the glaze over. Top with extra lemon zest and let it cool.

Recipe Variations

As tasty as this lemon cake is, it’s always nice to have a few variations. That way, you can change things up depending on the occasion.

You could even make a double batch and split it in two, flavoring one half with fruit or coconut as you like.

So here are a few ideas:

Blueberry Lemon Drizzle Cake

Make the recipe as instructed, but fold fresh or frozen blueberries into the batter before baking.

Toss the berries in flour to keep them from sinking to the bottom of the cake. And if you use frozen, remember to bake the cake right away to keep the juice from bleeding.

You can also add a bright blueberry glaze!

Just mash the berries in a bowl with some sugar, and leave them to macerate. Then, strain the juice and mix it with powdered sugar to form a thick glaze.

Coconut Lemon Drizzle Cake

The easiest way to add a coconutty twist here is to top it off with toasted coconut.

But if you want it extra indulgent, whip up some coconut cream and slather it on top. Then you can add the toasted coconut for added flair.

Lavender Lemon Drizzle Cake

Lemon and lavender pair surprisingly well together. The citrus is tart and bright, whereas the lavender is floral and lightly sweet.

To make this version, add dried lavender to the batter just before baking.

Lemon Poppy Seed Drizzle Cake

This is such an iconic muffin recipe, so it makes sense to try it as a loaf!

Just mix poppy seeds into the batter, then bake as normal. How easy is that?

Lemon Lime Drizzle Cake

If lemon is too overwhelming for you, try a blend of lemon and lime.

Yes, lime is tart as well. But it’s much less lip-puckering. Use 1 lemon and 2 limes, adding the zest of both to the cake batter and the juice of both to the glaze.

Lemon Almond Drizzle Cake

Like lavender, almond is lightly floral and kind of sweet. So it pairs super well with tangy lemon.

Swap about 55 grams of flour for ground almonds. It’ll add a really nice taste and make the cake incredibly moist (even more than it already is!).

Then, top the cake with almond slivers.