Lemon drizzle cake

A classic British lemon cake soaked with fresh lemon syrup and finished with its signature crisp sugary crust. Some of you mentioned this cake recently, and when it appeared on the show The Great British Bake Off, I knew it had to appear on the blog as well. Lemon drizzle cake shares some similarities with Victoria Sponge Cake, but it is baked in a loaf tin. After baking, the cake is pierced and soaked with lemon syrup so it becomes beautifully moist. I sometimes like to add a little limoncello to the syrup, and I also enjoy combining lemon with orange – I’m a big fan of citrus cakes like this. Perhaps you are too?

Ingredients for the lemon drizzle cake:

• 170 g butter
• 170 g caster sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 200 g plain flour
• 1½ teaspoons baking powder
• finely grated zest of 2 lemons
• 2 tablespoons milk

All ingredients should be at room temperature. Sift the flour and baking powder together and set aside.

Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of a mixer and beat until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition until fully combined. Add the lemon zest and mix again. Add the sifted dry ingredients and the milk, then gently fold everything together with a spatula until just combined. Do not overmix.

Grease a small loaf tin (base approx. 9 × 19 cm) with butter and lightly dust with flour, shaking out the excess. Spoon the batter into the tin and level the top.

Bake at 160°C for 45-50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Immediately after removing the cake from the oven, prick it all over with a skewer and pour over the lemon syrup, adding it gradually and allowing each spoonful to soak in before adding the next. Leave the cake to cool slightly. Remove the lemon drizzle cake from the tin, slice and serve.

Ingredients for the lemon syrup:

• freshly squeezed juice of 2 lemons
• 100 g caster sugar

Mix the ingredients together until combined.

Enjoy!