Lemon drizzle cake recipe

This lemon drizzle cake is perfect for an Easter celebration, and I always associate it with spring and summer. As with most of my favourite baking recipes, this is one I’ve inherited from my mum, and it reminds me of hazy afternoons spent eating freshly baked scones and lemon cake in the garden, watching insects buzz around the flowers, and the occasional buzzard circle over the field behind the garden. In short, this cake is about celebrating home, family and simple luxuries: exactly the same things as Easter, making this the perfect recipe to cook for your family and friends this weekend!

It was also the recipe behind the amazing lemon and fresh fruit birthday cake mum baked me last year, and is equally delicious with lemon cream or lemon drizzle. But for the sake of tradition, I’ll stick with the drizzle in this recipe.

Lemon drizzle cake recipe
Cooking time 40 mins

You will need:
4oz/113g butter
6oz/170g caster sugar
6oz/170g self-raising flour
2 large eggs
Zest of 1 lemon
1 tsp baking powder
4tbsp/71ml milk

For the drizzle topping:
3oz/85g caster sugar
Juice of 1 lemon

Method
Preheat the oven to 180˚C. Grease and line a loaf or cake tin.
Cream the butter and caster sugar together, then whisk in the eggs, milk and lemon zest.
Sieve in the flour and baking powder, and mix well to form a batter.
Pour the batter into the tin, and bake for 40 minutes, or until dark golden and springy to touch.
While the cake is baking, mix together the drizzle ingredients and set aside ready to top the cake.
Turn it out onto a plate or cake stand, and before it cools, prick over the surface with a thin skewer or cocktail stick.
Pour over the drizzle, and allow the cake to cool and the topping to set before serving!