Lemon Drizzle Loaf Cake (Printable)

A zesty, moist lemon loaf with tangy citrus glaze, perfect for a light, flavorful bake.

# Ingredient List:

→ Cake

01 - 1 3/4 cups unsalted butter, softened
02 - 1 3/4 cups caster sugar
03 - 3 large eggs, room temperature
04 - 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest from 2 lemons
05 - 1 3/4 cups self-raising flour
06 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
07 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
08 - 3 tablespoons whole milk
09 - 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

→ Lemon Drizzle

10 - 2/3 cup icing sugar
11 - 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and line a 2-pound loaf tin with baking parchment.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter and caster sugar until pale and fluffy, approximately 3-4 minutes.
03 - Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the lemon zest until evenly distributed.
04 - Sift the self-raising flour, baking powder, and salt directly into the mixture. Fold gently with a spatula until just combined, avoiding overmixing.
05 - Mix in the milk and lemon juice until the batter reaches a smooth, pourable consistency.
06 - Pour the batter into the prepared loaf tin and smooth the top with a spatula to ensure even baking.
07 - Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean with no wet batter.
08 - While the cake bakes, mix icing sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl to achieve a pourable consistency.
09 - Remove the baked loaf from the oven and cool in the tin for 10 minutes. While still warm, poke holes all over the top using a skewer and slowly drizzle the lemon glaze over the cake.
10 - Allow the cake to cool completely in the tin before turning out onto a wire rack and slicing.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The citrus flavor is bold without being sour—the glaze seeping into warm cake is genuinely addictive.
  • It comes together in under twenty minutes of actual work and feels like a proper afternoon achievement.
  • It stays moist for days, somehow tasting even better the next morning with tea.
02 -
  • Never skip the step of poking holes into the warm cake—without them, the glaze sits on the surface instead of soaking through, and you lose that tender, saturated crumb.
  • If your icing sugar is lumpy, sift it before mixing with lemon juice or you'll have gritty glaze instead of smooth.
03 -
  • Bring your eggs to room temperature by placing them in warm water for five minutes—this makes them blend silently into the batter instead of curdling.
  • If you have a microplane zester, use it for lemon zest instead of a box grater; the oils stay brighter and the texture feels finer on the palate.
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