May 16, 2020
Lemon Drizzle Loaf Cake! – Back to Basics!
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An easy lemon drizzle loaf cake – lemon sponge, lemon drizzle, lemon icing… what more could you want?! Another post in my back to basics series!
Lemon drizzle loaf cake
So, say hello to your new lemon addiction. I have always been a fan of lemon flavours, and this new post, another instalment in my back to basics series, is my lemon drizzle loaf cake. It’s easy, it’s delicious, and I love it.
In the past, I have uploaded my lemon lime drizzle cake – which is fairly similar. It’s an old post, with different quantities, and is obviously lemon and lime combined! As you all adore loaf cakes even more now though, I thought I would do an in-depth post into this beauty!
Tin
So… when you are starting with a loaf cake, you need the right tin. Loaf tins can vary greatly in size, even if they are described as being the same tin. For example, I have three different 2lb loaf tins, but they are all slightly different in how much water they can hold. Usually, this is okay as long as they are similar enough! For reference, this is the 2lb loaf tin that I use! If it helps, the exact measurements are – 24.4 x 14.4 x 6.9 cm. This may help you if your’s varies slightly!
Some loaf tins are still 2lb, but they are slightly wider and shallower, which means the bake time can vary – but baking a loaf cake is quite similar to baking a Bundt Cake. They can vary dependent on tin, just like a Bundt Cake, but usually they work out the same!
When I line the tin, I usually grease it slightly and then add parchment paper on top. I don’t then grease on top of the paper. I don’t feel the need, and if you use the correct type of baking parchment, then you definitely don’t need to do it!
Cake mix
Now when it comes to the cake mix, it really is just a basic cake mix. Even weight quantities of butter, sugar, eggs and flour – with lemon added in. Because it’s just the basic cake mix, you need to make sure the quantities are correct.
You can help this by weighing your eggs, in their shells, but generally I find 5 medium eggs = 250g of mix! It’s much easier this way. If you use large eggs, they can often be 60g, so I would only use 4 eggs, and only 240g each of the rest of the ingredients. I hope this makes sense!
Lemon
When it comes to the lemon, you have two choices. Fresh lemon zest grated finely, or lemon extract! Either work well, and they both work the same! I swap between both each time, and they both work well. If you want to use the zest, you can then use the same lemons for the drizzles later!
Bake
When baking a loaf cake, it can vary a bit just like bundt cakes, as mentioned earlier! The usual timings is 55-65 minutes, because it’s quite a lot of mix, in a smaller sized tin (compared to a round tin!).
Sometimes, the baking can take longer though. My oven is a fan oven, so I put it on the fan setting at 160C – I set the timer for 55 minutes, and then check it. If when I open the door and touch the tin the cake wobbles, it’s definitely not done! However, if it’s not wobbling it’s worth checking.
Checking a cake is a fine balance though. When opening the oven door, you really don’t want to take too long. For every second an oven door is open, you will lose LOTS of heat. If your cake isn’t finished baking, it can sometimes also sink if taken out too early.
Lemon drizzle
For the lemon drizzle, you want to mix together the lemon juice and caster sugar – it makes a sort of cloudy drizzly paste – spoon this over the cake once it’s come out of the oven and it will soak in. Leave the cake to cool fully before moving from the tin!
The wonderful thing about this sort of cake is that it’s simple, but it’s so delicious. The lemon drizzle keeps the cake lovely and moist – and it won’t dry out. I use my stand mixer to mix the cake ingredients together, and it’s amazing. Although, this isn’t essential.
Decoration
Once cooled, you can optionally decorate it – I use the icing sugar, watered down with some more lemon juice – and just drizzle it over with a small spoon! I then sprinkle on some lemon zest to make it look pretty, but both the icing drizzle and zest are optional. They just look nice!
Top tips!
A handy method to check if your cake is ready, is to (carefully!!) listen to the cake – if it’s making a bubbling/crackling sound, then it’s not actually finished baking either. You’ll want to continue baking till the skewer is clean, and also not making a sound.
I classically use caster sugar for the sponge and main drizzle, but this can be switched with golden caster sugar, light brown sugar, or even dark brown – but the changes can change the flavour!
I use medium eggs as I have said, and I use self-raising flour. If you can’t access self-raising, you will want to use plain flour with baking powder added in. You whisk in 2 level tsps of baking powder per 150g of flour, before using it in a recipe! It’s often easier to make a larger batch though, and then just store the flour for later use! Easy and delicious.
I hope you love this recipe, any questions leave them below! x
Lemon Drizzle Loaf Cake!
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 250 g unsalted butter
- 250 g caster sugar
- 250 g self raising flour
- 5 medium eggs
- Zest of 2 lemons (2tsp lemon extract)
Drizzle
- 75 ml lemon juice
- 75 g caster sugar
Decoration
- 50 g icing sugar
- 1-2 tsps lemon juice
- Lemon zest
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180C/160C Fan - grease and line your 2lb loaf tin!
- Beat together your butter and sugar together until light and creamy!
- Add in your flour, eggs and lemon and beat again until combined. It'll be a smooth cake mixture!
- Add the mix into the cake tin and bake. This can take 55-65 minutes - but check from 50 minutes onwards.
- Towards the end of baking - in a bowl, mix together your 75ml lemon juice and 75g caster sugar together.
- Once the cake is baked, drizzle this over the cake, whilst still in the tin. Let the cake cool fully.
- Once the cake is cooled, remove from the tin.
- If you want to decorate, mix in lemon juice to your icing sugar until you reach the desired consistency.
- Drizzle this over the cake, and sprinkle on some lemon zest for decoration! Enjoy!
Notes
- I use this loaf tin!
- If it helps, I also use this baking parchment in my bakes!
- As mentioned in the post, if you are using large eggs - use four large eggs, and 240g flour, sugar, butter.
- If your cake sinks, it hasn't finished baking! Loaf tin baking times can vary so check on the cake from 50 minutes onwards.
- This cake will last for 4-5 days at room temp! I store it in a cake storage tin.
- You can easily water down the icing for the drizzle with water instead, but the lemon juice is more zingy!
- If you want to make a smaller cake you can - reduce it down by one medium egg, and use 200g of ingredients. Or even reduce by two eggs, and use 150g of ingredients. The fewer the ingredients the quicker the bake time!
ENJOY!
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J x
© Jane’s Patisserie. All images & content are copyright protected. Do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words and credit me, or link back to this post for the recipe.
Hi Jane, I love this recipe! However I want to take it into work so I want to do a different style. If I were to do this as a sheet cake instead of a loaf cake, what would the measurements and baking time be?
Hi Jane,
Absolutely love this recipe and such a hit in our house. However, when I pour the drizzle on it to soak in, it seems to only soak into the top half of cake and not the bottom. Anything I’m doing wrong or need to do to make it soak all the way through?
Hiya! Try pricking the sponge with a fork or skewer to help it move down the sponge! Hope this helps! x
Hi, this might be a stupid question but do you pour the drizzle on straight away when it comes out of the oven? Thanks in advance
Yes, while the cakes are still warm! Enjoy! x
Help!! I have been asked to make this into a traybake for the tin you make carrot cake tray bake in. What temp and time would I need and what size qty would I need thank you:)
Hi,
Can you split recipe between 1lb tins and adjust baking times?
Hey, I can see the recipe says to use butter however I just wanted to check whether stork is fine to use instead?
I find cakes come out better with stork than butter, but happy to use butter if needed and if tastes better!
Thanks
Hiya! You can use either – completely up to you! Enjoy! x
I have made this loaf cake loads of times because it’s the best lemon drizzle cake ever 😊everyone I have baked it for raves about it. Thank u again Jane as have found same from all ur recipes. Can’t wait for ur second book. Ps only been baking for 4 months no fails yet with ur recipes Thank u ☺️ 💖💖
I love this recipe!
Just wondering, I want to try this in mini loaf cake cases instead of 1 big one. Do you know if the recipe will change/how many mini loafs in one big?
Hope that makes sense x
Did you make mini ones? – i am also planning this not sure how long to bake for
Hi, I’ve made this before and its amazing, I wanted to
Mark again but in the little mini loaf cases, how long would you recommend to bake for? X
Hi Jane could you tell me if I have to use lemon extract. Can’t get it at local shops can I use extra lemon juice instead.
Hiya! As per the recipe – you can use lemon juice or lemon zest! Hope this helps! x
Recipe sounds amazing. When you line the tin with the baking paper, do you line the whole tin or just the bottom? In the past I have found it makes the cake a funny shape if it crinkles up round the sides. Thank you x
On a loaf tin, I line the bottom and long sides with one piece of baking paper. Leave the ends but grease well. I agree about the creases leaving indentations on the cake, it spoils the look.
Hi, can you freeze this once decorated? Thanks! 🙂
Hiya! Absolutely you can, for up to 3 months. Enjoy! x
This is my first time making a lemon drizzle and the icing on top has gone really clear and looks nothing like yours! What am I doing wrong?
Love this recipe however presentation wise it looks nothing like the picture the icing seems to go clear?!
Is there something I’ve missed?
Some icing sugar is thinner so requires less liquid – but as long as it tastes okay!
Hiya. Sorry probably sound like a silly question but when you weigh the eggs do you weigh after they’ve been cracked? And then measure all the ingredients the same weight?!
You weigh the eggs in their shells first. Then whatever they say in the scales , you then weigh out the sugar, butter and flour to the exact amount of weight of the eggs. So if for example the weight of the eggs in their shells weighed 240g then you would weigh out 240g of sugar, butter and flour
Hi Jane, can you suggest the best way to add white chocolate to this recipe? Thank you!
Hi Jane,
I love this recipe have used it lots before!! Just wondering if I can make the cake batter today and keep it in the fridge until tomorrow and bake it then? Would that work or would it ruin the rise of the cake?
Thank you!!
I always recommend using fresh cake batter xx
Absolutely delicious. Simple ingredients, simple technique and turned out well.
I have a question. My loaf took about 50-53 minutes. However it started browning earlier and by the time I took it out, it was dark brown (looked somewhat burnt). When I cut it, the inside was perfectly fine. Any advice? Would covering with foil half way etc work?
Thank you
Hiya! So glad you loved it. Yes best thing to do with this is to turn the heat down and cover it in foil!x
Hi I made this today using the tin you recommend. My cake domed in the middle, (rise more). Is there a reason it would do this as followed recipe to a t.
Many thanks
Hiya – loaf cakes classically do dome, so there’s nothing to change!
Hi Jane
I love this recipe and am now thinking of switching the lemon to orange and finishing off with a little chocolate drizzled over instead of the icing.. A kind of Jaffa cake. Would this work? X
Yes that would be yummy! x
Hi Jane,
I’ve made the sponge a number of times and iced it. However, the first time I added the lemon drizzle to the loaf after taking it out of the oven it seemed to result in my cake sinking 🙁 so I’ve not dared try again. Any reason why it might do this? Thanks!
The cake might have needed longer baking xx
Can I use this mixture as a traybake in a 8inch square tin ?
Hi Jane, thank you for your reply, if I half the recipe for a 1lb tin instead of 2, how long would you recommend baking it for please? X
Perfect lemon drizzle! Loaf tins are strange beings so with my 2lbs tin 2/3s full I still had enough for 6 cupcakes, they went down a storm. The cupcakes were baked in cake cups and took 25 mins to bake if anyone’s wondering 🙂 delicious recipe as per thanks Jane xx
I used a 2lb loaf tin as in the recipe, but while baking my batter overflowed!
Do you usually fill the loaf tin halfway, as mine was nearly till the top?
Hiya! As mentioned on the post, some 2lb loaf tins are smaller than others. Only fill to a maximum of 2/3rds xx
Hi Jane! I want to use up some lemon extract I brought. Can I substitute the lemon zest with extract? If so how many teaspoons please? Thank you!
Sorry I was so busy reading the comments I didn’t even check the recipe which states 2 teaspoons!
Hiya! Yes you can you would need 1-2 teaspoons xx
Hi
For the icing can you use half lemon juice and half water ?
Yes! Just add a really small amount at a time so you get the right thickness x
Hi,
How did you make your icing on the top of the cake look so white? I following the recipe and it made a icing with a more clear colouration?
Thankyou
Amelia
Hi Jane. Would this be ok with some raspberries & or blueberries in?
Hiya! I personally have not tried this – but it is definitely worth a go! Let me know! x
Hi Jane,
Could this be turned into a round cake making two batches? What size tin would you recommend
Thanks
Made this in the afternoon after a long cycle and it was just what I needed! I added some lemon juice to the batter as well (not much, just 1/2 a lemon) and it came out perfectly. Added a couple of mins to the baking time and tented it with foil at 50 mins but it rose well and was a hit with the whole family.
I was thinking about adding elderflower cordial to this! How much would you recommend and when should I add it to the recipe?
Hey! Have a look at my lemon and elderflower cake for inspiration because I add it to the drizzle in that xx
Hi Jane, thanks so much for sharing so many amazing recipes! I love this lemon drizzle cake. Just wondering if there’s a reason why there’s no additional baking powder in this recipe or any other of your loaf cake recipes? For a standard round cake I would always add a teaspoon of baking powder. Would it work in this recipe?
Thank you!
Hey! Ahh you are so welcome I am glad you love this cake! You just don’t need to use baking powder in loaf cakes xx
Hi Jane could this be changed to create a lime drizzle cake 🎂
Hey, yes it can xx
Recipe was great and cake was gorgeous.
Will recommend to anyone as very simple recipe to
follow.
Hey… first I luv your recipes and your videos… but please help.. I’ve made a few times but my lemon drizzle loaf keeps sinking in the middle.. please help…..
Hey! Thank you so much! That sounds like it could be underbaked xx
Hi Jane,
How much cake batter should I put into my 2lb loaf tin? Is it the whole mixture or like 2/3 ?
Hey! You would need to fill the tin to 2/3 xx
Has anyone attempted to make this gluten free?
Hi Jane, question please! Once you’ve mixed the butter and sugar together, would it be better to mix the eggs in first, before adding flour and zest? First time making it and I threw it all in at the same time and beat it – should the mix be very thick? Fingers crossed it turns out okay. Thanks x
Hi Jane,
I’m wanting to make a smaller version of this, maybe a 1lb loaf tin, can I please ask what to do with the measurements of all the ingredients, would it just be a case of halving everything? Thank you x
Hey! I only make it as a 2lb so I assume halving would work but the baking time would change xx
Hi. I have bought all the ingredients but i noticed that you baked yours using a fan oven. May I know if I can bake it using non-fan (the one with top and bottom elements) kind of oven. If so, what temperature should I set my oven to and does the baking time also change?
Hello! As you can see on the recipe I give two temperatures – the 180 is a regular oven and the 160 is a fan x
Hi, could I make this recipe as an all-in-one mix rather than creaming butter and sugar etc please.
You can do, sometimes it just results in a different textured sponge!
Hi Jane! I wanted to bake this as a traybake (13×9 like all your tray baked). Can I use the same quantities to fit that tin? And as it would be shallower than a loaf tin will the cake become too soggy if i drizzle hot out of the oven or shall I wait a bit? Thank you and looking forward to trying this!
You need to follow the guidance of my G&T traybake as the measurements are different for a tin that size. And no the drizzle method stays the same x
Would I be able to do this in a round tin similar to the ones used in your other cake recipes such as the carrot cake?
I love lemon drizzle cake so thought I would try your recipe Jane. The cake is so easy to make and tastes absolutely delicious. So light , lovely and lemony and cooked in exactly 50 minutes. I would recommend this cake to anyone. Thank you xx
Oh My Goodness Jane – this is amazing – I can bake (sort of) so I am expanding my bakes and the explanation you have given for why you have done what you have and the reasons for 4 v 5 eggs makes so much sense and I really appreciate you taking the time to explain these bits. I am using my work colleagues as guinea pigs and 1 colleague said that LDC was his absolute favourite but I had knocked it out of the park! …so thank you 🙂
I am doing a chocolate orange version this week 🙂
The outside of mine came out slightly crispy and is too dark of a colour than I’d like – would this be because if of the butter I used, over greasing the tin, oven temp or something else? 🙁 x
It sounds like the oven was too hot – its worth lowering by like 20c and see if that helps! x
This is the most delicious lemon loaf cake I have ever tasted! I only set out to make one for a doorstop dash Mother’s Day present on Sunday and ended up making three more because of how delicious the loaf was.
Thank you so much for such a tasty recipe! I’m so excited to use your other recipes to make equally delicious treats now x
Hi Jane, do you think would it work with bluberries in the middle?
Hiii! Yes it would, 200g and coat them in flours first x
Hi Jane, I have 1 question I’m hoping you can help with. I’ve made this cake/loaf 3 times and I was just wi dering how I can get the top flatter? Beautiful recipe aswell! Xx
Loaf cakes are designed to have a crack/higher middle in my opinion and that is part of the charm – but you can try lowering the temp of your oven by like 20c and baking for quite a bit longer instead! xx
I love making this! But is there a way of making this gluten free at all? Xx
Hello! Its worth switching to a gluten free flour and adding xantham gum x
Thank you so much for the recipe! This is best cake I’ve ever baked and I’ve baked a lotttt of cakes. Finally nailed a lemon drizzle loaf (first time using the loaf tin hence the need of a recipe) but damn! Absolutely amazing, moist and full of flavour. Perfection.
Delicious recipe. I normally only buy large eggs so used 4 large instead of 5 medium. My hubby doesn’t like icing much so didn’t do that or the syrup but it still tastes lovely with a lemony taste and not overly sweet. I also added vanilla bean paste out of habit (oops!) – think it just added depth of flavour. All in all bookmarking this one for the future.
Do you recommend the use of silicone loaf tins for this recipe or are standard tins better?
To be honest I am unsure – I only ever use metal! x
I made this Lemon drizzle cake today and it turned out perfect ,I’ve used other recipes and they were never cooked in the middle and always soak so I will be using this one again. Thank you Jane.
Absolutely love all of your receipts, thank you so much! I’m making your lemon celebration cake for a friends retirement – I’d like to make the sponge in advance and freeze it – does that mean I shouldn’t do the lemon/sugar drizzle or could I do it before I freeze it?
Thanks
You can do it before freezing! Xx
Hello Jane, I absolutely love this recipe. It’s perfect every time. I was wondering if the recipe could be used to make an orange drizzle instead? If so how many oranges for the zest etc? Thank you
Yes you can! I usually use 1 large orange for two lemons x
Hi Jane I want to try this recipe but the only loaf tin I have is 25.5 ×11.3×7.2 cm would I need to adjust baking times? If so what time would u suggest please 😊
Ps I love all of your recipes I’ve made so far
I have done it for the first time and it blew my mind! So tasty, and easy to make. Thank you!
Hi, I’ve followed the recipe and ingredients but my loaf cake took a lot longer to cook than mentioned as the middle wasn’t cooked, would this be due to oven temp? I think I could’ve split the mixture between two loaf tins, I used a standard loaf tin.
If the mixture fit into one tin, it didn’t need splitting – but sometimes it can take longer! Loaf tins are a lot like bundt tins so baking time can vary slightly, or it can be oven temp, but it’s not a problem in the end as long as it’s tasty! x
This is delicious recipe just perfect. I reduced sugar slightly and kept adding icing sugar and juice .Really nice !
How well does it freeze ?
Very well!
Hi Jane, I can’t wait to make this lemon drizzle cake, I would like to use a mini loaf tin, would you know the cooking timing please?
I’m not sure I am afraid, sorry!
I’ve made mini ones and it takes about 20 mins! I started watching closely at 18!
Is there any way to make sure the cake doesn’t done on top?
Loaf cakes naturally do dome and split and that’s part of the charm – but you can lower the temp and bake for longer if you prefer as that can reduce it!
Hi Jane – I’ve made this one and the white choco and raspberry loaf, and both turned out perfect and were Devine! Thanks so much for the recipes! Have you made an orange version of this before and if so, is it just the same quantities of zest/juice? A family member has requested it, but I doubt it will beat the lemon one. Thank you again 🙂
Ahh yay! And yes – I would just use the same! But obviously oranges are larger so for one large orange I say is the same as 2 lemons x
Would you normally prick the cake before drizzling or is this not necessary? And is it done straight after removing from oven?
I don’t usually anymore as it can look a bit naff I find, but yes straight after the baking basically!
Absolutely amazing recipe, if you are thinking of making it…..make it! You will not be disappointed. Thank you from a very happy family!
Hi Jane!
My 2lb loaf tin is 21cm x 11.5cm x 6cm how would I alter this to fit my tin?? Thanks! x
I’m not 100% I am afraid, but best bet is to only fill the tin 2/3 of the way, and bake cupcakes with any spare mix!
Wish I’d read your question before I made my cake! My tin is the same size as yours and the excess mixture is currently plopping all over the oven 🤦🏼♀️😂
Have you ever used lemon curd for a lemon loaf? Quite like using it in cupcakes and was wondering how you would adjust your recipe to accommodate the curd?
Also made your cream cheese icing today. Was great. Added some lemon curd into that also and used it to top the loaf.
I have never mixed it into the raw sponge in a loaf cake, but it works well added on top, or even in the middle of the sponge after baking!
Too much egg for me, 200g should be about right if you dont like an eggy taste.
It may be that you did use too much egg if the eggs were too large – this is based on the equal ratio style recipes so it’s correct as listed if that makes sense!
I love lemon, but love lime more. Do you think substitute lime would work? Thank you, you’re recipes are amazing xxx
Yes it would work well! x
Hi Jane which zester do you use?
I use the fine grater when doing lemon!
This is a superb recipe. Can I ask you if it is suitable for converting to 9 inch round cake. I have been asked to make it for my nephew’s wedding.
Thank you, Anna
is there any way to prevent the cake from doming?
In my opinion loaf cakes should dome slightly and thats a part of it all – but you can try a lower temp for longer if you hate it.
Hi Jane, the recipe is excellent, but I’m just as obsessed with the octagonal plates you serve the cakes on! Are they real plates or paper ones, and where are they from? I need them!!
They are real plates – from Debenhams about 2 years ago!
Who doesn’t love a lemon loaf! This is divine. I haven’t quite perfected the recipe like you and mine still dome slightly on top.
This is by far the best lemon drizzle cake I’ve ever made, or eaten. It’s so easy to make and is delicious every single time. My family are obsessed with it and always request I make it when I’m baking. I’m yet to work out how to make the top as flat as yours (mine always turns into a huge dome) but I don’t really mind. I tell everyone to check out your recipes and this is the first one I mention!
I’m no chef, nor am I a baker! I decided to start baking during lockdown part 1, I started off with a banana loaf and then found you and your recipes. The lemon drizzle loaf quickly became my fav thing to bake! My family are amazed how I’ve taken such a u-turn with being in the kitchen… this is a delicious recipe! You can’t beat a bit of lemon… ☺️ X
This was a big hit in our nursing office. Made gluten free again, as I do all you recipes. Really moist and great flavour 🙂
What an excellent Recipe Jane. Very clean instructions. It turned out beautifully.
Can’t wait to try out another one of recipes maybe your salted caramel Cheesecake.
Thank you again.
Hey!! Really enjoy your recipes. I’m slowly making my way through them all and so far they’ve all been absolutely delicious!!
Just wondered if you had any help in terms of ingredients measurements for a bigger baking loaf tin for this recipe??
The tin I have is 35cm long. It is 14cm wide at the widest point and 9cm high.
What measurements in terms of ingredients would you suggest please??
Thanks 😊
Hey! Ahh yay I am so glad! So according to this website – http://www.cakebaker1.co.uk/apps-for-bakers/baking-tin-size-conversion-calculator/ – you would need almost double the recipe at 1.9x the recipe! However, it’s not always completely accurate so many make it at least 2/3 more? x
Thanks for this recipe, Jane! What a delicious lemon drizzle cake! I’ve made it before, but this is so much better. Light, moist, sweet and tangy. Just delicious!
I made a second cake and substituted orange zest and orange juice instead of lemon. Haven’t tried it yet, but I’m looking forward to it. Can’t wait to try some more of your bakes!
One question please: your decorative frosting is so white – is this because you didn’t use as much juice with the icing sugar? Mine was still translucent.
Ah yay! So glad! Yes so sometimes it just depends on the lemon – and even sometimes I find the brand of icing sugar weirdly! Just means you had slightly more liquid x
Honestly amazing! Very zingy and delicious! Would make a million times over!
Hi Jane
Wish to try Lemon drizzle loaf cake.
But i want to know alternative for eggs. If i ve to use baking soda swaping eggs then wht shud b qty for 150gm plain flour?
Hey – it might be better to look for an egg free recipe as this is a basic cake recipe x
Bow down to Jane. I’ve tried 4 of your recipes and they’ve all been spot on. I would highly recommend this recipe in particular and I’m extremely proud of my cake 🙂
This is my ‘go to’ recipe now for Lemon Drizzle cake. I’ve done it as a loaf but my family prefer it as a traybake, cut into fingers or squares. It’s foolproof, a light sponge, beautifully moist with so much lemon flavour. Never fails to impress people!
how long did it take to cook as a traybake? and did you use the same measurements as in the recipe?
How long did thus take to cook Jo and at what temperature please.
Priya – that will depend on the size of your traybake tin. Check out other traybake recipes for your size tin and adjust accordingly.
Mandy – check out other traybake recipes and use those to judge. Everyone’s oven is different too. So maybe take 5 minutes off the time and just check with a skewer to see if it comes out clean.
I did not quite understand what is drizzle mean I poured on the loaf cake but it stayed on top and the cake is little dry where did I go wrong ?
I got beautiful yellow color
I’m sorry I don’t really understand your comment – you drizzle the lemon/sugar over the hot cake and it should soak in. Then, you can decorate with a water icing if you want
Hi Simran, when you take the cake out of the oven you can use a skewer or knife and make lots of insertions all over the cake. When you have done this you can pour or use a spoon to spread the hot drizzle and this should sink nicely into your cake. Hope this helps
Made this for the first time yesterday, the family love it.
Hi Jane,
I just want to say this was my first time baking this lemon loaf cake and my family loved it!
The only issue I had is that the cake cracked a little in the middle how do I prevent this from happening in the future. Also can I add milk to this recipe to make the sponge more moist is it recommended or not.
But overall I’m very happy and pleased with the bake thanks once again!
That is a very classic thing from a loaf cake, and isn’t a problem – and I wouldn’t think it needs milk because of the lemon drizzle soak! x
Absolutely fabulous recipe
I made this using limes as I had lots but no lemons, it turned out beautifully and has possibly become my husband’s favourite cake, am making another as I type! Didn’t put as much icing on as the recipe states as my other half doesn’t really like icing but the cake was moist enough without.
Ps. I used 3 limes for a 240gm/4 large eggs cake in a silicon 2lb loaf tin lined with baking parchment.
I shall be doing this recipe tomorrow and very much looking forward to it but I just wondered could I use icing sugar for the drizzle instead of castor sugar what difference would this make
For the main soak in drizzle you really want to use caster sugar x
can this cakr be frozen ?
Yes!!
Hi Jane am having a senior moment! In the recipe does it mean lemon zest and juice or
Lemon zest OR juice?
Hiya! For the cake, this means Zest or Juice. Hope this helps! x
Or 8” 20cm? Xx
Hello, could I do bake this in a round cake tin maybe 6”? Xx
You can do! Have a look at my lemon celebration cake for an 8″ version, but I’m not sure on a 6″ timings x
hi! wow i’m so excited to make my first cake from scratch after reading this! i plan on making one in a square tin and one in a circle tin then putting them together to make a heart but i’m struggling to convert the measurements (maths isn’t my strong point haha!)
So the amount of mix you want really really depends on the tins you will use. I have a lemon celebration cake on my blog which may be better to look at as that’s in a round tin xx
Can i use this recipe for a tray tin too ?
i love this recipe but when baking i had left it in for 55-60 minutes on 160°c fan oven and the middle just wouldn’t cook. it was still so raw and i even turned up the temperature and it was taking forever x
It could be a few things – such as your tin being a different shape/size, the temperature being wrong (as sometimes ovens aren’t accurate). Cover with foil and continue to bake till it’s done! x
so gorgeous ! and I didn’t mess it up so it must be easy to follow ! thanks !
This lemon drizzle was the nicest I have ever tasted. I followed the instructions to the letter and it then owned out perfectly. Highly recommended 5*.
Can I use this recipe for a round tin? thank youuu x
You can – but have a look at my lemon celebration cake as it’s a round cake! x
I’ve used many of your recipes, so straight forward to follow! This was my first lemon drizzle and everyone loved it! Thankyou !
Ahh yay!
Tried this and my whole family absolutely loved it!! Jane is there any way I can make this vegan for my sister? Thank you!
Hey! Ah yay! So usually I find it best to make a vegan sponge batter rather than trying to substitute all the eggs but that’s just me – it may be worth trying my vegan Victoria sponge recipe (with added lemon) if you want!
Hi Jane, have you ever done this recipe in a mini loaf tray? Any idea on cooking times? Thank you!
I’m afraid I have not, sorry!!
Weigh the eggs in their shells that’s the grams of other ingredients!
Yep, always weigh in the shells..!
Sorry to be the millionth person to mention the eggs lol, but I’ve got four medium eggs and one large. Can that work? Shall I do 1 large and 2 medium, instead? I am going to try baking this today, so just wanted to make sure. Thanks 😊
As I use five eggs, I would maybe weigh three medium, and one large, in their shells, and then match the flour/sugar/butter to the weight! x
I found Jane’s recipe for Lemon Drizzle so informative.Right down to weighing the eggs .Brilliant. Thank you.
I loved this recipe it was delicious! I want to make a Gluten free one for my nan so I’ve got Gluten free self raising flour. I just wondered having never made a Gluten free cake before do I follow the same recipe or do I need to adjust anything? Thanks for the brilliant recipes by the way! I’ve made several cheesecakes all amazing
Hey! Yes you can definitely use gluten free flour – but often adding in xantham gum is best for GF cakes. Or you can add in some ground almonds for a nicer texture!
Is it normal for this to rise well above the tin? Its been in the ove 15 minutes and is an inch above my liner.
Hoping it’ll come out smoothly as it’s for an order tomorrow and I’ve just ran out of eggs 🤦♀️
As mentioned on the post some tins are differently sized even though they are all called the same size – so yours may be a tad small! x
I love this recipe and love lemon cake. It is my daughter’s 1st birthday next month and wanted to do a lemon cake with buttercream covering it, do you think this recipe will work?
I gave a lemon celebration cake which is a round cake if you are after that – but if you still want a loaf cake then yes it should be okay! x
Zoe – I just came on here to commemorate Jane on this recipe. This cake turned out marvellous and looks just like the photo, except the decoration, like you’ve mentioned 😀 So as I thought, I added too much lemon juice. I also had to make my own icing sugar by blending caster sugar, which is fine but I got the translucent appearance too. It really doesn’t make a difference to the cake (as it is just decoration) and my husband absolutely loves it. He was so excited when I told him I was baking this (for the first time ever) as a treat for him, he loves lemon cake.
I used 5 medium eggs which were the right balance in this cake. When I cut in to it (the “Dum, dum, dum moment) it was a “Voila” moment 😀 Perfect and looks just like your photo, Jane. I will make this again but not yet as this makes a hefty cake – but we’ll get through it 😉
One ask – it says 373 calories per serving – what is a serving, 1/8th? Crikey it’s a lot. Home baking always gives me a false sense of fat and calories, I always tell myself that home baking is healthier, that’s a big fooling yourself thing, I know! 😉
Thank you for this wonderful cake! <3
Super fab … So easy ….tastes yummy 😋
Hi jane, this recipe is absolutely amazing it turned out perfect! The only thing I struggled with is the decoration icing u mixed 50g of icing sugar with 3 teaspoons of lemon juice but it wasnt white and was quite see through, is there something I can do? Thank you
That means you’ve just added too much for your sugar – if you wanted it thicker you’ll have to add in more icing sugar! And next time use less x
Thank you so much for sharing your recipe – it was my first attempt at a Lemon Drizzle. You made it so easy to follow. It looks and tastes divine! 😍xx
Lovely recipe. Can’t wait for the family to try it
Hi! I’ve used quite a lot of your recipes and I loveee them!!
I was just wondering if you could use sponge flour for this cake?
Also would this recipe work in a 8″ round tin or would I have to alter the measurements?
Thank you!
Thank you so much for the trick with the eggs! I’ve been searching for a lemon recipe for a while and this got thumbs up from everyone. It even beat their store bought favourite!
Easy recipe to follow, although for some reason it keeps burning on the top after about 30 mins, so it isn’t cooked in the middle. I have no idea what seems to be going wrong. I have a 2lbs silicone cake tin, my oven is fine for any other recipe but not this one. I’ve tried putting the cake lower down in the oven also. But isn’t going my way at all.
The only thing I can think that it’s on the wrong setting, or is too high – there is no reason it would burn so early on! x
Loved this cake. My daughter and I added lime aswell. Just wondering would it work as a marble cake with a orange dizzle/icing? Got to say great recipes made quite a few of them always turn out great! 👌❤️
Hey!! Ahh yay!! And yes you definitely could!! xx
Hi Jane would I be able to use a circular tin instead for this recipe. Would I need to change anything? x
You can – but it depends on the size of your tin!
Fantastic recipe! Really enjoyed making it and everyone loved it. Thanks for sharing your recipes☺️ X
best detailed easy to follow instructions I’ve ever read.
I’m a vegan so couldn’t actually eat the cake, but the feedback I got from everyone that had a slice meant I had to write to say thank you for this recipe.
Do you know of a vegan substitute so I can make lemon drizzle for a vegan friend? Thanks!
Absolutely delicious and so easy to make👍
Hi Jane, just came across you recently on insta and have tried this recipe first! I had large eggs so used only 4 like suggested but forgot to cut the rest of my ingredients……although my 4 large eggs weigh 260g? So should I have cut the ingredients down to 240 or kept it at 250? It’s in the oven……praying it comes out ok!!!
So it should be okay – but if they weigh 260 (they must just be larger large eggs) then you’d use 260 of everything else!
We absolutely loved this cake, easy receipe to follow.
So glad you enjoyed it!!
I can’t get self raising flour in the Middle East. Can I use plain flour?
You’ll want to use baking powder and plain flour – it’s 2 level tsps of baking powder, per 150g of plain flour!
Hi Jane
Please can you tell me what substitute of butter I can use for the stork as I can’t buy if from where I live?
Also can I make this lemon cake in cupcakes instead?
Thank you.
You can use any unsalted butter or baking spread for the cake. And you can, but I do have a lemon drizzle cupcake recipe on my blog x
Fantastic and easy recipe to follow. My husband loves it and so do I. Although my daughter is now requesting this flavour in muffins. Do you think this recipe will work as muffins?
I have a lemon blueberry muffin you can use, but leave out the blueberries!! x
Lush cake although during baking mine spilled over the sides a bit. I used a standard loaf Tin.
Could of got about 6 cup cakes out of the mixture so it didn’t spill but hey ho you live n learn 😂
Ahh yes – it will have been smaller than mine then!
Love this cake! Made it yesterday on a whim – wanted to bake and had an excess of lemons. Really easy to make and tastes absolutely amazing.
Hey Jane! Just wondering if you need to insert skewers before putting on the drizzle? Or will it still soak through the cake without doing that? Love your recipes!!
X
You can if you want, but you don’t have too!! x
Great recipe, however I’m not sure what I did wrong. My cake smelt strongly of eggs?
How weird – I’ve never experienced that with a cake! It may be the eggs were off? Or you used eggs too large?
Hi Jane, really loving the sound of this recipe 😍 will be giving it a go today! I just wanted to ask if blueberries could be added to the mix, and if so- would I need to adjust the recipe? Thank you ☺️ X
Hey! No the recipe should be the same – I would add up to about 200g, and potentially coat in flour first! X
Thank you! Gave it a go yesterday and only added 80g just for the first try and omg it was amazing 😍😍 onyl about 2 slices left by this evening! Will definitely be making it regularly 😍 x
Oh my goodness this was amazing and super easy!! Love your page so much, thank you for all the recipes and for keeping us busy (and overweight) in lockdown! Stay safe!! Xx
So glad you liked the recipe!! x
Hi, would I be able to use this recipe for a circular 12” tin without any chances to the recipe?? Xx
A 12″ tin is a very very large size – comparing to an 8″ round for example, it’s 2.3x the size! I wouldn’t say it’s enough personally! x
Hey
I only have a normal whisk, not an electric one. Is that ok to make this recipe ? As I have seen a lot of people use electric whisks when making lemon cake.
Yep you can easily make a cake without an electric mixer – just follow the same steps, and beat like crazy with a spatula!
Hi, I’ve read your post and now understand better about the equal measurements of all ingredients including the eggs (thank you!) but if our eggs weigh more than your guide should we adjust accordingly? I’ve just weighed four eggs in their shells at 260g so I’ve measured all other ingredients to that quantity too… is this right? I think I’ve got too much mixture now for my 2lb tin but I’m going with it (might need a little longer in the oven)..,
Hey! yes basically it all needs to be equal! So four large eggs for example, at 260g I would use 260g of the rest! And yeah annoyingly some 2lb tins really do vary in size! Never understood why haha! x
Hi Jane,
So excited to try this bake today! Just a quick question – do we pour the drizzle over the cake as soon as it’s out of the oven or should we wait a little bit? Thanks! X
I pour it over just when its come out and then leave the cake to cool fully in the tin! x
Tasted delicious only issue I had it was too big for my 2lb loaf tin so it overflowed the tin slightly
Yeah as mentioned in the post ‘2lb tins’ can vary greatly in size!
Excited to try this I’m just woundering if could use granulated sugar rather caster sugar? It’s like gold dust atm 😂!
Hey! You can, I just prefer using caster sugar for cakes is all!! x
Hello! how many lemons would we need to make the juice? Xx
That can genuinely depend on the lemons as they can vary so much in size/how much juice they produce – but I would say about 2-3!
Can you use also this recipe to bake it in a square 20cmx20cm cake tin? Or would you recommend a different recipe?
Thank you!x
Can this recipe be used to bake in a square baking tin as well as a loaf tin? Its 20cmx20cm size! Or would you recommend a different recipe?
Thank you!
I have a few different lemon cake recipes you can look at – did you still want one layer? or make it into a layer cake? Say you wanted to bake this into one layer you definitely could but the baking time would still be quite long and you’d need quite a deep 8×8! (Also, please allow more time for replies before leaving another comment as I receive lots of comments! Thank you!) x
It would just be a one layer cake 🙂 which recipe would you recommend? I’d say the tin is regular size so probably not that deep! (Apologies for the extra comment – I didn’t see the first had posted!)x
Ah okay amazing – so I would maybe recommend using 200g flour/sugar/butter and 4 medium eggs for your square tin!! It will take less time to bake but I’m not 100% sure how long, so maybe check at about 40 minutes or so!! x
Sounds delicious thank you for all the instructions regarding tin size I wasn’t aware . So now to bake x
Thank you! I hope you love it!
How many lemons are needed to make the juice?x
That can genuinely depend on the lemons as they can vary so much in size/how much juice they produce – but I would say about 2-3!
I had a go at making this today and it is genuinely the nicest lemon drizzle cake I’ve ever made. Lemon drizzle has always been a favourite of mine and this literally melts in your mouth 😍
Hi Jane, thank you for this lovely recipe. Are you able to advice on the maximum amount of sugar reducing. Am trying to lose weight.
I’m really sorry but I don’t know – I personally believe it’s best to make it as is, and enjoy a smaller slice and freeze leftovers for the future.
Hey! Does it matter if you use large eggs instead of medium? X
Read the notes on the recipe about using large instead of medium x
Hello! I have bought lemon juice “from concentrate” How much would you advice to use of this (rather than freshly squeezed)? Thank you
I would use the same for the drizzle you soak into the cake, and for the icing drizzle!
Hi Jane, would this recipe work without lemon zest?
Hey! Yes definitely – you’ll still get enough lemon flavour from the drizzle!
Do the eggs have to be medium size, or could large eggs be used instead? 🙂
Hey! So there’s notes about this on the post – about what else you should change too! x
Hey Jane!
Can’t wait to try this recipe 🙂
I was wondering if you’ve ever used a reusable tin liner? Something like this
I’ve always felt guilty for using so much baking parchment, but not sure if a reusable one would do as good a job!
Thanks 🙂
Calli
I’ve used reusable mats for stuff like cookies/macarons, but generally I find baking parchment better! I haven’t used a liner like that before! x
I was too keen and I’ve already made up my drizzle and it’s only just gone in the oven…i then read that you said to make this up “near the end of baking” what will happen to my drizzle sitting out for an hour?!
No it will be fine! Just cover it with something before using!
Once again, a perfect recipe by Jane! Made this today after seeing the blog post go up and it has turned out perfect! No sinking top, and bursting with flavour 🤗 This is going to be devoured by the end of the day!
I used lemon extract in mine as no lemon to hand and it’s just as good.
Thank you for posting another great recipe ☺️
Amazing! So glad you enjoyed it!!
Love lemon cake and this looks amazing – have seen other recipes for lemon drizzle cake and they have crushed almonds in the ingredients. Is there a reason why you haven’t used them? Will have to give this a go when I get all the ingredients.
Hey! I just don’t think it needs it! Lots of my readers can’t eat nuts, and I’ve always classically used it without! x
Tried this recipe for the first time and it was delicious. I LOVE lemon flavoured cakes so I did add 5 teaspoons of lemon extract! It was so tasty and the sponge is light and soft. It took about 65 minutes to bake but I checked after 50 minutes as suggested and then covered with tinfoil.
Can’t wait to bake this again. Thank you Jane x
Loved this recipe. But after pouring the drizzle on when I got it out the oven and left it cool down, the middle had sunk! What did I do wrong? Did the drizzle cause this? Xxx
So cake sinking as mentioned can be due to it not being baked for long enough – once it’s cooled and such it will still be fine to eat it’ll just be slightly denser! x
Hello Jane when you say line and grease your tin do you mean just the bottom or the sides as well. Thanks
For a loaf tin I usually do the base and sides!
If i would like to bake in a 1 lb tin would i just habe to half the recipe? What about the temperature? Would it remain the same?
Thank you.
That can depend on the exact size of your tin, as even the 2lb tins can vary greatly as mentioned! I would maybe go for a 150g mix, and bake for the same temp but reduce the timing quite a bit! x
I still can’t get a gold of self raising flour. Could Plain flour and baking powder work? If so what would the quantities be for each?
Thanks!
That is mentioned in the post! x
Yes, I did exactly that as I couldn’t get self raising flour and it was delicious! I added 2tsps of baking powder for every 150g of plain flour and sifted it together, 😀
Hi Jane! I love your recipes and bake them all the times but I was wondering if there’s any way I can use sugar alternatives in the bakes as I live with two diabetics, and what sugar alternatives would work best?! Thank you! X
I’m afraid I don’t know much about sugar alternatives – sorry!! x
Hi Gemma, i make most of Jane’s recipes for my diabetic husband substituting sugar for xylitol sweetener and fibre flour. They always work a treat
My loaf cakes always rise in the middle instead of staying nice and flat like yours. Do you have any tips for keeping the shape please? Can’t wait to try this!
Often that can happen due to how the cake mix is mixed, the oven itself, or it can be the recipe, but loaf cakes often do just do it! Often mine do too! I just find certain ones such as this, or my carrot loaf cake stay flatter! X