Lemon Drizzle Loaf Cake! – Back to Basics!
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This classic lemon drizzle loaf cake features a melt-in-the-mouth lemon sponge, a deeply soaking sugar-and-juice drizzle, and a vibrant icing glaze. Prep takes 15 minutes, it bakes in 55 to 65 minutes, and it stays perfectly moist for days without dropping or sinking.
The golden ratio
This sponge is built upon the traditional equal-weight structure where the fat, sugar, flour, and eggs balance each other perfectly. Because domestic egg sizes vary considerably, the most accurate way to guarantee a flawless rise is to weigh your eggs in their shells first, then match that exact weight in butter, caster sugar, and self-raising flour.
As a general rule of thumb:
Medium eggs: 5 medium eggs weigh approximately 250g, which aligns perfectly with the standard quantities listed in the recipe card below.
Large eggs: If you only have large eggs in your fridge, 4 large eggs usually weigh around 240g. If using large eggs, adjust your butter, sugar, and flour down to 240g each to keep the chemical balance perfect.
For the all-important citrus hit, you can use either two teaspoons of high-quality natural lemon extract or the finely grated zest of two fresh lemons. If you choose fresh zest, ensure you only grate the vibrant yellow outer skin; the white pith underneath is incredibly bitter and will ruin the clean flavour of your sponge.
Selecting and lining your loaf 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!
Maximising the zing of lemon
To get that spectacular, mouth-puckering contrast of sweet and sharp, this recipe treats the drizzle and the decoration as two entirely separate elements:
The decorative glaze: Once the cake has cooled completely to room temperature, a separate thick mixture of icing sugar and lemon juice is drizzled across the top. This provides a sharp, visually striking white finish that prevents the cake from looking plain.
The soaking drizzle: This is a simple, cloudy syrup made from fresh lemon juice and caster sugar. It must be spooned generously over the cake while the sponge is fresh out of the oven and still piping hot. The heat opens the pores of the cake, allowing the liquid to completely saturate the crumb, locking in moisture and creating a gorgeous, crunchy sugar crust as it cools.
FAQs
Yes, you can make your own substitute easily. For this specific recipe, weigh out 245g of standard plain flour and thoroughly sift it together with 3 level teaspoons of baking powder before mixing it into your batter.
A distinct, central crack is actually the hallmark of a traditional British loaf cake! Because the outer edges of the batter set first in the narrow tin, the expanding gases inside the cake force their way up through the weakest, wettest point in the centre as it continues to rise. It is completely normal and looks beautifully rustic.
Absolutely. To adapt this for a smaller 1lb tin, simply reduce the ingredients down by a two-egg ratio: use 3 medium eggs and scale the butter, caster sugar, and self-raising flour down to 150g each. This smaller volume will bake much faster, so start checking it around the 35 to 40-minute mark.
This happens if you poke deep holes into the cake with a skewer before pouring the drizzle over it. While many recipes advise doing this, it creates direct channels that allow the liquid to bypass the crumb entirely and pool at the bottom, making the base soggy. Simply spoon the drizzle directly onto the intact, hot surface; the hot sponge will naturally draw it in like a sponge.
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 180ºc / 160ºc 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!
Notes
- I use this loaf tin!
- If it helps, I also use this baking parchment in my bakes!
- This cake will last for 4-5 days at room temp! I store it in a cake storage tin.
Storage and freezing
Thanks to the wonderful moisture-retaining properties of the hot sugar-and-juice soak, this classic lemon drizzle loaf cake keeps exceptionally well and will stay beautifully soft, tender, and intensely flavourful for four to five days when stored at room temperature inside an airtight cake tin or a dedicated cake storage box.
It is highly recommended that you do not store this bake in the fridge, as the cold environment will cause the butter fats within the sponge to firm up, making the overall texture feel dense and dry. If you want to prepare this bake well in advance, the un-iced loaf cake freezes beautifully for up to three months; simply let the drizzle-soaked cake cool completely, wrap it tightly in a double layer of cling film followed by a layer of kitchen foil, and freeze, ensuring you allow it to defrost fully at room temperature before adding the fresh icing glaze.
Related recipes
Everybody knows I love a lemony bake, lemon drizzle loaf cake is just the beginning of the possibilities, there are lemon drizzle cupcakes if you need smaller, more bite-sized bakes, alternatively I have had great success with lemon drizzle traybake which have proven to be very popular.
The ultimate showstopper if it’s a special occasion and you need to demonstrate you are the expert baker I always have the lemon celebration cake, great for a birthday or anniversary.
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