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, 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 🙂
Hi do you use the same amount of gluten free flour as you would normal flour?
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.