Easy & Moist Lemon Drizzle Cake Recipe: Your Homemade Loaf Perfection

Welcome to the only Lemon Drizzle Cake recipe you’ll ever need! This delightful creation perfectly marries a wonderfully moist and tender Lemon Loaf Cake with a vibrant, super tangy, and surprisingly low-sugar lemon icing. It’s so incredibly easy to whip up at home that you’ll bid farewell to store-bought versions forever. Get ready to impress your family and friends with this homemade treat that’s ideal for breakfast, afternoon tea, or as a refreshing dessert.

The beauty of this homemade lemon drizzle cake lies in its simplicity. With minimal fuss and readily available ingredients, you can create a show-stopping dessert that tastes infinitely better than anything you’d find in a bakery. We’ll guide you through making both the fluffy, fragrant lemon cake and a unique, less-sweet lemon drizzle that truly enhances the citrusy flavor without being overly sugary.

Essential Ingredients for Your Perfect Lemon Loaf

Crafting this incredible Lemon Loaf Cake is a breeze, requiring only a handful of staple ingredients you likely already have in your pantry. We’re breaking this recipe down into two key components:

1. The incredibly simple and moist Lemon Loaf Cake itself.
2. A refreshingly tangy low-sugar Lemon Icing that delivers a powerful punch of flavor and a delightful hint of crunch.

Here’s a detailed look at what you’ll need to make this vibrant lemon drizzle cake, emphasizing the fresh lemon juice for maximum tang:

• Lemons: Crucial for both the aromatic zest and the bright, tangy juice. Using both ensures a deep lemon flavor throughout the cake.
• Caster Sugar: Fine granulated sugar that dissolves easily, contributing to the cake’s tender texture and sweetness.
• Very Soft Butter: Essential for creaming, which incorporates air and creates a light, fluffy crumb. Ensure it’s at room temperature for best results.
• Eggs: Provide structure, moisture, and richness. Like butter, room temperature eggs emulsify better with the other ingredients.
• Milk: Preferably Full-Cream for added richness and moisture, but feel free to use your preferred milk. It helps to create a tender crumb.
• Plain Flour: The base of our cake, providing structure.
• Baking Powder + Baking Soda: The dynamic duo for leavening, ensuring your loaf rises beautifully and has a light texture.
• Salt: A pinch enhances all the flavors, balancing the sweetness and brightening the lemon notes.

While many lemon cake recipes solely rely on lemon zest for flavor, our recipe goes a step further by incorporating the fresh juice of the fruit directly into the cake batter. This is the secret to achieving that wonderfully intense, tangy flavor that sets this lemon drizzle cake apart.

Simple Icing Ingredients: The Tangy Drizzle

The low-sugar lemon drizzle is incredibly simple yet packed with flavor. You only need two ingredients:

• Icing Sugar (Powdered Sugar): Provides the base for the drizzle, offering a subtle sweetness and body.
• Fresh Lemon Juice: The star of the drizzle, delivering that unmistakable tangy kick.

Yes, it truly is that easy to prepare a flavorful lemon drizzle for your cake!

How to Make the Best Lemon Drizzle Cake: Step-by-Step Guide

You don’t need fancy techniques or specialized equipment to achieve this deliciousness. As we’ve emphasized, this is a straightforward recipe, making it perfect for busy bakers or those new to baking. Let’s break down the process into two main parts: preparing and baking the cake, then crafting the delightful drizzle.

Part 1: Preparing and Baking the Lemon Drizzle Cake Batter

• Prepare the Lemons & Sugar: Begin by zesting your lemons directly into a large mixing bowl. Add the caster sugar over the zest. Using a hand mixer, beat them together vigorously. This crucial step helps to release the fragrant essential oils from the zest, infusing the sugar with intense lemon aroma and flavor.
• Cream the Butter: Incorporate the very soft, room-temperature butter into the lemon-sugar mixture. Continue creaming with your hand mixer until you achieve a thick, pale, and fluffy paste. This process adds air, resulting in a lighter cake texture.
• Add Wet Ingredients: Beat in the eggs one by one, ensuring each is fully incorporated before adding the next. This prevents the mixture from curdling. Once the eggs are mixed, stir in the fresh lemon juice and milk until just combined.
• Combine Dry Ingredients: Sift the plain flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt directly into the wet mixture. Sifting prevents lumps and helps distribute the leavening agents evenly. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined. Be careful not to overmix, as this can lead to a tough cake.
• Bake to Perfection: Pour the luscious lemon cake batter into a greased loaf pan. We recommend a 10-inch / 25cm metal loaf pan for optimal results, but any loaf pan will work; just be prepared to adjust baking time. Bake until a knife or skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, indicating it’s fully cooked.

Once your fragrant lemon cake is baked, carefully transfer the pan to a cooling rack. Do not remove the cake from the pan just yet, as we want to apply the drizzle while it’s still warm.

Part 2: Preparing and Drizzling the Low-Sugar Lemon Icing

• Whisk the Icing: In a small bowl, combine the icing sugar and fresh lemon juice. Whisk them together until you have a clear, smooth liquid. This simple mixture forms our tangy, low-sugar drizzle.
• Prepare the Cake for Drizzle: Using a knife or a skewer, gently poke small holes all over the top of the warm lemon cake. These holes will allow the drizzle to seep deep into the cake, infusing every bite with zesty flavor and keeping it incredibly moist.
• Drizzle and Cool: Generously pour the prepared lemon icing over the still-warm cake, allowing it to soak into the holes. Leave the cake in the pan on the cooling rack to cool down completely. This allows the drizzle to set and the flavors to fully meld. Once completely cool, carefully remove it from the pan.

The Magic Behind Our Low-Sugar Lemon Drizzle

You might notice that the lemon drizzle on our cake isn’t the thick, opaque white icing often seen on other recipes. And you’re right! There’s a deliberate reason for this subtle appearance. Our goal with this recipe was to create a lemon drizzle that prioritizes the intense, natural tang of lemon over overwhelming sweetness.

Traditional icing often calls for a very high ratio of icing sugar to liquid, resulting in that classic thick, white, and often very sweet glaze. For this lemon drizzle, we’ve opted for a simpler, more balanced ratio of approximately 2 parts icing sugar to 1 part fresh lemon juice. This particular ratio yields a clear, glistening glaze that soaks beautifully into the cake.

While you can certainly adjust the sugar content to achieve a thicker, sweeter, and whiter icing if that’s your preference, we truly believe in the power of a drizzle that lets the lemon flavor shine brightest. This less-sweet approach allows the natural acidity and brightness of the lemon to truly pop, creating a more sophisticated and refreshing taste profile. It still provides a lovely shine and a perfect finish to your homemade lemon cake, without the excessive sugar content.

How to Store Your Delicious Lemon Loaf Cake

Proper storage is key to keeping your homemade lemon drizzle cake fresh and moist for as long as possible. Here are our recommendations:

• Room Temperature: If kept in a dry environment and wrapped properly in plastic wrap or aluminum foil, this lemon cake will remain fresh and delicious for 2 to 3 days.
• Refrigeration: For extended freshness, especially in warmer climates or during summer, store the cake in the fridge. When stored in an airtight container or thoroughly wrapped, it will stay fresh for up to a week. The airtight seal is crucial to prevent the cake from drying out and to maintain its delightful moisture.

Remember, always ensure the cake is completely cool before wrapping and storing to prevent condensation, which can make it soggy.

Can You Freeze Lemon Drizzle Cake? Yes, With a Simple Trick!

While freshly baked is always best, this easy lemon drizzle cake is a fantastic candidate for freezing, allowing you to enjoy a slice of sunshine whenever the craving strikes. However, there’s a vital tip to remember:

This cake must be frozen without the lemon icing. The icing can become watery and lose its texture upon thawing.

To freeze your lemon loaf cake:

1. Bake the cake according to the instructions, but do not apply the lemon drizzle yet.
2. Allow the cake to cool down completely to room temperature.
3. Once cold, wrap the entire loaf tightly with multiple layers of aluminum foil, followed by a layer of plastic wrap. This double wrapping helps prevent freezer burn.
4. Place the wrapped cake in the freezer. It will keep well for up to 3 months.
5. To Thaw: When you’re ready to enjoy it, simply transfer the frozen cake to the refrigerator overnight to thaw. Once fully thawed, prepare the fresh lemon icing as per the recipe and pour it over the cake.

You can also freeze individual slices using the same wrapping method. This is perfect for portion control or for having a quick treat on hand!

Recipe: The Ultimate Easy Lemon Drizzle Cake

Lemon Drizzle Cake

5 from 16 votes

This Lemon Drizzle Cake is such an easy and deliciously tangy lemon cake to make at home. Enjoy it for breakfast, morning and afternoon tea or dessert!

Servings:

12
Slices (10” or 25cm Loaf Tin)

Author:

Sylvie

Prep Time

10 minutes
mins

Cook Time

30 minutes
mins

Total Time

40 minutes
mins

Print Recipe

Equipment

• 10″ / 25cm Loaf Tin

Ingredients

Lemon Cake

• 2 Lemons, Zested
• 1/4 cup (50gr) Caster Sugar
• 2/3 cup (150gr) Very Soft Butter
• 3 Eggs
• 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp (90ml) Full Cream Milk
• 1 Lemon, Juiced
• 1 1/4 cup (180gr) Plain Flour
• 1 1/2 teasp. Baking Powder
• 1/2 teasp. Baking Soda
• 1 pinch Salt

Lemon Drizzle

• 4 tbsp. Icing Sugar
• 2 tbsp Lemon Juice

Instructions

Lemon Cake

• Preheat your oven to 160°C / 325°F.

  Lightly grease a loaf pan and set it aside.

• Zest two lemons into a large mixing bowl. Add the Caster Sugar over the zest, and use a hand mixer to rub them together until fragrant. Add the Soft Butter and cream it with the Caster Sugar until light and fluffy.
• Once you achieve a homogeneous thick paste, add the Eggs one at a time, whisking well after each addition until fully incorporated.
• Gently whisk in the juice of 1 Lemon and the Milk until just combined.
• Sift in the Dry ingredients: Plain Flour, Baking Powder, Baking Soda, and Salt. Fold gently until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
• Pour the lemon cake batter into the greased loaf pan and bake for 25 to 35 minutes, or until the tip of a knife (or a skewer) inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and place on a wire cooling rack while still in the pan.

Lemon Drizzle

• In a small bowl, whisk the lemon juice with the Icing Sugar until you have a smooth, clear liquid. Set aside.
• While the cake is still warm (but removed from the oven), use a knife or skewer to poke small holes all over the top. Pour the prepared Lemon Drizzle evenly over the cake, allowing it to soak in. Leave to cool down completely in the pan on the cooling rack before removing and slicing.
• Store the finished cake, well wrapped in aluminum foil or plastic wrap, for 3 days at room temperature, or up to a week in the fridge.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 202kcal |
Carbohydrates: 22g |
Protein: 3g |
Fat: 12g |
Saturated Fat: 7g |
Cholesterol: 69mg |
Sodium: 179mg |
Potassium: 79mg |
Fiber: 1g |
Sugar: 10g |
Vitamin A: 387IU |
Vitamin C: 15mg |
Calcium: 34mg |
Iron: 1mg