Lemon Drizzle Loaf
This one is for people who like their lemon cake properly tangy. While the loaf is still hot, we prick it all over and pour on lemon juice mixed with sugar: the syrup soaks into the crumb and the top sets into a thin, crunchy crust. It is moist, bright and even better the next day.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 50 min
- Rest
- 30 min
- Total
- 1 h 40 min
- Servings
- 10
- Level
- Easy
- Per serving
- 335 kcal
Ingredients
For the cake
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What to use instead
Replace the milk with the same amount of plain yoghurt or sour cream for a slightly denser, moister crumb.
For the drizzle
Makes: 1 loaf, 22 × 11 cm, 10 slices
Shopping list
The ingredients for the servings you chose — copy them or send them to a messenger. Tick what you already have at home: only the rest goes on the list.
Method
Oven
170 °C · top and bottom heat, no fan
With a fan: 150 °C
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Step 1: Prepare the tin
Heat the oven to 170°C (340°F). Grease a 22 × 11 cm (2 lb) loaf tin and line it with baking paper.
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Step 2: Cream butter and sugar
Finely grate the zest from the lemons, avoiding the bitter white pith, and rub it into the caster sugar with your fingertips to release the oils. Add the soft butter and beat for 3–4 minutes until pale and fluffy.
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Step 3: Beat in the eggs
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each. If the mixture starts to curdle, add a spoonful of the flour.
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Step 4: Fold in the flour
Sift the flour with the baking powder and salt, fold it in with a spatula, then fold in the milk. The batter should drop slowly from a spoon.
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Step 5: Bake the loaf
Spoon into the tin and level. Bake for 45–50 minutes, until golden and a skewer comes out clean.
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Step 6: Pour over the drizzle
While the loaf bakes, squeeze the lemons and stir the juice with the granulated sugar; it shouldn't fully dissolve. Prick the hot loaf all over, right to the bottom, with a skewer and spoon the drizzle evenly over it while it's still in the tin.
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Step 7: Let it set
Leave the loaf in the tin until completely cool, at least 30 minutes, so the syrup soaks in and the sugar on top sets into a crisp crust.
Tips & variations
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Tip
Use granulated sugar for the drizzle, not powdered: the undissolved crystals are what create the crunchy top.
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Variation
Use 1 orange and 1 lime instead of lemons, or stir 1 tbsp poppy seeds into the batter.
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Swap
Replace the milk with the same amount of plain yoghurt or sour cream for a slightly denser, moister crumb.
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Storage
Keep wrapped in cling film at room temperature for up to 4 days. It goes stale faster in the fridge.
Nutrition
| 1 serving | Whole dish 10 servings | |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 335 kcal | 3,350 kcal |
| Protein | 4 g | 40 g |
| Fat | 16 g | 160 g |
| Carbohydrates | 42 g | 420 g |
Approximate values calculated from standard ingredient data.
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