Lemon Drizzle Cake

Google has links to lots of recipes for Lemon Drizzle Cake. My version contains sour cream so it’s very moist and will keep in a tin for up to a week. If preferred omit the final lemon icing and serve instead dusted with sifted icing sugar. It’s really deliciously lemony and makes a nice dessert served with pouring cream and strawberries.

I found a long narrow loaf tin in a second-hand store recently and decided to use it for this cake.  It was a bit small for the amount of cake batter, so as it rose the cake tumbled over the edges and I had to trim some off in order to remove it from the tin. It also stuck to the sides of the pan – as you can see from the photo. Now I know why the previous owner got rid of it!

The lemon icing is optional.

Syrup:
Juice from 1½ large lemons
¾ cup icing sugar
Cake:
125g butter (preferably unsalted) at room temp
1 cup caster sugar
2 large eggs
Grated zest from 2 lemons
pinch salt (not needed if you use salted butter)
1½ cups self-raising flour, sifted
1 cup sour cream or crème fraîche
⅓ cup milk
Icing: (optional)
Juice from ½ large lemon
¾ cup icing sugar

Preheat oven to 170°C.  Grease a loaf tin or 20cm round cake tin and line the bottom with baking paper. Grate zest from the lemons then juice them. Syrup: Heat lemon juice and icing sugar in  a small saucepan, stirring until dissolved.

Cake: Place butter and caster sugar in a food processor or electric mixer and process until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time and when thoroughly incorporated add flour, sour cream, milk and the lemon zest.  Stop motor to scrape down the sides, then process for a few seconds more. Scrape batter into cake tin and smooth the top. Bake for 50-60 mins or until well-risen and golden brown and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.

When cake comes out of the oven leave it in the tin.  While it’s hot gently make holes all over the cake right through to the bottom with a skewer.  Spoon the warm lemon syrup over slowly, allowing it to soak in.

When cake is completely cold remove from tin to a cake rack. Icing: Place lemon juice and icing sugar in a small bowl and mix until smooth. Spoon over the cake in a drizzly pattern.

3 thoughts on “Lemon Drizzle Cake

  1. Thank you for another delicious recipe.
    And it is always a delight to hear your ‘voice’ as you tell us more about your own cooking and entertaining experiences.

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