This is the perfect lemon drizzle cake! This simple recipe combines a moist, fluffy cake with a tangy lemon syrup and sweet glaze. Easy to make and delicious, it’s perfect for any occasion.
This lemon drizzle cake can be served with some homemade lemon curd on the side. You'll also love my no-bake lemon cheesecake, these lemon Dutch baby pancakes, or this blueberry olive oil loaf.
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⭐️ Why this recipe works
- Moist and Tangy: The combination of fresh lemon juice and zest ensures a moist texture with a tangy lemon flavor.
- Simple Ingredients: Uses basic pantry ingredients like flour, sugar, eggs, and butter.
- Crowd-Pleaser: Perfect for afternoon tea, family gatherings, or as a sweet treat.
- Quick and Easy: These straightforward steps make it easy even for beginners.
🧾 Ingredient notes
- Butter: Provides richness and moisture.
- White Sugar: Sweetens the cake while maintaining a fine texture.
- Self-Raising Flour: Ensures the cake rises perfectly.
- Baking Powder: Helps the cake rise and become fluffy.
- Eggs: Bind the ingredients together and add richness.
- Milk: Adds moisture and tenderness to the cake.
- Lemon Zest: Adds a strong, fresh lemon flavor.
- Granulated Sugar: Used in the lemon drizzle syrup for added sweetness.
- Lemon Juice: Used in syrup and icing for a zesty kick.
- Icing Sugar: Used in the icing to create a smooth, sweet finish.
For precise measurements and additional ingredients, refer to the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
👩🏻🍳 Here's how to make it
(Lemon drizzle cake recipe step-by-step)
- Making a light and fluffy cake batter
- Start by preheating the oven to 350ºF, grease, and line your baking tin. I've made these as mini bundt cakes, but it's probably more convenient for you to use a 2lb loaf tin.
- Creaming the butter and sugar
- Start with very soft butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the sugar. Cream the butter and sugar for about 2 minutes until light, fluffy, and pale in color.
- Add the eggs in one at a time mixing after each addition. *The mixture may start to look split, but this will come back together once you add the flour.
- Making lemon cake batter
- Once the eggs have been mixed into the butter and sugar, pour in the milk and sift in the flour.
- Use a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to fold the flour and add the lemon zest. *Fold gently and only until the batter is just combined.
- Baking moist and fluffy lemon drizzle
- Spoon the batter into the lined baking pan and bake in the preheated oven for about 40 minutes.
- The cake is done when it is golden and risen and a toothpick comes out of the center with just a few moist crumbs. It will also spring back when gently pressed.
- Lemon drizzle syrup
- To make the lemon glaze, whisk the lemon juice and the sugar in a small bowl until the sugar dissolves.
- When the cake is baked, remove it from the oven and use a toothpick or skewer to poke holes. While it's still warm, pour the syrup over the cake to soak in through the holes. Leave it in the tin to finish cooling completely, and let it soak up all the drizzle.
🍯 Storing and reheating leftovers
- Fridge:
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Bring to room temperature before serving for the best texture.
- Freezer:
- Wrap the cake tightly in plastic wrap and then in foil. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- Slice the cake before freezing for easier thawing.
- Reheat:
- Reheat slices in the microwave for 10-15 seconds.
- Warm the whole cake or slices in a preheated oven at 150°C (300°F) for 10-15 minutes.
💡 Chef's Guide: Expert Tips
Drawing from a decade in Michelin-starred kitchens and Cordon Bleu training, here are my top tips for recipe success.
- Zesting Lemons: Use a microplane for the finest zest.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Ensure butter and eggs are at room temperature for better mixing.
- Don't Overmix: Mix just until ingredients are combined to avoid a dense cake.
- Let the drizzle soak in: Pour the lemon syrup over the cake while it's still warm to ensure that its absorbed properly.
- Cooling: To prevent the cake from breaking, allow it to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before transferring it to a cooling rack.
❓Recipe FAQ's
Fresh lemon juice is recommended for the best flavor, but bottled lemon juice can be used in a pinch.
Make sure not to overmix the batter and ensure your baking powder is fresh.
The cake is done when it has risen, turned golden, and started to pull away from the sides of the tin. It should bounce back when gently pressed with a finger.
More easy cake recipes you'll love:
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The BEST Easy Homemade Lemon Drizzle Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup (227 g) butter, softened
- 1 cup (200 g) caster sugar
- 2 cups (250 g) self-raising flour
- 2 teaspoons (2 teaspoons) baking powder
- 4 (4) eggs
- 4 tablespoons (4 tablespoons) milk
- finely grated rind of 2 lemons
Lemon drizzle syrup
- ¾ cup (82.5 g) granulated, caster sugar
- juice of 2 lemons
For the Icing
- 2 cups (240 g) icing sugar
- ¼- ⅓ cup (142.33 g) lemon juice
Instructions
- Grease a 2-pound loaf tin and line with non-stick baking paper. Pre-heat the oven to 175°C/350°F/Gas 3.
- Whisk the butter and sugar until very light and fluffy and pale in color. Add the eggs one at a time along with the lemon zest and milk. Scrape down the sides of the bowl after each addition.
- Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon gently fold in the flour and baking powder until the mixture is just combined. The cake batter will be light and fluffy with a strong lemon fragrance. Spoon the batter into your prepared baking tin.
- Bake in the middle of the pre-heated oven for about 35-40 minutes or until the cake spring back when pressed lightly with a finger in the center and is beginning to shrink away from the sides of the tin.
- Once the cake is removed from the oven, use a fork or a skewer to poke holes all over the top of the cake. Pour the lemon drizzle syrup over and allow to cool in the tin while the cake soaks up the syrup.
To make the lemon syrup:
- Mix the lemon juice and granulated sugar in a small bowl to give a runny consistency. Spoon this mixture evenly over the cake as soon as it's removed from the oven.
To make the lemon glaze
- Whisk the lemon juice and icing sugar in a small bowl until you have a drizzling glaze. Once the cake has cooled completely, turn out onto a wire cooling rack and pour the lemon glaze over the cake letting some drip down the edges of the cake.
Notes
- The cake is baked when the top has risen, and the cake has turned golden and started to pull away from the sides. It will bounce back when gently pressed with a finger.
- This cake is great for freezing and can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Meet the Chef!
Hi, I'm Debs. Cordon Bleu trained chef and recipe developer. I help you get incredible dinners on the table fast with fool-proof recipes, step-by-step instructions, and tips and tricks I've learned over a 10-year career in professional kitchens.
Nanajee Travels says
This Lemon Drizzle Cake sounds absolutely perfect! The blend of moist, fluffy cake with tangy lemon syrup and sweet glaze is simply irresistible. It’s great to have a recipe that’s both easy to make and versatile enough for any occasion. This cake is sure to be a hit every time!
Debs says
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment and a review. It's so appreciated!
Rahaf Gh says
I just tried this recipe and it turned out to be amazing, but I used 1-1/2 cup of all purpose flour instead of two and 3 eggs instead of four and it’s just perfect, thank you so much !
Debs says
Amazing! So happy you loved this recipe were able to make adjustments so this recipe to work for you. 🙂
Judy says
Thank you so much for answering so quickly. I ended up ordering these from Wilton:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000DIX7S/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1
They seem similar to Nordicware but $10 less. So I'll give your recipe a try in this pan and I'll let you know how it goes when my critics (my grandkids) try them out!
Debs says
That pan will be absolutely perfect! So happy you found the right ones. Please let me know what the critics say! 🙂
Judy Kahn says
Hi. In the photo, you show a mini (6) bundt pan. You suggest it makes 9 though in one answer to someone's question.. Did you use 2 of these bundt pans? You also are recommending putting about 1/2 cup in each one, correct? Do you have a recommended pan with the 6 sections- It looks like you used a Cake Boss pan, but I'm not able to find it on line. Wilton has a mini bundt pan with 12 , but these look more like the size of a muffin. I'm very confused about the pan to buy!
Debs says
Hi Judy,
I don't think they make my particular pan anymore. It's about 8 years old! And yes. This recipe makes enough to fill that particular pan 1 1/2 times. I just went on to Amazon and found this pan for you: https://amzn.to/41NfJXG. It's the same size that I've used here, and they'll work like a dream. You can absolutely get the Wilton one, but you'll need to adjust the baking time to probably closer to 20-25 minutes. Let know if you've got more questions and I'll get right back to you!
Nicola says
I haven't got any actual lemons. Can I use a teaspoon of extract for the cake? I do however have lemon juice. So that's something.
Alex says
Hi Debs! Just curious, if I don't have a mini bundt pan, what kind of loaf or cake pan would this recipe fit? Thanks so much!
Debs says
A 2-pound loaf tin fits this recipe perfectly. Enjoy!
Lauren says
Hi there, how many does this make and how big are they individually?
Debs says
Hi Lauren, Sorry I missed this comment earlier. If you're using the mini bundt pan, you'll get about 9 cakes and you should put 1/2 a cup in each cake. Hope you love them.