Lemon Drizzle Cake or Plain Sponge Loaf

This is one of my husbands favourites and about the only cake he'll eat that isn't chocolate cake LOL It is so quick and easy to whizz up in my mixer.  I call it my 2, 2, 2, 3 lemon cake because that's how I remember the recipe.  If you don't want to make a lemon drizzle cake, or don't have any lemons, then all is not lost! Just leave out the zest and don't make the drizzle.  This loaf cake tastes fab plain, either dusted with icing sugar or with some buttercream icing.  Give it a whirl!

200g softened butter

200g caster sugar

200g self raising flour

3 free range eggs

finely grated zest of 1 lemon, give it a good wash first to get rid of any wax/grease

Lemon Drizzle:

Juice of the zested lemon

about 50g of sugar, add 5g more if you used a rather large lemon

Preheat your oven to 170C/325F/Gas Mark 3.  Line a loaf tin with non stick baking paper or one of the precut liners you can buy.  My loaf tin is 22cm x 11cm.

I usually have my Kenwood Mixer on minimum speed then on 1 speed at the most.  You don't want to beat the mixture too roughly. 

Cream the butter and sugar then add the lemon zest and give it a beat for another minute.  Add the eggs one at a time with about 1/3 of the flour each time, beat for a bout 1 minute or so for each egg and flour addition.

Scrape down the sides of the mixer and beat for another 30 seconds or so.  Spoon the mixture into the loaf tin and bake for about 40 minutes.  Test the cake with a skewer inserted into the centre.  If the skewer comes out clean then the cake is cooked.  If not, I turn the oven  heat down 10C and put it back in for 5 minutes before checking again with a skewer.

Once the cake is cooked, take it out of the oven and make the lemon drizzle.

Mix the lemon juice and sugar together until they are well combined but don't dissolve the sugar.  Prick the cake all over with the cake tester skewer and slowly spoon over the lemon drizzle.

Leave to cool in the in for about 30 minutes then cool on a wire rack, right side up of course.

1 comment Basics, Cakes, Gift Ideas, Snacks, Vegetarian