Crunchy Lemon Drizzle Loaf is quick and easy to prepare, ideal for unexpected visitors and great for a bake sale.
Crunchy Lemon Drizzle Loaf
Crunchy Lemon Drizzle Loaf is one of my go-to recipes when I need a cake in a hurry. It isn’t the most glamorous cake in my recipe book, but it is one of the easiest and tastiest. It’s a light, luscious lemony cake with a crunchy topping, just the thing with a cup of tea or coffee. It’s the cake I make when I’ve got an hour before I visit one of my girls – last time I cut it so fine that the cakes travelled in their tins in a box to cool on the journey.
Quick cake for an event
It’s also the cake I make for a bake sale or the tea tent when I’m really short of time. It’s Village Show time again and this year I’m a bit too busy for my ideal offering of a Coffee Cake, but I know a Lemon Drizzle Loaf or two will be much appreciated. (One from me and one from Mum.)
For the tea tent I’m using a 2lb loaf tin because I need bigger slices, but usually, I make two of these cakes in 1lb loaf tins. You can eat one and freeze one – especially good if you don’t want a large cake hanging around. (Well, it wouldn’t hang around long in my house, but you never know…)
What equipment do you need?
I’ve been upgrading my baking tools, and discarding ones I don’t use. I’m currently loving:
- Lemon zester – I came late in the day to lemon zesters. I used my old box grater (with a different grater on each side) for years. The last time I used it for a lemon I grated my knuckle so badly that I finally gave in and bought a zester.
- Helix citrus press – I’ve had a number of juicers over the years and this one’s quite different. I wasn’t sure that it would get all the juice out but it seems to, and doesn’t require much effort. If your grip isn’t good, this really helps.
- Beeswax Loaf Wrap – I’m trying to reduce the amount of clingfilm, foil and plastic bags that I use, and my biggest problem has been something to wrap loaf cakes in for the freezer. I’ve now found large beeswax wraps that will cover a loaf of bread, and are ideal for loaf cakes. They’re washable and you can even rejuvenate them. Definitely worth a look.
If you like this…
Why don’t you try:
Lemon Bundt Cake
Lemon and Elderflower Cake
Marmalade Loaf Cake
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Baking parchment loaf tin liner
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Crunchy Lemon Drizzle Loaf
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 1 lemon
- 125 g butter at room temperature
- 180 g caster sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 60 ml milk
- 180 g self-raising flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder (5ml)
- Pinch of salt
For the topping:
- Juice of the lemon
- 120 g granulated sugar
Equipment
Instructions
PREPARATION:
- Set the oven to 190°C/170°C fan, gas mark 5/375°F
- (Set to 180°C/160°C fan/gas mark 4/350°F if making one large cake (2lb loaf tin))
- Line the tins with paper liners
- Grate the lemon to get the zest.
For the Lemon Drizzle Loaf:
- In a processor or with a mixer, beat all the cake ingredients together thoroughly – butter, caster sugar, eggs, milk, flour, baking powder, salt, lemon zestYou will have quite a slack mixture – do not worry!
- Pour the mixture into the tins
- Smooth the tops of the cakes with a palette knife and make a slight dip in the centre
- Cook for 25-30 minutes until the cake surface springs back when you touch it lightly with your fingertip
- (Cook a 2lb cake for 50-60 minutes)
- While the cakes are cooking make the topping.
For the lemon topping:
- Juice the lemon
- Mix the lemon juice and sugar well in a small bowl
- When you take the cakes out of the oven, leave them in the tin
- While they are still warm, prick the top of the cakes with a cocktail stick
- Spoon the lemon topping over and leave the cakes in the tin to cool.
Notes
Storage
- Store in the liner in an airtight box in the fridge for up to two weeks
- Lemon Drizzle Loaf cakes freeze well. Wrap in the liner paper and foil or cling film and seal in a plastic box or bag.
