Lemon drizzle cake

The weekly school cake stall has swung into action and it’s Sam’s year group’s turn to provide the yummies. Mobilise, mobilise – baking alert, baking alert! I’ve been meaning to bake this recipe for ages, so what a perfect excuse to get a bit of lemon drizzle on the go!

This juicy delight is just a simple victoria sponge with the zest of a lemon stirred through. The topping is the juice of that same lemon mixed with granulated sugar so it forms a paste which you then spread over the top. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy!

I made mine in a loaf tin which makes it ripe for slicing up and handing out to a hungry after school crowd.

Lemon Drizzle Cake

Sponge
125g unsalted butter, room temperature
125g caster sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
zest of a lemon
125g plain flour
2 tsps baking powder
2 tbsps milk, at room temperature

Topping
juice of a lemon
170g granulated sugar

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180’C. Cream the butter and sugar until pale, light and fluffy.

2. Very gradually add the beaten eggs, mixing well between each addition. Stir in the lemon zest.

3. Sift together the flour and baking powder and add to the cake mixture in two batches, mixing until smooth. Add the milk and mix until smooth.

4. Spoon into a prepared cake tin of your choice and bake in the oven for 30-35 mins until golden and a cocktail stick comes out clean when poked into the cake. Leave for a few minutes to cool and then transfer onto a wire rack.

5. While the cake is still warm, prick the top of the cake with a cocktail stick in several places to encourage the lemon topping to soak into the sponge. Mix the lemon juice with the granulated sugar to form a paste, then spread evenly over the top of your warm cake to form a crust. Allow to cool completely.

I have a feeling I’m going to be doing a fair amount of baking for Sam’s school, so it’s good to build a repetoire of simple and inexpensive cakes that I rattle off pretty easily. Let me know what your favourite cake stall bakes are!