• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

A Mummy Too

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Dietary
  • Holidays
    • E-mail
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Dietary
    • Holidays
    • E-mail
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
  • ร—
    Home ยป Cake recipes

    Green links are Amazon links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    The world's best lemon drizzle cake

    Jump to Recipe

    This is the world's best lemon drizzle cake! It's truly the zingiest, most delicious and moreish cake you’ll ever make. The recipe is easy to follow and the crumb is incredibly soft and tender. It genuinely rivals Mary Berry's lemon drizzle cake.

    So does this lemon drizzle cake live up to its name? Actually, yes. It's exceptionally gorgeous as over 300 FIVE STAR reviews will confirm! Just have a look at the comments to see how much everyone loves this recipe.

    I've been making this Great British Bake Off worthy recipe for years, ever since it was emailed over to me by lovely reader Jayne Crammond, way back in 2012! Jane explained:

    I chose this recipe because I spent ages trying to find a lemon cake that was...well, lemony enough! I like my lemon cake to be very zingy and moist so I ended up taking bits of different recipes and putting them together to make this one, which is probably the one and only time I’ve been vaguely inventive in the kitchen.

    Click to jump to a section!
    • How to serve lemon drizzle cake? 
    • Ingredients & substitutions
    • Equipment and FAQs
    • Step-by-step instructions
    • Allergen & Dietary Information for Lemon Drizzle Cake
    • Troubleshooting Lemon Drizzle Cake
    • How to store, keep & freeze lemon drizzle cake
    • How to make different size and shape lemon drizzle cakes
    • Print this lemon drizzle cake recipe

    Where does lemon drizzle cake come from? 

    Lemon drizzle cake is thought to be an English invention going back at least a few hundred years! It was recently voted England's favourite cake flavour and I can see why. It’s zingy, zesty, sweet and delicious.

    Lemon drizzle cake no doubt takes inspiration from classic 'pound cake' recipes (that's a cake made with a pound of flour, a pound of sugar, a pound of fat and a pound of eggs), but it’s the addition of lemon in the sponge and in the syrup added at the end that makes it really special.

    An Easy One Bowl Recipe

    You'll make the batter in a single large bowl with the simplest dry and wet ingredients - no need for a separate bowl at any point!

    To start, you'll whisk butter and sugar together, then beat in two eggs before folding in self-raising flour.

    You'll then add the zest of two lemons and the juice of one to make the batter super citrusy. Your mouth WILL water. You'll then pop the cake mixture in a tin and bake this easy lemon drizzle cake!

    While your lemon drizzle cake is baking, you'll make an incredible syrup to drizzle over the top. It's as simple as just popping some icing sugar and lemon juice (yep, more lemon!) in a pan and briefly boiling to a thin syrup. When your cake comes out of the oven, you'll then skewer it all over (a cocktail stick works well too!) and then pour on the zesty, tangy lemon syrup.

    The only really difficult thing with this recipe is waiting until it's cool so that you can pop it out of the tin and devour! The sticky, zesty lemon glaze top is an absolute delight.

    Is lemon drizzle cake easy to make?

    Yes, it's really easy to make this lovely lemon cake recipe and that's one of the reasons this traditional British cake is still so popular.

    You'll make the batter in a single bowl by first whisking butter and sugar together, then adding eggs, then folding in flour. Stirring in a good helping of lemon juice and lemon zest is what makes the sponge so perfectly lemony.

    Making the drizzle to spoon on top is super easy too. You'll just pop lemon juice and icing sugar in a pan and heat until you have a thin syrup. Once your cake is baked, you'll skewer holes all over the top and pour on the lemon drizzle syrup before allowing to cool. It's that simple!

    Are you ready to enjoy a soft, butter, melt-in-the mouth lemon drizzle cake? Here's what to do to make this traditional, British dessert and find out why it's my favorite cake of all time.

    How to serve lemon drizzle cake? 

    My personal preference for enjoying a slice of lemon drizzle cake is with a big mug of tea! 

    For me, I don’t need anything else to accompany my lemon drizzle: the moistness and sweetness of the sponge is all you need on your plate.

    However, if you want to add a little something extra when serving, then vanilla ice cream or whipped cream are both delicious additions too, lending a creaminess to offset the zing of the lemon drizzle. 

    A close up of the top of a lemon drizzle cake freshly covered with lemon drizzle syrup.

    Ingredients & substitutions

    • 170 g (⅔+¼ cup) white caster sugar (superfine sugar)
    • 170 g (1½ sticks) salted butter
    • 2 medium free range eggs
    • 170 g (1 cup + 3 tbsp) self-raising white flour (self rising flour) sifted
    • 3 unwaxed lemons (A standard UK lemon gives about 2 tbsp of juice. If yours are larger, adjust accordingly)
    • 4 tbsp icing sugar (powdered sugar)

    Lemons

    You can use any type of lemon you like in this lemon drizzle cake but they should be unwaxed as you'll be zesting them. I do prefer using freshly squeezed lemon juice as the flavour is more vibrant but you can use bottled lemon juice if you prefer. Avoid using lemon extra or essence as the flavour won't be vibrant and it doesn't tend to taste natural.

    Lemons can vary in size and therefore give different amounts of juice. A standard UK lemon, as used in this recipe, gives about 2 tbsp of juice. If yours are larger or smaller, adjust accordingly.

    When you zest your lemons, you should make sure to only take the yellow part of the lemon skin. The white pith will make the cake taste bitter. I tend to use a fine grater for this (such as a microplane) and it does the job beautifully.

    Remember, too, that lemons are truly the star of the show in this recipe, so while standard lemons are absolutely fine to use and give a wonderful result, investing in good quality lemons will make the cake extra special.

    Eggs

    In the UK, medium eggs eggs weigh 53g - 63g (1.9oz - 2.2oz) and large eggs typically weigh 63g - 73g (2.2oz - 2.6 oz). If you want to use large eggs, beat them separately, then weigh 125g (4.4oz) into your cake bowl.

    I haven't tested an egg free version, but you could try one of the following as a starting point:

    • Store-bought egg replacement powder (use as directed on the packet).
    • 1 tablespoon of crushed chia or flax seeds mixed with 2 tablespoons of water and left for 10 minutes in the fridge.
    • 3 tablespoons of aquafaba.
    • 3 tablespoons of applesauce.
    • Half of a medium sized banana, mashed. It's best to use fairly ripe bananas for this as they will mash more easily and bind your ingredients together more effectively.

    Butter

    If you don’t want to use butter in this lemon drizzle cake, you can substitute for the same amount of flavourless oil, standard margarine or Stork. Aim for one with a high fat content, ideally around 80%. Light margarines tend to have a high water content which can upset the balance of the batter, thus affecting the final bake.

    Flour

    You’re going to want this lemon drizzle cake to rise, so you’re going to need a raising agent. Using self-raising flour is the simplest way to do this.

    If you don't have any self-raising flour, you can make your own. Simply add two teaspoons of baking powder to every 150g (1 cup) of plain flour in a bowl and sift them together before using in your recipe.

    This particular recipe uses 170g (1 cup + 3 tbsp) self-raising flour, so if you use plain flour instead, you’ll need to add about 2 ¼ tsp of baking powder. 

    Lemon drizzle cake batter in a bowl with flour added

    Sugar

    The crystals of caster sugar/superfine sugar are very small which helps them to dissolve more easily, but granulated sugar, golden caster sugar and brown sugar will all work, they’ll just give a slightly different texture. 

    Do not use icing sugar / powdered sugar in this recipe as the crystals are too fine.

    Sugar lends not only sweetness, but also structure and texture to the cake, so I wouldn’t recommend leaving it out or reducing the quantity. I have not experimented with artificial sweeteners, but I suspect it would be tricky to balance the lemon out - let me know if you experiment with it.

    Icing sugar is another name for powdered sugar which is used to make the syrup that is drizzled over the cake.

    If you don’t have any, you can use granulated or caster sugar, you will just need to be patient as you warm the syrup as it will take longer for the sugar crystals to fully dissolve.

    Holding a glass of lemon drizzle sauce over the cooled lemon drizzle cake.

    Can I make the lemon drizzle cake topping crunchy?

    If you want a really crunchy lemon drizzle topping instead of a syrup that sinks in, you’ll need to change the method slightly. 

    Use granulated sugar instead of icing sugar and without any heat, mix your lemon juice and sugar together to form a paste, then spread over the warm cake with the back of a spoon. This should give you your zesty crunchy topping once cooled.

    When should I drizzle my cake? 

    It's best to drizzle the syrup over the cake while it's still warm. The main reason for this is that it will penetrate the cake more evenly make for a better texture.

    Leave the cake in the tin while you do this so that you don’t lose any of the syrup as it seeps through the cake.

    Close up of a slice of lemon drizzle cake

    Equipment and FAQs

    • Large mixing bowl
    • Weighing scales
    • Measuring spoons
    • Wooden spoon or silicone spatula
    • Whisk
    • Citrus juicer and zester
    • Round 20cm (8") nonstick cake tin or larger up to 23cm (9") for a thinner cake.
    • Parchment/baking paper
    • Wire cooling rack
    • Saucepan
    • Metal skewers

    You don’t need any specialist equipment to make this lemon drizzle cake. 

    The only thing you might not already have is a springform tin - that is, a tin with a loose bottom and a clip on the side to make it super easy to get your cake out of the tin cleanly. If you don’t want to invest in a springform tin, a loose-bottomed one will do the job. 

    Mixing

    You can use a stand-type electric mixer, but it’s not really necessary. An electric hand mixer does the job well and makes for easy clean up.

    If your food processor comes with a beater rather than blade attachment, then you cream the butter and sugar together on a low setting, then blend in the eggs. It won’t incorporate as much air as a whisk, though, so is not recommended. 

    Using an electric hand whisk to beat the butter and sugar together, and then beat in the eggs is really handy because it gets the job done and beats in lots of air. However, you can absolutely do the job by hand, it’ll just take a little more elbow grease! 

    Whatever method you use to combine the butter, sugar and eggs, it’s important that you gently fold the flour in by hand. Beating will cause the cake batter can be easily overworked, which could make your finished bake tough and/or poorly risen if the blades knock out the air and stretch the gluten.

    Cake Tin Size

    I like a wide cake tin as it gives a shallow cake that can absorb lots of syrup deep into the sponge but you can use any size tin you like, just bear in mind that it will affect the cooking time.

    If you're using a 23cm (9 inch) tin, your cake will probably take around 25 minutes. A 18cm (7 inch) tin may take around 30 minutes, while a very small tin which makes the batter much deeper might take up to an hour.

    Step-by-step instructions

    Grease and line your nonstick cake tin. If you don't have any greaseproof paper / parchment paper, greasing and then dusting with flour can help prevent sticking. Some swear by a caster sugar and flour mixture for dusting - it's up to you!

    Preheat the oven to 180C (160C fan, 350F). Weigh the sugar and butter into a large mixing bowl.

    Butter and sugar in a glass bowl. Ingredients to make lemon drizzle cake surround the bowl.

    Beat together until fluffy.

    Butter and sugar creamed together in a glass bowl. Ingredients to make lemon drizzle cake surround the bowl.

    Add both eggs.

    Butter and sugar creamed together with eggs on top in a glass bowl. Ingredients to make lemon drizzle cake surround the bowl.

    Whisk through.

    Butter, sugar and eggs creamed together in a glass bowl. Ingredients to make lemon drizzle cake surround the bowl.

    Add the sifted flour - the last of the dry ingredients.

    Butter, sugar and eggs creamed together with flour on top in a glass bowl. Ingredients to make lemon drizzle cake surround the bowl.

    Fold until smooth.

    Cake batter in a glass bowl. Ingredients to make lemon drizzle cake surround the bowl.

    Add the zest of two lemons and the juice of one to the mixture.

    Cake batter with lemon juice and zest on top in a glass bowl. Ingredients to make lemon drizzle cake surround the bowl.

    Gently stir through.

    Lemon drizzle cake batter in a glass bowl.

    Spoon the batter into the prepared cake tin. I recommend using a loose-bottomed springform tin as it makes it super easy to get your cake out of the tin cleanly.

    Lemon drizzle cake batter in a cake tin.

    Note: I'm using a 23cm (9 inch) tin in these images, which is a wide tin, meaning your cake will be quite shallow. I like this as it means the sponge can absorb lots of syrup all the way through when we add it later. But if you want a narrower, taller cake, that's fine. In the video, I've used an 18cm (7 inch) tin. See the tips section below for more advice on adjusting the cooking times.

    Bake in your preheated oven for 25-30 minutes - the wider the tin, the shorter the cooking time. The lemon sponge should be golden on the outside and a skewer pushed into the center of the cake should come out clean - keep an eye on it as you don't want it to over-bake.

    Freshly baked lemon drizzle cake in a cake tin.

    To make the syrup, in a small saucepan, mix the juice of two of the lemons with the icing sugar.

    Lemon juice and icing sugar in a small metal pan. Ingredients to make lemon drizzle cake surround the pan.

    Place over a medium low heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved, then bring to a boil for 1-2 minutes until you have a light syrupy texture.

    Hot lemon drizzle syrup in a small metal pan. Ingredients to make lemon drizzle cake surround the pan.

    Poke holes all over the warm sponge with a skewer, almost down to the bottom.

    Freshly baked lemon drizzle cake in a cake tin. Holes have been poked in the top.

    Take the syrup off the heat (careful, it's hot!) and pour all over the cooling sponge.

    Freshly baked lemon drizzle cake in a cake tin. Holes have been poked in the top and lemon drizzle syrup has been poured on top.

    Allow the hot cake to cool, then remove from the tin and cut into generous slices. This cake has quite a delicate crumb, so be sure to let it cool completely before serving.

    Serving slices of lemon drizzle cake

    The result is a light, firm sponge that's wonderfully lemony. Perfect.

    Enjoy with a hot cup of tea or coffee and savour this beautifully moist cake right down to the last slice.

    This lemon drizzle really is a perfect cake - no wonder Brits consider it a total classic!

    Allergen & Dietary Information for Lemon Drizzle Cake

    This lemon drizzle cake is totally nut-free. However, with all allergies and sensitivities, it’s important to check the packaging of all of the ingredients you use very carefully to ensure they are nut-free. 

    Vegetarian & vegan lemon drizzle cake

    The-is recipe is suitable for vegetarians as it contains no meat, fish or poultry. But it is not vegan due to the use of eggs and butter.

    I haven't tested a vegan version, but as a starting point, you'd need to replace the butter with a good quality vegan butter (around 80% fat is ideal) and the eggs with your favourite alternative e.g.:

    • Store-bought egg replacement powder (use as directed on the packet).
    • 1 tablespoon of crushed chia or flax seeds mixed with 2 tablespoons of water and left for 10 minutes in the fridge.
    • 3 tablespoons of aquafaba.
    • 3 tablespoons of applesauce.
    • Half of a medium sized banana, mashed. It's best to use fairly ripe bananas for this as they will mash more easily and bind your ingredients together more effectively 

    Double check all of your ingredients labels to make sure to check that they are suitable for vegetarians. Don't forget to also check anything extra you intend to serve the recipe with.

    Collage showing a lemon drizzle cake slice and some of the steps involved in making it

    Troubleshooting Lemon Drizzle Cake

    • How can I tell when my lemon drizzle cake is ready?
    • Why is my lemon drizzle cake dry? Why does it have hard edges?
    • Why did my lemon drizzle cake batter split/curdle?
    • Why did my lemon drizzle fail to rise/was flat/sank in the middle?

    How can I tell when my lemon drizzle cake is ready?

    Visually, you’re looking for a cake that is light golden in colour and looks even from edge to edge. 

    When you feel confident that your cake is ready, remove it from the oven and insert a flat skewer into the centre of the cake. When you pull it out, it should look clean. If anything has stuck to the skewer than the cake needs longer in the oven. 

    Why is my lemon drizzle cake dry? Why does it have hard edges?

    If your cake seems dry or hard, the most likely explanation is that it’s overbaked. This could be because the temperature in your oven was too high, or the cake was baked for too long. 

    Why did my lemon drizzle cake batter split/curdle?

    If your batter seems to have gone watery and lumpy, or resembles scrambled egg, then it has probably split.

    It usually happens when you add cold eggs to room temperature butter and sugar. The three ingredients are supposed to form an emulsion as they are beaten together, but the difference in temperature can prevent that.

    To avoid splitting your batter, aim to remove the quantity of eggs and butter you’ll need from the fridge before you start baking and leave them to come up to room temperature before you start.

    If your mixture does start to split, try adding a spoonful of flour (from the 170g total you’re planning to use). This can help encourage the emulsion to come back together, then you can fold in the rest of the flour. 

    Counter-intuitively, mixing your eggs, sugar and butter together more vigorously will not cause them to come back together. In fact, overmixing the ingredients can lead to a split batter, so as soon as it looks lump free, stop beating.

    Finally, if you have split your batter and it won’t come back together, don’t worry! Just carry on with the recipe according to the instructions. You may get a slightly more uneven bake and or a lower rise but it should still be delicious!

    Why did my lemon drizzle cake fail to rise/was flat/sank in the middle?

    If you ever have any sort of sponge that fails to rise, it’s usually for one of these reasons.

    • Oven too hot: Oven temperature is crucial to a good result. Your oven may be running hotter than the dial suggests, meaning the cake rose too fast to support its own weight. This is often the cause when a cake sinks in the middle.
    • Over-beaten batter: If you beat too much air into the cake, it can rise too fast and then collapse.
    • Letting the heat out: Opening the oven door during baking can cause the temperature to drop rapidly, causing the cake to lose height.
    • Slamming the door: Closing the oven door too roughly during baking can also mean that the air is knocked out.
    • Wrong size tin: Using a too narrow tin can mean that the mix is too deep to cook all the way through and so isn’t able to hold its structure.
    • Too much flour: A thick batter with too much flour won’t rise as well, and can give a dense sponge, so check that your quantities are correct.
    • Old flour: Self-raising flour also has a shorter shelf life than plain flour, so make sure that the flour you used is in date or it may have lost some of its effectiveness, meaning your cake will not rise as much as it otherwise would.

    Note: as stated in the instructions, this is supposed to be a shallow, wide cake as shown in the picture. This allows the drizzle to fully penetrate. If you want a taller cake, you can try a smaller tin width, but keep an eye on it as it bakes and be sure to do the skewer test to make sure it comes out clean, meaning your sponge is cooked.

    Slice of lemon drizzle cake on a white plate

    How to store, keep & freeze lemon drizzle cake

    Stored in an airtight container in a cool place out of direct sunlight, your lemon drizzle cake will keep well for 3-4 days.

    You can store your lemon drizzle cake in a sealed container in the refrigerator if you like, but it’s likely that the crumb will lose a little of its tenderness and become sort of grainy. For this reason, I think this lemon drizzle cake is better stored at room temp to preserve its tender crumb. 

    You can easily freeze lemon drizzle cake successfully.

    Make sure to place it in an airtight container. I find the best way to freeze is to first cut the cake into individual slices. That way, you can just grab a slice when you want and allow it to gently defrost before eating. 

    If you find your freezer is prone to freezer burn (where the food gets a frost on it and seems damaged) then you can go an extra step and double wrap the cake well in plastic wrap / cling film before placing in a airtight container.

    Slice of lemon drizzle cake on a plate, lemon and more cake shown in the background

    How to make different size and shape lemon drizzle cakes

    If you want to make a bigger or smaller version of this lemon drizzle cake, it's certainly possible. Look for the recipe card below. You'll see the servings near the top left. Hover or tap over it and a little slider will pop up. You can move the slider up or down to get the amount you want to make.

    So for instance, if you want to make a cake that's double the size, you'd change the servings number from 12 to 24. All the ingredient quantities will update automatically for you so that everything is in the right ratios.

    It's important to note that if you're making more/less batter, it's going to change the cooking times of your final bake. Make sure you have an appropriately sized tin and keep an eye to make sure you don't under or over bake your delicious lemon drizzle cake.

    I have dedicated recipes to make this cake as a loaf cake, cupcakes or traybake:

    Lemon Drizzle Loaf Cake Recipe
    This is truly the zingiest, most delicious and moreish lemon drizzle loaf cake you'll ever make. The recipe is easy to follow and the crumb is super soft and tender.
    Get the recipe
    Lemon Drizzle Tray Bake Recipe
    This lemon drizzle tray bake is super easy to make and tastes intensely lemony, with a lemon glaze that sinks into the buttery soft sponge.
    Get the recipe
    Lemon Drizzle Cupcakes Recipe that Really Zings
    Deliciously zingy lemon drizzle cupcakes, packed with lemon flavour from top to bottom. They're quick to make and will satisfy even the pickiest lemon dessert lover!
    Get the recipe

    Lemon drizzle layer cake?

    You can use this recipe to make a layer cake! I would make double the quantity of batter and bake in two 18cm (7inch) tins, then make double the lemon drizzle syrup to drizzle on to them.

    Once cooled, they'd be great sandwiched and covered with cool lemon frosting or even cream cheese frosting.

    Slice of lemon drizzle cake on a plate

    Print this lemon drizzle cake recipe

    If you'd like to print this recipe to try later, just hit PRINT on the recipe card below.

    Print Recipe
    4.7 from 463 votes

    World's Best Lemon Drizzle Cake Recipe

    This is truly the zingiest, most delicious and moreish lemon drizzle cake you'll ever make. The recipe is easy to follow and the crumb is super soft and tender.
    Prep Time15 minutes mins
    Cook Time30 minutes mins
    Total Time45 minutes mins
    Course: cakes and bakes
    Cuisine: British
    Diet: Vegetarian
    Servings: 12 slices
    Author: Emily Leary

    Ingredients

    • 170 g (⅔+¼ cup) white caster sugar (superfine sugar)
    • 170 g (1½ sticks) salted butter
    • 2 medium free range eggs
    • 170 g (1 cup + 3 tbsp) self-raising white flour (self rising flour) sifted
    • 3 unwaxed lemons (A standard UK lemon gives about 2 tbsp of juice. If yours are larger, adjust accordingly)
    • 4 tbsp icing sugar (powdered sugar)

    Equipment

    • Large mixing bowl
    • Weighing scales
    • Measuring spoons
    • Wooden spoon or silicone spatula
    • Whisk
    • Citrus juicer and zester
    • Round 20cm (8") nonstick cake tin or larger up to 23cm (9") for a thinner cake.
    • Parchment/baking paper
    • Wire cooling rack
    • Saucepan
    • Metal skewers

    Instructions

    • Grease and line your nonstick cake tin. If you don't have any greaseproof paper, greasing and then dusting with flour can help prevent sticking.
    • Preheat the oven to 180C (160C fan, 350F). Put the sugar and butter in a large bowl and whisk together until fluffy.
    • Add both eggs and whisk in.
    • Sift in the flour and fold until smooth.
    • Add the zest of two lemons and the juice of one to the mixture and gently mix through.
    • Spoon the batter into a greased and lightly floured cake tin. I recommend using a nonstick loose-bottomed or springform tin as it makes it super easy to get your cake out of the tin cleanly.
    • Bake for 25-30 minutes. (The wider the cake tin, the quicker it will cook). The cake should be golden on the outside and the skewer should come out clean - keep an eye on it as you don't want it to over-bake.
    • In a small pan, mix the juice of two of the lemons with the icing sugar.
    • Place over a medium low heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved, then bring to a boil for 1-2 minutes until you have a light syrupy texture.
    • Poke holes all over the warm sponge with a skewer, almost down to the bottom.
    • Take the syrup off the heat (careful, it's hot!) and pour all over the cooling sponge.
    • Allow to cool, then cut into generous slices and enjoy with a hot cup of tea or coffee.

    Video

    Notes

    Stored in an airtight container in a cool place out of direct sunlight, your lemon drizzle cake will keep well for 3-4 days.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 236kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 57mg | Sodium: 112mg | Potassium: 64mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 400IU | Vitamin C: 14.3mg | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 0.4mg
    * Note: nutritional information is estimated, based on publicly available data. Nutrient values may vary from those published. Information on this website should not be taken as medical advice. Cuisines identify the primary region of inspiration for a dish.
    Tried this recipe?Snap a pic and tag @amummytoo on Instagram or tag @EmilyLearyCooks on Twitter. I can't wait to see your posts!

    Pin this lemon drizzle cake for later

    Slice of lemon drizzle cake on a white plate with more cake behind it

    Looking for more baking inspiration?

    Try these incredibly delicious lemon bakes recipes next.

    Lemon Curd Yogurt Cheesecake Bars Recipe
    A buttery digestive base, a wonderfully rich yogurt cheesecake filling and a topping of zingy, mouthwatering lemony freshness - you're going to love these lemon yogurt cheesecake bars!
    Get the recipe
    No-Bake Lemon and White Chocolate Cheesecake Recipe
    This no-bake lemon and white chocolate cheesecake boasts a biscuit base, a layer of white chocolate cheesecake and a lemon curd topping.
    Get the recipe
    Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Buttercream Recipe
    These wonderfully zingy lemon cupcakes have a tender sponge and a zingy lemon buttercream frosting, making them a super tasty treat that's a joy to decorate.
    Get the recipe
    Lemon Fondant Fancies Recipe
    These lemon fondant fancies are dainty, sweet and delicious little sponge cakes with a wonderful zing of lemon.
    Get the recipe
    French Cinnamon Toast Recipe
    This gorgeously spiced French cinnamon toast recipe is served with warm cinnamon apples, lemon mascarpone and honey.
    Get the recipe

    Have you got my book?

    'This is a great kids cookery book. Emily is a star' - Simon Rimmer

    'The book I'd like to force into any mother's kitchen' - Prue Leith

    "A fab book with a plan." - Jane Devonshire, 2016 Masterchef UK winner

    'Emily has managed to combine her mummy knowledge and passion for food to make a truly helpful and brilliant cookbook' - Priya Tew, RD, BSc (Hons), Msc

    Get Your Kids to Eat Anything is an achievable 'how to' for parents in the battle to overcome picky eating and 'make new the norm'. Emily Leary's unique 5-phase programme looks at the issue of 'fussy eating' in a holistic way that links imagination with food, and which situates parents alongside - not in opposition to - their children.

    Grab your copy!

    « Individual Mincemeat Tartlets Recipe
    Easter egg cheesecake »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      4.70 from 463 votes (363 ratings without comment)

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




      This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    1. bethTHEbaker says

      February 14, 2021 at 1:05 am

      4 stars
      Ive been baking 26 years and never have I seen a recipe so decieving. At first glance I knew there was something up, a 1:1:1 ratio has always and will always be a recipe for disaster, i was led to believe by this MEGA blunder that people would have copped on and went elsewhere for there lemon drizzle recipes.. but to my dismay when I looked at the comment section there were numerous "good reviews. Upon this discovery I took it upon myself, such the seasoned baker that I am, to bake the cake according to yet another prankster recipe set out to fool unsuspecting first time bakers here on the internet. So with my years of experience in world class baking I took to the kitchen to confirm. my suspicions. I was correct, the caked was a flop, when whisked together the mixture turned out a watery paste closure in texture to condensed milk than cake mixture, at this point as you can imagine I was quite the angry baker, but after a cup of tea to decompress I was bake on the counter pouring my mixture into

      Reply
      • Emily Leary says

        February 14, 2021 at 4:05 pm

        Yikes. This is kind of rude. Your comment cuts off - did it work out in the end? I'm sorry to hear it didn't seem right to you. Condensed milk is definitely not the correct texture, so sounds like something went wrong in your kitchen. People leave comments and send me pics of their very successful and delicious cakes every day. Also equal part recipe are super common and popular. Pound cake, for example. I hope you have better luck next time.

        Reply
      • Maria says

        February 15, 2021 at 7:47 pm

        5 stars
        Beth, I followed the recipe and quantities & it came out beautifully for me. I donโ€™t bake cakes regularly, but I found this very easy to follow. .
        The ratio gave me a lovely fluffy cake and my husband devoured it. I will be bookmarking this and will certainly bake it again.
        Not sure where things went wrong for you.

        Why did you give 4 stars and then leave a rude review?

        Reply
      • Jon says

        June 12, 2022 at 12:44 pm

        World Class Bullshit more like.

        Reply
    2. Jen says

      February 10, 2021 at 3:39 pm

      5 stars
      The title doesn't lie. It is really the worlds best lemon drizzle cake. Was looking for a recipe that uses the most lemons, this one won. And I am making it for the second time this week now. Thank you!!

      Reply
    3. Jo says

      February 06, 2021 at 9:03 pm

      We love our lemon drizzles in thus house & your recipe did not disappoint! Thank you

      Reply
      • Emily Leary says

        February 06, 2021 at 10:11 pm

        Wonderful!

        Reply
    4. Ukhan says

      January 25, 2021 at 12:45 pm

      So I made this cake today and itโ€™s yummy however turns out itโ€™s a bit too crumby and moist. Not sure what went wrong but I wish it would hold itself together a bit more firmly. Otherwise it turned out perfect.

      Any suggestions for what I can do differently next time. I used the recommended amount of flour, and butter but have to admit I used a more powdery form of sugar (not sure if that could be it).

      Reply
      • Emily Leary says

        February 02, 2021 at 1:08 pm

        If you used powdered sugar in the sponge, that would affect the texture, I suspect. If it was very soft and crumbly it might have been slightly underbaked. If it was dry and crumbly, it may have been overbaked.

        Reply
    5. Winnie says

      January 23, 2021 at 6:26 am

      Thanks for the detailed instructions! I tried the recipe with the ingredients halved becoz my pan is 6-inch. Since I donโ€™t have self-raising flour, I used 85g cake flour plus 1 1/3 teaspoons of baking powder instead. Plus I cream the butter and whisk in the egg by hand with a whisk. However, the cake sinks in the middle, and it seems it is not dense enough, like a bit too much air in it. I wonder what could cause the sinking...Did I use too much baking powder or I blend in too much air while whisking? I did take the cake out for a few seconds to check the progress...could it be a reason as well?

      Reply
      • Emily Leary says

        February 02, 2021 at 3:11 pm

        Hi. Those could all be reasons, I'm afraid. Cake flour isn't the same as plain flour, as the former contains cornstarch, so that could be an issue too.

        Reply
    6. Mandy says

      January 15, 2021 at 1:40 pm

      Would this work using 1.5 times the ingredients for a slightly larger deeper cake. I need it for a birthday cake and wanting to cover it with fondant icing and decoration.

      Reply
      • Emily Leary says

        January 15, 2021 at 5:04 pm

        Yes, just keep an eye on the baking time and it'll need a bit longer :)

        Reply
    7. Lee Walker says

      December 21, 2020 at 11:09 am

      Hi, lovely easy explanation so thank you, Iโ€™ve baked this 4 times now but each time the top of the cake is very pale, almost under baked when the bottom and sides end up being well done, what am I doing wrong

      Reply
      • A Mummy Too says

        December 22, 2020 at 10:32 am

        Sounds like your oven might be a bit unusual in how it circulate air. Is it a gas oven with the flames at the bottom? That might explain it. If you use a sealed tin rather than a tin with a loose bottom, you can stand it in a tray of water in the oven. This should help to avoid the sides burning but isn't usually necessary with this cake. :-)

        Reply
    8. Shirley says

      November 29, 2020 at 6:20 pm

      5 stars
      Great light cake the lemony icing was a bit tart as I added extra lemon. My fault great recipe many thanks

      Reply
    9. Susie says

      October 29, 2020 at 12:02 pm

      5 stars
      Iโ€™ve made lots of LDC and this was a Lovely cake but not enough lemon for me, even though I used more than recommended and used zest in the syrup.
      Thought my 2 year old would find it too lemony but she loved it as very sweet and not at all tart or zingy.

      Reply
      • Emily Leary says

        October 29, 2020 at 12:37 pm

        That's very strange!! Perhaps your lemons were very small? Or a bit old and so didn't give off much juice / flavour. As you can see from lots of the other comments, it's a very lemony recipe.

        Reply
    10. Maxine says

      October 28, 2020 at 7:27 pm

      5 stars
      Thank you for sharing this lovely recipe. Lovely fresh lemon flavour, and perfect moist sponge. Really lives up to its name.

      Reply
    « Older Comments
    Newer Comments »

    Primary Sidebar

    Emily Leary standing in a kitchen

    Emily Leary. Chef. Multi-award-winning food writer, presenter and photographer. Author of bestselling book, "Get Your Kids to Eat Anything".

    emily@amummytoo.co.uk

    Learn more about Emily

    Emily on social

    © 2025 A Mummy Too - Privacy Policy - Cookie Policy - How I work with advertisers - Contact

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.