A simple British bake, lemon drizzle is sweet, zingy, moist and fluffy. This classic version comes together easily using just one bowl, and it’s easy to adapt – add poppy seeds or swap out the lemon for orange, if you like. 

What exactly is a lemon drizzle cake?

Lemon drizzle is a classic British sponge cake, usually made in a loaf tin, with a sweet and tangy lemon topping that gets soaked into the cake. The topping gets its characteristic sweet crunch from caster sugar, rather than icing sugar, which creates a smoother texture.  

How to make lemon drizzle cake moist

A lemon drizzle cake is moist from the butter, eggs and milk. Plus, the lemon drizzle soaks into the cake, which not only adds a sweet lemony flavour but also contributes to the moisture.  

How to make the lemon drizzle cake fluffy

Creaming together the butter and sugar makes a cake nice and fluffy by adding air to the batter.

Do you use salted or unsalted butter for lemon drizzle cake?

We like to use unsalted butter here, since a lot of butter is used, meaning you can control the salt content separately to the butter content.

When do you put syrup on lemon drizzle cake?

Put the syrup on the cake while it’s still warm. This helps it soak into the cake easily and quickly, resulting in a moist, flavourful cake.