Mary Berry's Moist Lemon Drizzle Cake Recipe, a classic British dessert that is so quick and easy to make, but overly indulgent. Made with a few simple ingredients, and a fantastic lemon kick, this cake is perfect for every occasion.
This lemon drizzle cake is the finest you can possibly get. It might not look as posh as other luscious cream cakes, but the flavour is definitely the winner here. Tangy, yet sweet, moist and gorgeously golden, this cake is pure heaven. Put the kettle on, it's time for a tea party!
British people adore their afternoon tea cream, and this is one recipe to impress all your guests. Homemade goodies can never be beaten, that's for sure. I like using lemon in most of my baking, whether it's just lemon extract, zest or juice. One can never go wrong with it. It gives a fresh zesty flavour even to the most boring food.
Not sure if it's because of its happy colour, but when l think of lemon, l can imagine lovely hot days. Can you tell that l'm already looking forward to Spring?
Jump to:
Note!
Go to the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact quantities and detailed instructions!
Ingredients needed
And all you need for this lemon cake are a few simple ingredients that you already have around:
- flour - self-raising flour is the best for this cake, and I still like to add baking powder too, that ensures a fluffy and light sponge, rather than dense and rich.
- sugar - I used granulated sugar, but caster sugar is a good option too
- butter - make sure it's at room temperature, soft but not melted
- eggs -it's always best if the eggs are at room temperature when baking
- lemons
- milk - full-fat milk brings the best results, but semi-skimmed milk can be used too - I usually avoid skimmed milk in baking, as it's not rich enough.
- baking powder
STEP-BY-STEP photos and instructions
There are 2 golden rules if you want the achieve a perfectly moist lemon drizzle cake.
- pre-heat the oven before popping the cake in
- make sure all ingredients are at room temperature.
It is crucial that the butter is soft, but not melted. Cold ingredients mean that the cake will take longer to rise in the oven, which will result in uneven cake and not-that-fluffy cake. If helps if you have either a hand mixer, or a kitchen aid, so that the ingredients are mixed together to a smooth paste.
Mary Berry uses a regular rectangle tray for her lemon drizzle cake, but I decided to make my lemon drizzle cake round, so I used a regular round cake tin, and it looked and tasted amazing!
- beat the butter and sugar together
- add the eggs one by one and beat well after each addition
- add the sifted flour, baking powder, milk and lemon zest, and mix well to combine
- grease and flour a round cake tin, spread the batter evenly, then bake at 180 degrees Celsius (350 Fahrenheit) for 35-40 minutes or until golden and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean
Would you like to save this?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
How to make the lemon drizzle
The drizzle is made of lemon juice and granulated sugar. It might sound too tangy, but trust me, it's the perfect drizzle for such cake. Once the cake is out of the oven, pour the drizzle over as soon as possible, so that the cake can soak up all that tangy drizzle.
Expert Tips
When I use the lemon zest in any baking, I usually buy the no-wax lemons, they are safer to consume than the waxed ones, no matter how much you wash the lemons.
Otherwise, if you only use the lemon juice, I don't think I would go out of my way to buy no-wax ones. Same with oranges, if the peel is needed, I highly recommend the no-wax ones.
I won't go into the cliché that organic food is better, but I do appreciate that better ingredients make tastier cakes, so there is no brainer here.
Also, do make sure the dairy products you use are full-fat, rather than skimmed or semi-skimmed, you will tell the difference straight away.
Recipe FAQs
Make sure that the cake tin you use is not too small. The batter should only cover maximum â…” of the tin, ideally half of the tin, to allow room for the cake to rise. If there is too much batter, the top will brown, while the middle is still raw, and it will evenly sink when out of the oven.
No, the cake does not need to go in the fridge, otherwise the sponge will harden. And while the taste will still be good, the sponge will not be moist anymore. Store it at room temperature.
The lemon drizzle cake should last for up to 4-5 days if stored correctly.
If you’ve liked my MOIST LEMON DRIZZLE CAKE or any other recipe on the blog then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, and PINTEREST to see more delicious food and what I’m getting up to.
Marry Berry's Moist Lemon Drizzle Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 225 g self-raising flour
- 175 g caster sugar (+75 g for the drizzle)
- 175 g unsalted butter (at room temperature)
- 3 medium eggs
- 2 tablespoon full-fat milk
- zest and juice from 2 large lemons
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
Would you like to save this?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Instructions
- Beat the butter and sugar together using a hand mixer.
- Add the eggs one by one mixing well after each addition.
- Sift in the flour, baking powder, add the lemon zest and milk, and mix again to a smooth, creamy consistency.
- Flour and grease a round cake tin (mine is a 19x7 cm with loose base), then spread the batter evenly.
- Bake in the preheated oven on the middle rack at 180 degrees C (350 degrees F) for 35-40 minutes, keeping an eye on it- the cake is done when the top is golden and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- To make the syrup, mix the lemon juice with 75 g of sugar.
- Once the cake is out of the oven, remove it from the tin, pour over the lemon syrup, then leave it to cool down completely.
Video
Notes
- Click on the US Customary link to see the measurements displayed in cups and ounces.
- The servings can be adjusted by clicking the number next to Servings.
- Mary Berry uses a regular rectangle tray for her lemon drizzle cake, but I decided to make my lemon drizzle cake round, so I used a regular round cake tin, and it looked and tasted amazing!
- It is crucial that the butter is soft, but not melted. Cold ingredients mean that the cake will take longer to rise in the oven, which will result in uneven cake and not-that-fluffy cake. If helps if you have either a hand mixer, or a kitchen aid, so that the ingredients are mixed together to a smooth paste.
Nutrition
Helen says
Never fails
Barney says
I used unrefined soft brown sugar, and tried the ground almond suggestion. Very tasty.
I also think the quality of unsalted butter lifts the flavour and texture too.
Daniela Apostol says
That sounds incredible, I am glad you enjoyed it! Indeed, the quality of the butter does change the taste and texture of the cake.
Joanne says
I have used this a few times with great zingy results every time... I have also discovered a game changer... substitute 30g of flour with ground almonds and add a teaspoon of Neilsons natural Almond essence. My muvver says best yet!!
Daniela Apostol says
That sounds delicious!
Krishna says
Hi, what size cake tin did you use?
Sandra says
I have got my cake in the oven
But I have put lemon juice in my cake by mistake
Daniela Apostol says
The batter might be the wrong consistency, but do let me know the outcome.
Nanajee Travels says
I just read Mary Berry's Moist Lemon Drizzle Cake recipe, and it's everything you could want in a classic British dessert! The simplicity of the ingredients combined with that incredible lemony flavor makes it such a joy to bake—and eat. It's amazing how something so quick and easy can be so indulgent. This cake really does seem perfect for any occasion; I can already imagine it brightening up an afternoon tea or adding a zesty finish to a dinner party.
Delma says
I always add lemon juice and lemon essence ! Success every time ! Yummy!
Chris Sell says
Never had a bad recipe from Dame Mary Berry.
Patience says
Absolutely delicious! Easy to follow recipe and the cake was amazing! Thank you!
marcia leven says
its just stunning wouldn't make any other recipe
L says
Hello, is their a way of substituting the milk for another ingredient to make the recipe dairy free e,g. sunflower oil? Has anyone tried?
Thanks
Daniela Apostol says
The milk can be replaced with plant-based milk, but I am unsure if the butter can be successfully replaced with margarine, it should.
Laura Esther says
Hi Daniela. For the syrup, do you simply mix the lemon juice with sugar? Or do you heat that in a pan until boiling? Thank you
Daniela Apostol says
Hi! You must mix lemon juice with sugar, there is no need to boil them.