Lemon Drizzle Cake Recipe: How to Make Lemon Drizzle Cake

Lemon drizzle cake is a moist, tangy cake dotted with lemon zest, flavored with lemon juice, and drizzled with a tart-and-sweet lemony glaze. Adding herbs or spices to the batter or glaze will further elevate the cake, but its zesty simplicity makes the dessert perfect as-is. It is excellent as a breakfast option—you can slice and fry it like French toast—or serve it for dessert along with a scoop of ice cream.

If your guests love lemon flavors, it’s the perfect cake to serve them for breakfast, brunch, or dessert. You can use a lemon drizzle loaf batter to make super-moist cupcakes, or serve thick slices with copious amounts of homemade lemon curd.

Here are some tips for making the best lemon drizzle cake at home:

1. 1. Bring the ingredients to room temperature. Bringing eggs, butter, and any other dairy-based ingredients to room temperature before the mixing process helps them emulsify easier, resulting in a cake with an even interior texture. Take perishable ingredients out of the refrigerator at least an hour before you begin baking.
2. 2. Properly zest your lemons. Always zest lemons before juicing them. Using a handheld zester or the smallest holes on a box grater, grate the lemon peel, avoiding the bitter white pith. You will immediately smell a bright, fresh aroma: The zest is where all the fragrant oils reside, while the protective white pith is dry and bitter. Store leftover lemon zest in an airtight container in the freezer; that way, you’ll always have enough for your favorite lemon recipes.
3. 3. Mix the batter just right. Overmixing leads to a stiff, heavy cake. When combining the wet and dry ingredients, fold them together by hand to ensure the batter stays light.
4. 4. Tweak cook time based on shape. Whether making a loaf cake, layer cake, traybake, or bundt cake, you can use the same cake mixture and adjust the cooking time based on the cooking vessel. You can easily adjust the timing based on the pan’s dimensions, the volume of the cake batter, and the type of cake you want to bake. Always check the doneness using a toothpick or skewer before pulling the cake out of the oven.
5. 5. Use a measuring cup for perfect drizzling. Use a glass measuring cup with a pouring spout to pour the glaze over the cake. A thick cake glaze will sit on top of the cake, similar to a frosting, while a thin glaze will soak into the cake and keep it moist.
6. 6. Incorporate other flavors. Lemon is a fantastic start, but it pairs well with other fruits and herbs like raspberries, blueberries, lavender, and thyme. Or, change up the citrus: Meyer lemon has a milder flavor and more floral aroma than regular lemons. Grapefruit, lime, and orange juice would work well in a bundt cake.
7. 7. Omit the dairy. Make plant-based pound cake by swapping the dairy for nondairy and vegan options for a moist cake with a soft crumb. Learn how to make a vegan lemon pound cake.
8. 8. Make it gluten-free. Gluten-free flour alternatives, combined with yogurt and lemon juice, help make a gluten-free variation that is just as good as the original. Try this gluten-free lemon cake recipe.