Soft Lemon Drizzle Cake

Steps

1. 1.

   1.

   Prep The Tin And Oven** Heat oven to 180°C (350°F). Butter a 900 g (2 lb) loaf tin and line with a strip of parchment that overhangs the long sides for easy lifting.

2. 2.

   Cream Butter And Sugar

   Beat softened butter and caster sugar until pale and fluffy, about 3–4 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time. If the mix looks curdled, add a spoon of the flour and keep going.

3. 3.

   Fold Soft Lemon Drizzle Cake Batter

   Mix flour, baking powder, and salt. Fold into the wet mix with the zest of both lemons and the milk until just combined. No dry streaks. Spoon into the tin and level the top.

4. 4.

   Bake The Loaf

   Bake 40–50 minutes until risen, golden, and a skewer comes out clean. The top should spring back when pressed lightly. Cool in the tin 5 minutes only. You need it warm for the syrup.

5. 5.

   Make And Pour The Lemon Syrup

   While the cake bakes, stir lemon juice with 80 g granulated sugar until the sugar mostly dissolves. It can stay a bit gritty. That grit becomes the crunchy drizzle crust. Poke the warm cake all over with a skewer. Pour the syrup slowly over the top so it sinks in.

6. 6.

   Cool Completely

   Leave in the tin until fully cool. Lift out with the parchment. Slice thick. The top should look shiny and slightly crackled.