A favourite of Mary Berry’s since the 1960s, this simple lemon cake recipe uses an all-in-one method and has a crunchy lemon sugar topping.
Mary Berry’s lemon drizzle cake always comes out moist with simple one-bowl recipe(Image: Alejandro Velasquez V. / 500px via Getty Images)
Creating this mouth-watering lemon drizzle cake using everyday cupboard staples is a brilliant way to delight your friends and family. Mary Berry’s lemon drizzle cake is a timeless classic — combining a wonderfully moist sponge with a sharp citrus kick and an irresistible crunchy topping.
This delightful lemon bake takes under 30 minutes to prepare and utilises Mary’s signature “all-in-one method”.
This means every ingredient in the recipe is combined simultaneously, saving both time and washing up, as you can weigh everything directly into a single bowl.
Mary Berry’s lemon drizzle traybake has been a firm favourite of hers since the 1960s, and “this is the recipe she is most asked for when stopped in the street”.
Top tips for making Mary Berry’s lemon drizzle cake
For the finest lemon sponge, Mary advises baking the cake on the middle shelf at 180C. She explained, “To avoid cakes cracking, don’t bake them too high in the oven. If you do, the crust forms too soon and cracks as the cake continues to rise.”
That said, a few cracks can actually add a certain rustic charm, creating lovely little crevices where your icing can nestle beautifully. Your cake will taste absolutely wonderful regardless of whether it achieves a flawless appearance.
The renowned baking expert recommends storing this lemon drizzle cake in an airtight container or cake tin at room temperature for three days, and it freezes exceptionally well for up to two months when unsliced and wrapped tightly in cling film. How to make Mary Berry’s lemon drizzle cake.
Ingredients
- 225g of butter or baking spread at room temperature, plus extra for greasing
- 225g of caster sugar
- 275g of self-raising flour
- One level teaspoon of baking powder
- Four free-range eggs
- Four tablespoons of milk
- Two unwaxed lemons, finely grated zest only
For the glaze
- 175g of granulated sugar
- Two lemons, juice only
Method
Begin by preheating your oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas Mark 4. Grease and line a loaf tin with sufficient baking paper to create a slight overhang, which will make removing the cake considerably easier.
Combine the sugar, flour, butter, eggs, lemon zest, and baking powder in a large bowl. Using an electric whisk, beat the mixture together until you achieve a smooth consistency.
Transfer the cake batter into the prepared tin and place it promptly on the middle shelf of the oven. Bake for 40 minutes, or until golden brown, pulling away from the sides of the tin and springy to the touch.
While the cake bakes, prepare the lemon drizzle topping by combining the sugar and lemon juice. Once the cake is out of the oven and still warm, carefully spoon the drizzle mixture over the top. Allow the cake to cool completely before lifting it from the tin and slicing.
Why did my lemon drizzle cake sink?
A sunken top is often the result of opening the oven door too soon during the baking process. Resist the temptation to open the door for at least the first 20 minutes, allowing the cake to establish a solid structure.
Mary Berry highlighted another crucial factor — ensuring your oven is fully preheated before the cake goes in.
Over-mixing the ingredients or taking too long to transfer the batter into the tin and oven, could also be responsible for a sunken cake. As soon as the wet and dry ingredients are mixed together, the chemical raising agents in the flour and baking powder begin to activate.
You will need to act swiftly to get your batter into the oven; if not, it will lose its volume before the second rising reaction is triggered by the heat.
