Give our Flawless Lemon Drizzle Cake recipe a try for a delicious, zesty treat. A light lemon-zested sponge is baked until golden, then soaked with a sweet lemon syrup to keep the cake moist. Finish with a simple, elegant garnish of lemon zest and edible rose petals for a beautiful presentation.
How to make Flawless Lemon Drizzle Cake
Follow the step-by-step recipe card for both UK and US measurements. Use a 20 cm (8 in) round cake tin. Once baked, poke holes in the sponge and pour the lemon syrup over the top so it soaks in and keeps the cake irresistibly moist.
📖 Step by Step Recipe
Flawless Lemon Drizzle Cake
Luke and Kay – Flawless Food
Use a 20 cm round tin. After baking, poke holes and drizzle the syrup so it soaks into the sponge.
Keep it simple or decorate with lemon zest and edible rose petals for an extra-special finish. Serve plain or with double cream or ice cream.
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 175 grams Butter – room temperature (¾ cup)
- 175 grams Caster Sugar – (¾ cup) we used golden caster sugar
- 175 grams Self-Raising Flour – (1⅓ cup)
- 3 medium Eggs – beaten (about 2 large)
- 2 Lemons – zest for the cake, juice for the drizzle
- 75 grams Icing Sugar
To decorate
- ½ Lemon – zest
- Edible rose petals (optional)
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 180°C conventional (350°F) or 160°C fan (320°F). Grease a 20 cm cake tin and line the base with parchment paper.
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In a large bowl, cream the butter and caster sugar on medium speed for 1–2 minutes until pale and fluffy.
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Add the zest of two lemons and mix to combine.
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Beat the eggs in a separate bowl and add them to the creamed mixture one tablespoon at a time, mixing between additions to keep the batter smooth.
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Sift in the self-raising flour and gently fold it into the batter with a silicone spatula until just combined.
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Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for about 40 minutes. Avoid opening the oven while it bakes. Remove and allow the cake to cool in the tin.
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While the cake cools, squeeze the juice from the zested lemons into a small saucepan and warm gently over low–medium heat.
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Stir in the icing sugar until dissolved, then remove from the heat. This creates a glossy lemon syrup.
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Turn the cake out onto your serving plate. Use a cocktail stick or thin skewer to poke holes all over the sponge so the syrup can penetrate.
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Pour the lemon syrup evenly over the cake, letting it soak into the holes and around the sides.
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Optional: finish with additional lemon zest and a scattering of edible rose petals for an elegant look.
Video
Nutrition
This post was updated on 14/03/2025 to place the recipe card higher on the page for a better user experience.
Read on for tips and tricks that will help you bake the best lemon drizzle cake.
How to measure cake ingredients?
The most reliable method is to weigh ingredients using a kitchen scale rather than relying on cups. One simple approach is to measure eggs first and match the sugar, butter and flour to the egg weight for consistent results.
For this recipe, three medium eggs (including shells) weighed about 175 grams, so we use 175 g each of sugar, butter and self-raising flour for an even balance.
How to cream butter and sugar
Cream room-temperature butter and sugar on medium speed for about two minutes until the mixture turns pale and fluffy. Then fold in the lemon zest.
How to add egg to creamed butter and sugar?
Whisk the eggs first, then add them a tablespoon at a time to the creamed mixture, stirring between additions to prevent curdling and keep a smooth batter.
Transfer the batter into a greased 20 cm cake tin and bake in a preheated oven at 180°C conventional (350°F) / 160°C fan (320°F) for 40 minutes. Allow the cake to cool in the tin while you make the syrup.
How to make lemon drizzle cake syrup?
Warm the juice from the two zested lemons in a small saucepan over low–medium heat, then stir in 75 g of icing sugar until dissolved. Remove from heat — the syrup should be glossy and pourable.
Use a cocktail stick or skewer to poke holes evenly across the sponge so the syrup can soak in.
Pour the syrup over the cake and watch it drizzle into the sponge and down the sides. Serve as is, or continue with the decoration below.
How to decorate a Lemon Drizzle Cake?
We decorated this Flawless Lemon Drizzle Cake with fresh lemon zest and edible rose petals for a timeless, elegant finish. The result suits a classic British afternoon tea or a simple single-layer birthday cake. You can also serve with double cream or a scoop of ice cream.
Check the moist sponge — tender and full of lemon flavor. This cake is easy to make and always a crowd-pleaser.
We hope you enjoy baking this Flawless Lemon Drizzle Cake. Happy baking!