Lemon drizzle traybake recipe

This lemon drizzle traybake recipe is a firm favourite in the eyes of my colleagues. A week doesn’t go by without someone hinting at the empty space where some baked goods could be sitting. Never one to miss an opportunity to bake, I often take the cue and get to work concoting something delicious for the team.

Obviously, things have changed since the virus hit. Instead of baking for the office, I’m baking for the family who are ever hopeful that I’ve knocked up something sweet for the afternoon.

The fundamentals of baking, when using ounzes as the measurement, are to have equal quantities of butter, sugar and flour, to half the amount of eggs. For example, 4 oz of butter, sugar and flour to 2 eggs. Using these basic principles, the core method of this recipe can be easily adapted for any flavours.

However, if you love a citrus vibe, this lemon drizzle traybake recipe will have you devouring fluffy, zesty cake in no time.

Ingredients

Cake

6 oz / 170g butter
6 oz /170g caster sugar
3 eggs
2 lemons (finely grated zest & juice)
6 oz / 170g self raising flour
Splash of milk (if required)
2 oz / 55g granulated sugar

Icing

5 oz / 150g icing sugar
Juice of 1 lemon

Method

Firstly, preheat your oven to 180 degrees / 350 Fahrenheit and line a square/rectangular baking tray.

Lined square baking tray with lemons in shot — Cover the tray in a tsp of butter making sure to get right in the corners. Then pat a tbsp of flour round the tray, covering the base and sides. Remove any excess flour by turning the tray upside down and tapping.

Cream the butter and sugar together in a medium sized bowl with a electric whisk (or lots of elbow grease) until light & fluffy. If you think it’s pale enough, mix it a bit longer. This is crucial to having a good foundation.

Creamed butter and sugar in a bowl to start the lemon drizzle traybake recipe

Next, add the eggs one at a time into the sugary butter, mixing fully before adding the next one.

Lemon drizzle mixture with eggs shells to the side

Finely grating the zest of 2 lemons, add the rind to the mixture and combine.

Sifting the self raising flour, gently fold the mixture with a spatula or wooden spoon until it has all come together. If you hold a dollop of the mixture above the bowl, it should drop in about 3 seconds. If not, add a little splash of milk to loosen it.

Next, spread the lemon cake mixture evenly into your pre-lined tray and place it into the oven for 20 – 25 minutes. It should be lightly golden on top and a knife should come out clean when stuck into the centre. If it’s looking too brown on top and needs a little longer, place a sheet of foil over the top to cover it.

Lemon drizzle traybake mixture, empty bowl and lemons in shot

Lemon sugar syrup

While the cake is rising, place the juice of 2 lemons into a small saucepan with the granulated sugar and bring to the boil just before the cake is due to come out of the oven. When the sugar has dissolved, it’s ready.

With the cooked lemon drizzle cake just out of the oven, using a cocktail stick or equivalent, stab multiple holes all over it. Then, while the cake is still in its tray, pour the hot lemon sugar syrup all over the cake and leave to cool.

Lemon Drizzle cake with holes in and a saucepan to the side

For the icing

While the cake is cooling, make the lemon drizzle icing. Sift the icing sugar into a medium sized bowl and adding a splash of lemon juice at a time, combine together until you have the required consistency.

Drizzle the lemon icing all over the cooled cake and cut into desired squares. Finally, enjoy a slice of fluffy, homemade, zesty cake – Perfectly accompanied by a cup of tea.

This lemon drizzle traybake recipe can easily be adapted to make a lemon drizzle loaf (bake for 35 – 45 minutes) or lemon cupcakes too (bake for 20 minutes).

Lemon drizzle traybake cut into squares and arranged on a wooden boardn

Hopefully, when this #quarantinelife is over, you’ll add this lemon drizzle traybake to your repertoire to share among colleagues and friends alike.

Els x

Follow @theardentbakery on Instagram to watch how I made these citrus treats. For more recipes, head to my baking section.