This easy lemon drizzle cake recipe is a classic UK favourite, made with simple ingredients and finished with a hot lemon syrup for a reliably sticky result 🍋

Calories: ~165 kcal – 16 slices

Ingredients

For the cake
2 medium eggs
75g caster sugar
150g plant butter or margarine, softened
Zest of 1 lemon, finely grated
175g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
125ml milk (any kind, including plant-based)

For the drizzle
2 tbsp caster sugar
Juice of the lemon
100ml boiling water

Method

Heat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan).
Grease and line a loaf tin.

Beat the eggs, sugar and plant butter together until smooth and creamy.
Stir in the lemon zest.

Fold in the flour and baking powder gently.
Mix in the milk until you have a smooth, spoonable batter.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and level the top.
Bake for 40–45 minutes, until golden and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Make the drizzle
Just before the cake comes out of the oven, mix the sugar, lemon juice and boiling water.
Heat briefly in the microwave until piping hot and the sugar has fully dissolved.

Drizzle while hot! As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, spoon or brush the hot syrup over the top. Both the cake and the syrup need to be very hot, this is what gives that classic, sticky lemon drizzle finish.

Substitutions & Helpful Tips

Citrus:
This recipe works well with any citrus. Orange, lime, grapefruit or a mix will all give a lovely result . Just swap the zest and juice as needed.

For a slightly creamier crumb:
If you prefer a softer, more tender cake, add a splash more milk or mix ½ tsp cornflour into the flour before folding it in.

Dietary swaps:
The cake is very forgiving and works well with plant-based milks and butters, making it easy to adapt for different diets without affecting the result.

Baking time really matters:
This cake is best when baked just right. Too dark brown on top = overbaked. Very pale yellow = underbaked. You’re aiming for a yellow-gold top, not brown, not pale
A skewer should come out clean, but the cake should still feel soft.

Extra stickiness:
For a thicker, stickier drizzle, swap the caster sugar for icing sugar and gently reduce the syrup on the hob. Brush over the cake while both the syrup and cake are piping hot for a more glazed finish.

Mx