Mary Berry’s Lemon Drizzle Cake is a very easy and quick recipe that has been a family favourite since the 1960s. It is soft, light, and wonderfully moist. This cake is packed with fresh lemon zest and finished with a sweet, tangy drizzle of lemon icing that soaks right into the sponge. It’s the perfect balance of refreshing citrus and comforting sweetness, making it a treat that’s always loved by both kids and adults.
Whether you’re baking it for afternoon tea, a family gathering, or just as a simple homemade dessert, this cake never fails to impress. No wonder it’s been a favourite for decades—moist, zingy, and irresistibly tasty, this lemon drizzle cake is a true classic that always brightens up the table.
How to make Mary Berry’s Lemon Drizzle Cake
This recipe is very easy to make, delicious, and one of Mary Berry’s most popular recipes. It’s the kind of bake you’ll want to come back to again and again.
What ingredients are used for Mary Berry’s Lemon Drizzle Cake
This recipe is made with a few simple ingredients with a fantastic lemon kick. This cake is best for every occasion. Ingredients including;
How to make Mary Berry’s Lemon Drizzle Cake
- First preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4. Now grease and line a 30x23cm/12x9in tin.
- Next put all ingredients in a bowl and beat it for 2 minutes until smooth. Then pour into the tin and level.
- Next bake it 35 to 40 minutes, until the cake shrinks from sides and springs back when we touch it.
- Now for glaze, mix sugar and lemon juice.
- And now cool the cake 5 minutes, then lift out with lining paper
- At last brush glaze over warm cake, leave to set, remove paper, and slice to serve.
Recipe Tips
- Store in an airtight container for 3–4 days.
- Spoon drizzle on while cake is still warm so it soaks in well.
- A shallow traybake lets the drizzle travel through without making holes.
- Mix topping just before so sugar doesn’t dissolve
- Lemon balm or finely chopped lemon thyme work as substitutes for lemon verbena.
- Unwaxed lemons are best for zesting. If waxed, wash in hot water, brush, and dry. Use a microplane or fine grater—avoid the bitter pith.
- Try lime or orange zest instead of lemon for a twist.
- For bake sales, use a foil tray for easy transport and cooling.
- Without an electric mixer, use a freestanding mixer or food processor but beat less to avoid over-mixing.
Ingredients
- 225g/8oz butter or baking spread with extra for greasing
- 225g/8oz caster sugar
- 275g/10oz self-raising flour
- 2 level tsp baking powder
- 4 free-range eggs
- 4 tbsp milk
- 2 unwaxed lemons, finely grated zest only
- 1 heaped tbsp chopped lemon verbena (optional)
For the glaze
- 175g/6oz granulated sugar
- 2 lemons, juice only
Method
- First you preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4. And now grease it a 30x23cm/12x9in baking tin with butter and line the base with baking paper.
- Measure all the ingredients into a large bowl and beat it for 2 minutes or until well blended. Now turn the mixture into the tin and level it the top.
- Bake the cake mixture for 35 tp 40 minutes, until the cake has shrunk a little from the sides and springs back
- Prepare the glaze in the meanwhile. Mix the lemon juice and sugar until the mixture is smooth.
- After the cake has cooled for five minutes, take it from the tray using the liner paper still attached and set it on a wire rack.
- Apply the glaze gently on the warm cake's surface and let it set. To serve, cut into pieces after removing the lining paper.
Nutrition facts:
Carbohydrates: 38.5g (of which 25g sugars)
Fat: 13.5g (of which 8g saturates)
Protein: 4g
Fibre: 0.7g
Salt: 0.6g
Calories: 290 kcal per serving
