I absolutely love giving and receiving homemade gifts. I find it’s so much more personal and I always really appreciate the thought and effort that has gone into it. I’m a really keen baker and therefore love making baked goods to give to others. Today I’m sharing my lemon drizzle loaf cake recipe which would make a lovely gift for Mothers Day.
I have made this lemon drizzle cake countless times before and it never lasts long because it’s seriously tasty. I always think that a lemon drizzle is very appropriate for Spring and it would be the perfect addition to a Mothers Day afternoon tea spread. If you really want to impress then you can top the loaf with lashings of cream cheese frosting, lots of fresh blueberries and a dusting of icing sugar.
This recipe works just as well when doubled and baked in a round bundt tin if you have more mouths to feed or alternatively you can bake lots of mini loafs using cases like these which I have done previously and they were a big hit especially with the little ones!
Ingredients
- 225g unsalted butter, softened
- 225g caster sugar
- 225g self raising flour
- 4 eggs
- Finely grated zest & juice of 1 large lemon
- Juice 1 1/2 lemons
- 85g caster sugar for the drizzle topping
Method
- Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4.
- Beat together the butter and sugar until pale and creamy. I use my Kenwood K mixer for this but can be done with a hand mixer or even just by hand. Add in the 4 eggs one at a time, slowly mixing through.
- Sift in the flour then add the lemon zest and juice and mix until well combined.
- Either grease and line a loaf tin (8 x 21cm) or us a loaf tin liner. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and level the top with a spoon.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes until a thin skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Set the cake aside to cool in the tin.
- Mix together the lemon juice with the 85g of caster sugar to make the drizzle topping.
- Prick the warm cake all over with a skewer or fork, then pour over the drizzle – the juice will sink in and the sugar will form a lovely, crisp topping.
- Leave in the tin until completely cool, then remove and enjoy served in thick slices with a dollop of cream or natural yoghurt and some fresh berries.
*NOTE* – The loaf will keep in an airtight container for 3-4 days (I doubt it will still be around then 😉 ), or you can freeze it for up to 1 month.
This recipe is my suggestion as part of the Cotton Traders Mother’s Day Inspiration Guide. You can see some other ideas here.