This easy lemon drizzle tray bake is light and moist with a sweet yet zingy taste. It’s a tea time classic and a perfect everyday cake that takes less than an hour to make.
55 Minutes
28 Pcs
154 Cal/slice
This is another quick and easy cake to make. I will never get bored with simple cakes as they are so handy and save so much time. To make this tray bake, I got inspired by the lemons we had leftover from Shrove Tuesday (pancake day).
The recipe was a complete risk with my boys as I never know what they will eat and what they refuse. A while ago when I made Broccoli and Stilton Soup I almost didn't offer it to them assuming the cheese flavour was too strong but they tried it and to my surprise they loved it. This time I was lucky again. My boys enjoyed this tray bake. I know you think it’s not a big deal because kids generally love anything sweet but I can tell you my children can be complicated when it comes to food even the sweet variations.
This is a triple lemon drizzle dessert as I added lemon in 3 different forms. There is grated lemon zest and 2 tablespoons of lemon curd in the sponge mixture and the lemon drizzle is made of icing sugar and lemon juice. This cake is light and moist and has a delicious sweet yet sharp lemony taste. The icing creates a lovely crisp layer at the top.
Making the icing can't be easier. Place icing sugar into a bowl and pour in lemon juice. Mix until smooth and without lumps.
You can achieve different results depending on how much liquid you use. Be aware that a little goes a long way so if you don't want the mix to be too runny, stir the lemon juice into the sugar in a few steps and stop adding more once you are happy with the consistency. If your lemon icing is too runny simply add more sugar.
Runnier drizzle will give you a thin, glossy and slightly transparent crisp layer at the top. Thicker drizzle will create a nice thick white decorative layer.
The cake temperature can make a difference too. Spread the sugar icing onto a still warm cake and it will get absorbed into the sponge better. You can help it even more by making small holes into the cake while it is hot before you pour the icing on.
This cake is best to eat on the same day when it’s freshly made. It is a moist cake as the drizzle isn't only spread over the top, it gets absorbed into the cake too. If you have some leftovers you can keep them in an airtight box at room temperature for up to 3 days but the cake will get slightly soggy because of all of that sugar drizzle.
You can alternatively freeze the cake while it’s still fresh and slowly defrost it when you feel like having it.
Recipe Card
LEMON DRIZZLE TRAY BAKE WITH LEMON CURD
Ingredients
Sponge
- 175 g Unsalted margarine
- 175 g Caster sugar
- 270 g Self-raising flour
- 80 g Lemon curd
- 4 Eggs
- 1 ½ tsp Baking powder
- Lemon zest From 1 lemon
- 140 ml Milk
Lemon Drizzle Icing
- 200 g Icing sugar
- 40 ml Lemon juice
Equipment
- Tray or baking tin 35 x 25 x 3 cm
Instructions
Sponge / All in one method:
- Leave all your refrigerated ingredients at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before baking.
- Line the tray with baking paper.
- Put all ingredients for the sponge into a large bowl.
- Beat the mixture with a hand mixer until smooth and creamy.
- Pour the mix onto the tray and spread evenly.
- Bake on 160°C around 25 – 30 minutes or until the testing tool comes out clean when inserted into the sponge.
- Prick little holes all over the sponge while it’s still hot with a skewer or chopstick (approx. 2 cm apart).
Lemon Drizzle Icing
- Mix icing sugar with lemon juice and stir until the mixture is smooth and without lumps.
- Spread the lemon drizzle icing across the surface of the sponge so it fills all the little holes. Make sure the cake is still pretty warm to be able to absorb the drizzle.
- Let it dry for 30 minutes before cutting.
- Tip: Always sift flour and sugar. It helps to get a smoother batter or icing.
Karly says
This lemon cake will definitely be a big hit! Thanks for sharing!
Lea says
Thanks so much Karly, happy you like it.