Lemon Drizzle Loaf Cakes

Hello!
I am back with yet another baking post because I really wanted to share a recipe with you of something that I made today: Lemon Drizzle Loaf Cakes. This recipe is a family favourite and it is perfect for an afternoon treat or a pudding. We originally got the recipe from Mary Berry's ultimate cake cookbook but the amounts and method have been changed slightly to make bigger, better cakes. If you would like Mary Berry's recipe, I couldn't find a link to the recipe but for a link to a similar traybake, follow this link. I love the zesty flavour. It is quite different from your traditional lemon drizzle loaf because the drizzle forms a crunchy crust on top of the cake instead of seeping through completely. This gives it a sort of icing and I love the texture. I hope you like my recipe.

Lemon Drizzle Loaf Cakes
This recipe makes two zesty loaf cakes that are perfect for an afternoon treat. The cakes have a crunchy lemony topping and are delicious with fresh berries. These cakes freeze well so you can save one for a later date!

I used a picture from the internet here

because I forgot to photograph mine

Ingredients

• 170g soft margarine- you can also use butter but make sure it is soft
• 255g self-raising flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 255g caster sugar
• 3 eggs
• 6 tablespoons milk
• Zest of 1 lemon
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 100g granulated sugar

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees
2. Butter and line two 1 lb loaf tins. I would highly recommend the Lakeland loaf tin liners because it means that you don't have to bother cutting and arranging baking paper inside the loaf tins. Here is a link to the tin liners
3. Measure out the margarine/butter, flour, baking powder, caster sugar, eggs, milk and lemon zest into a large mixing bowl and beat well until all the ingredients are evenly incorporated. The mixture should be thick and smooth
4. Divide the mixture between the two prepared tins as evenly as you can and smooth over the top with the back of a spoon or spatula
5. Bake the cakes in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes
6. While the cakes are baking, prepare the syrup for the crunchy topping. Squeeze the lemon juice into a small bowl and mix in the granulated sugar
7. Take the cakes out of the oven when the tops are golden brown. The cake should bounce back if you lightly press it with a finger
8. While the cakes are still hot, poke several holes all the way through each cake with a skewer
9. Drizzle the prepared topping evenly over the two loaves going right to the edges
10. Leave them to cool in the tins
11. Turn out and enjoy!

If lemon isn't your cup of tea, you could always try using another citrus fruit instead like lime or orange. To make the cakes look extra special, they can be decorated with berries or even pretty flowers but check to see if they are poisonous first! Something like primroses would look beautiful. If you want to take it that step further, you could even crystallize the primroses.

As I mentioned above this cake is a family favourite however when I made it today things didn't go to plan! The cakes weren't fully cooked and when I put the drizzle on, the cakes sagged and a hole formed in the middle. However they still tasted amazing! I wanted to mention this because baking doesn't always go to plan and even the most skilful bakers have disasters. The important part is how you pick yourself up and move on. For example, if you have a whole in your cake, fill it with whipped cream and berries! This skill of moving on and not dwelling on mistakes is hard and I can't say I'm that good at it but it is an important thing to learn.

I hope you enjoyed this post. Let me know what you think of the recipe.

Bye!