Lemon Drizzle Cake

Ingredients

• Unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing 175g
• Caster sugar 175g
• Large eggs 3
• Self-raising flour, sifted 175g
• Zest of 2 lemons
• Lemon juice (from the zested lemons) 1 tbsp
• Milk 2-3 tbsp
• Icing sugar 150g
• Lemon juice (for drizzle) 2-3 tbsp
• For the cake
• For the drizzle

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C fan/Gas Mark 4). Grease and line a 20cm (8-inch) round cake tin with baking parchment.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and caster sugar until light and fluffy. You can use an electric mixer or a wooden spoon.
3. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. If the mixture looks like it might curdle, add a tablespoon of the sifted flour with each egg.
4. Gently fold in the sifted self-raising flour and the lemon zest. Add the 1 tbsp of lemon juice.
5. Add the milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing until the batter is a smooth, dropping consistency. Be careful not to overmix.
6. Spoon the batter into the prepared cake tin and level the surface.
7. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave the cake to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before turning it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
8. While the cake is cooling, prepare the drizzle. Sift the icing sugar into a bowl and gradually add the 2-3 tbsp of lemon juice, mixing until you have a smooth, thick icing. Add a tiny bit more juice if it's too thick, or a little more icing sugar if it's too thin.
9. Once the cake has cooled completely, generously drizzle the icing over the top, allowing it to drip down the sides.