What colour do you associate with Spring?
For me, it has got to be yellow ♥
Everywhere I look at the moment, I’m seeing this beautiful, fresh colour.
In my garden the yellow primroses are in bloom…
as are the sweet little narcissus.
It won’t be long before the daffodils are in full bloom too 🙂
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As well as being the colour of spring, yellow also happens to be my mum’s favourite colour ♥
Here in the UK, it’s Mother’s Day on Sunday. I haven’t seen my mum since Christmas so I’m really looking forward to spending the day with her. Inspired by her favourite colour, I’ve chosen to bake a Lemon Drizzle Cake to give her on Sunday as a little home-made treat.
With its light texture, zingy citrus flavour and flecks of bright yellow zest, I think this is the perfect cake for this season.
Since I’m giving this cake as a gift, I haven’t ‘healthified’ it to the extreme (I’m sure my mum will appreciate that 😉 ). However, it is free from dairy and eggs, so will be suitable for anyone with those allergies.
To make the cake super zingy and moist, once it was cooked I pierced it all over with a toothpick and drizzled over the juice from a freshly squeezed lemon mixed in with a couple of tablespoons of granulated sugar (which gives the top of the cake a great, crunchy texture).
Just in case you fancied trying it for yourself, here’s how I made it:
Serves 8 -10
Hand on time: 15 minutes Ready in: 2 hours
Ingredients
200g / ¾ cup + 3 tbsp unrefined cane sugar (e.g. golden caster sugar)
2 TBSP maple syrup (or maple blend. I use Clarks Original).
70ml / ⅓ cup organic rapeseed (canola) oil (or other neutral-flavoured oil, like sunflower oil)
240ml / 1 cup soya milk
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
30ml / 2 TBSP freshly squeezed lemon juice
zest of 2 unwaxed/organic lemons
250g / 1¾ cups plain (all purpose) flour
2 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
Drizzle
2 TBSP freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 TBSP Demerara (or turbinado) sugar
Method
1. Grease and line a 2lb loaf tin with non-stick baking paper (or use a non-stick loaf liner). Preheat the oven to 190c (170C fan) / 375F.
2. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, syrup, oil, milk, vinegar and lemon juice using a balloon whisk until fully combined. Stir in the lemon zest.
3. Sift one third of the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt) into the bowl and whisk by hand to combine. Repeat with the remaining two thirds, whisking each time.
4. Tip the mixture into the prepared tin. Place on the middle shelf in the oven and bake for 50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
5. Meanwhile, place 2 TBSP juice from a freshly squeezed lemon in a small bowl with the Demerara sugar. Stir to combine.
6. When the cake is baked, remove from oven and pierce all over with a toothpick or skewer. Spoon the lemon drizzle evenly over the top of the cake. Allow to cool in the tin for at least an hour (it will firm up as it cools) then transfer to a wire wrack.
7. Once completely cooled, slice and serve or transfer to an airtight container. The cake will keep up to a week in the refrigerator. It also freezes well.
N.B. Recipe updated 1/10/17
Have a wonderful weekend everyone ♥
“Happy Mother’s Day” to all the mums out there. I hope you get spoilt rotten. You deserve it 😉 xx
READER REMAKES ❤️
You might also like… Orange Drizzle Cake with Poppy Seeds 🍊
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Hi Sharon, this is my go to recipe for Lemon Drizzle cake and is loved by all. Do you think it would work as an orange drizzle cake? If not. Do you have any suggestions as to how it could be made?
Hi Bina! I’m so pleased that the Lemon Drizzle has been a hit for you. I think it should work absolutely fine as an orange drizzle. In fact, I’ve been meaning to try it out myself. I’d still bake it in the loaf pan and keep all the ingredient proportions the same as the drizzle. If you do make it, please do report back. I’d love to hear how you get on xx
Hi. I’m using this recipe for a project I’ve been working on, (for school). And I need to know hoe many it will serve. Do you have a rough idea? Much appreciated for this recipe by the way!
Oh wait no it says above the recipe. Sorry!
Hi Ben.
Glad you spotted it! I usually find the cake serves 8-10 people but I guess it depends how big you cut the slices!
Good luck with the school project!
Thanks for this great recipe! The maple syrup worked well ☺
Yay! So pleased you enjoyed it 😊
I added in a teaspoon of vanilla and used powdered sugar for the glaze topping instead of granulated. I made these into 6 mini loaves. They are lovely! I was thinking I may add a bit of lavender to them next time. 🙂
Ooh I love the idea of mini loaves. I bet they look really sweet 😍
Thank you so much for your feedback. Really pleased you enjoyed the recipe!
Fantastic recipe …. cake turned out really good. Thank you
That’s great to hear Priti! Thank you so much for stopping by to let me know xx
Hi, so I’m baking this for a Vegan friend at school, for her birthday. I obviously have to give the rest of the class a slice too, so I’m wondering; will people notice a big difference between this and one with milk and eggs, or does it have the same texture as a regular cake? Debating whether to make non-Vegan cakes for the rest of them.
Hi Dominic! It does have a slightly different texture to a dairy/eggs cake but not in a bad way. Most of my friends and family aren’t vegan, but they love this cake (and the orange drizzle version). I know people have made it for office parties and school functions too and they’ve received positive feedback. If you have time, perhaps you could have a test run and try it out on your friends/family and see what they think?
Really kind of you to bake your friend a cake ❤️ I hope she has a lovely birthday 😊
Thankyou so much 😊 I’m afraid there is no time for a test run, but from your feedback, they should enjoy it. Thankyou also GOR the birthday wishes x
I loved this recipe. I added zest to the drizzle too, just for an extra bit of lemoniness (is there such a word? Well there is now) I love it, making my third in two days! (I did give my neighbour one though, and I have a boyfriend with a very sweet tooth)
Thank you so much for sharing, I’ll always use this recipe.
Lemoniness is a great word! I often use the word ‘zingy’ when I’m referring to lemon zest, but I’m not sure if that’s a real word either! Anyway, so pleased you’re enjoying the recipe and I love your tip about adding zest into the drizzle. I need to try this!
So kind of you to bake a cake for your neighbour ❤️ What a lucky neighbour!
Hello
I do not bake so excuse this question: When remove from oven do I remove from tin or leave in tin? I suspect remove from tin but want to be sure..
Section 7 When the cake is baked, remove from oven and pierce all over with a toothpick. Spoon the lemon drizzle evenly over the top of the cake. Allow to cool for ½ hour or so before transferring to a wire rack. Leave to cool completely before storing.
Thanks for the recipe
Hi Sharon. You leave the cake in the tin. It’s important to do this as vegan cakes are very soft when they first come out the oven. While still in the tin, pierce all over with a toothpick or skewer and spoon the drizzle on top. Leave it at least an hour in the tin before transferring it to a wire wrack. Alternatively, you can leave it in the tin until completely cooled. Hope this helps! xx
Hi Sharon. After reading your comment, I realised that the recipe on my blog was an old version and didn’t match the one in my book. I’ve now updated it. Thank you for helping me to spot this 🙂
Thank you. Just made it and it looks like it should!!!!
Going to try the banana bread next.
Thanks for the response x
YAY! So pleased it worked out for you! 😀 xx
Hey,
About to try this recipe and just realised I’ve bought almond milk not soya milk, do you think this will make much of a difference? Is it worthwile getting soya instead?
Thanks!
I think it should be fine! Please give it a try and let me know how it turns out 🙂
I have made this a couple of times now. It’s lovely and I have been asked to share your recipe 😀👍 Thank you, it’s a keeper !
Hey Heather! Thank you so much for stopping by to feedback on the Lemon Drizzle. So happy to hear how much you’re enjoying it AND that people have asked for the recipe. That’s brilliant! xx
Been looking for a great vegan lemon drizzle cake recipe and this was delicious! Great rise in the oven, and definitely prefer demerara sugar on top to caster or granulated sugar. Thank you!
Yay! So pleased you enjoyed it Laura! xx
Hi there,
I am interested in trying this recipe but am wondering about the vinegar and the lemon juice needed for the cake? Seems like a lot of acid. Is it necessary to even add the vinegar with the 2 tbsp of lemon juice? Is the texture more like dense pound cake or a lighter loaf cake. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Hey Erin. I’ve never tried leaving out the vinegar so I’m not sure how it would affect the cake. Using the ingredients listed, the cake has a lovely texture, rise and flavour. It’s one of my family’s all-time favourite cakes! ☺️ I’ve made it literally hundreds of times now and it always turns out well. It’s also had great feedback from my readers. I hope this gives you the confidence to give it a try xx
Also, there is no baking soda? Would think that wouls react with all the acid in the cake to help with rise. Just wondering..
Hey Erin. I don’t use baking soda as I find it rises fine without it. I use a 2lb loaf tin and the cake rises above the top of the tin ☺️