Lemon & Lime Drizzle Cake!
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A classic bake that everyone at home will love – a citrus drizzle cake.
Lemon and lime drizzle cake
I decided today, that we would go back to basics. I LOVE classic cakes, something about their simplicity yet how amazing they taste really gets me hyped up to eat the whole cake myself. You can play around with the flavours you use, but lemon & lime is my favourite combination!
I think a loaf cake is the most popular cake for anyone wanting something low maintenance but still super yummy! It is so simple to make and bake, and requires very little decoration, if any at all. This is my original citrus drizzle cake and I still love it to this day.
Simple and classic
I have always loved cakes like these, they make the perfect Sunday afternoon tea accompaniment to a cuppa, or as a quick treat for your family if you’re craving something delicious. I also realised that lemon drizzle cake is a staple in many families cake baking range but this recipe has honestly never failed me.
I love that classic cakes are still popular to this day, sometimes you just cant beat a drizzle loaf or a slice of Victoria sponge. If you wanted a similar cupcakes version of this recipe, you can follow my lemon drizzle cupcake recipe. They are little cakes of heaven!
Drizzle and topping
This loaf cake has a delicious drizzle which is so simple yet makes such a difference to the sponge! Its a simple mix of caster sugar with the juice of 2 limes and 2 lemons and is drizzled over the sponge when it is out the oven but still hot.
When I updated this recipe I decided to add a citrus juice icing sugar drizzle topping – and I am so glad I did!! The drizzle makes the sponge nice and moist but the topping adds an extra citrus kick without overpowering the loaf.
Other recipes
For a bit of a boozy twist, try my recipe for my gin and tonic drizzle cake. One of my favourite drinks in cake form – HEAVEN! If you wanted to strip it back to the most basic but delicious and refreshing flavour, my lemon drizzle loaf cake is a must try – which you can also make vegan by using this recipe!
Nearly two months ago I posted my recipe for my lemon celebration cake which is basically a lemon drizzle cake/Victoria sponge hybrid and it went down an absolute storm, with people now baking it regularly for their families and friends – YAY!
Lemon & Lime Drizzle Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 225 g unsalted butter softened
- 225 g caster sugar
- 225 g self raising flour
- 4 medium eggs
- Zest of 2 lemons
- Zest of 2 limes
Drizzle
- Juice of 1 - 2 lemons
- Juice of 1 - 2 limes
- 100 g caster sugar
Topping
- 100 g icing sugar
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp lime juice
Instructions
- Grease and flour/line a 2lb loaf tin (see notes below)
- Preheat your oven to180ºC/160ºC fan
- Cream together your unsalted butter and caster sugar until soft and smooth
- Add in the self raising flour, eggs, lemon and lime zests and beat again as briefly as possible until smooth
- Pour your ingredients into your cake tin and bake in the oven for 55-65 minutes or until a skewer poked into the middle comes out clean. If you think its browning quickly, check it at 45 minutes as some ovens bake cakes quicker than others!
- Towards the end of baking - in a bowl, mix together your caster sugar with the juice of both your limes and lemons until combined
- Remove the cake from the oven but leave it in the tin
- Drizzle the sugar and juice mixture over the cake, whilst still in the tin. Let the cake cool fully.
- Once the cake is cooled, remove from the tin.
- Mix together the lemon and lime juice with the icing sugar until you reach your desired consistency and pour over the top of the cake however you like - I drizzled mine over.
- Sprinkle some lime and lemon zest over your loaf cake and ENJOY!
Notes
- 2lb loaf tins typically measure to hold about 900ml water so you know which one I mean - mine measure 11cmx21.5cm at the top of the tin! They all vary widely!
- As I said at the beginning, I typically prefer the lemon & lime combination as its my favourite - but you can use orange, blood orange, just lemon etc!
- As this cake is so moist it will never really go dry, but this will last up to 3 days in an airtight container!
- Original recipe (updated December 2022)
- Loaf cake: 175g unsalted butter, 175g caster sugar, 175g self raising flour, 3 eggs, zest of 2 lemons and zest of 2 limes.
- Topping: Juice of 1-2 limes, juice of 1-2 lemons, 100g caster sugar
- Just follow the same method as above, and bake for 35-40 minutes!
- This recipe does not have a icing sugar topping.
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J x
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Hi Jane
I regularly make two loaves of Lemon Lime Drizzle cake for my ITU colleagues.
It tastes amazing and always disappears very quickly.
I really like how well it keeps – so I can make it the day before and it’s still yummy and moist when I get it to work
Thank you!
Hi Jane, I would really love to make this but as a celebration cake, I know you have the lemon celebration cake but I wanted both lemon and lime, then I wanted to coat it in lemon butter cream, would this recipe work if I decide between 8 inch tins?
Hello, could I make this into a round cake? Using two 8 inch tins and just doubling the recipe? If so how long would I need to bake ?
Hey! Yes you can double it and I would bake at 150 fan for 45-50 mins xx
This was delicious! I made it this morning and have just enjoyed a (huge!) slice with a cup of tea. It felt like there was lots of syrup to pour on, but I used it all and I’m so glad I did. One of the best lemon drizzles i’ve ever had! So citrusy and juicy. Plus, zesting the limes and lemons made my kitchen smell fab and made me think of summer. Thank you, Jane! <3
Hey! Yayyyy I am so glad you enjoyed it, thank you for such a lovely message x
Hi Jane,
Is it possible to make cupcakes with this mixture? If so, what bake time would you recommend?
Thanks!
I would look at my lemon drizzle cupcakes recipe, but make that lemon lime x
Hi Jane!
I’ve made this so many times now and it’s always eaten up straight away!!
I’m wondering if I could turn this into a tray bake cake? And how to do it??
Thanks so much!
It’s a recipe I am planning on posting soon enough, but for now it may be best to follow a similar traybake recipe such as my gin and tonic traybake but switching that to lemon lime drizzle!
My new absolute favourite – love citrus flavours. Much prefer this sticky glaze to using icing sugar.
I find with loaf cakes that the top of cake is ready way before the bottom is finished so I tip cake on each side in turn for a final 10 minutes each side to cook the underneath through but not to damage or overcook the top.
Hi Jane, I can’t figure out how to reply to your comment on my last question hahah but thanks for the quick reply!
I also wondered if you have any tips for making sure it doesn’t sink in the middle when it’s baked? x
Hey! Haha that’s okay! So if it sinks, it’s just not finished baking and needed a little longer! x
Hi Jane!
Is it ok to use Stork instead of unsalted butter for the cake?
Can’t wait to make this! X
Hey!! Yes definitely for cake sponges, stork is great! x
Hi Jane, can I mix unsalted and salted butter. I’ve only 200grs of unsalted was could I add saltedn.
Many Thanks
Debbie
Yes, you can if you don’t mind the taste difference x
Best lemon loaf I’ve ever eaten. Definitely worth a go. Stays so moist and I’m sure if I would have lasted longer than the 2 days we could keep our hands of it, then it would have still been amazing. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Jane,
I’ve been looking for a substitute to caster sugar as I can’t seem to get it anywhere in Canada! A few websites have said to use brown sugar instead – would you recommend that?
Thanks!
You can do, but that will make the cake more caramel flavoured!
I am a Brit living in Canada. White sugar is much finer than white sugar in England. I think this is why they have both white and caster. The sugar here in Canada is more like Caster Sugar. So just go ahead and use regular white sugar here in Canada.
Hello.
I used to live in Canada and just put granulated sugar in the food processor to make caster sugar.
Great recipe!
Hey Jane! Making this for my Mum for her birthday tomorrow – it’s her favourite and she always LOVES your recipes!
would flora buttery be able to make up for a lack of butter ???🥵
That can be used for a sponge, yes! Wouldn’t recommend it for a buttercream though (which this one doesn’t have anyway!)
Hi, I made the lemon and lime drizzle cake today and put a layer of lemon icing on top. It was delicious, light and moist. I will deffinetly be making it again. Thank you.
How did you make lemon icing ?
Do I need to use lime? Or can I just make it a lemon drizzle cake?
You can just use lemon, or just use lime.