Mary Berry lemon drizzle traybake

I have been making lemon drizzle cake for as long as I can remember – since the 1960s at least! This is the recipe I am most asked for when stopped in the street, so here it is!

Equipment and preparation: for this recipe you will need a 30x23cm/12x9in tray bake or roasting tin.

Mary Berry recipes
From Mary Berry’s Absolute Favourites

Ingredients

• 225g/8oz baking spread, straight from the fridge, or butter at room temperature, plus extra for greasing
• 225g/8oz caster sugar
• 275g/10oz self-raising flour
• 2 level tsp baking powder
• 4 free-range eggs
• 4 tbsp milk
• 2 lemons, zest only
• 1 heaped tbsp very finely chopped lemon verbena (optional)

For the glaze

• 175g/6oz granulated sugar
• 2 lemons, juice only

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4. Grease the tin with baking spread and line the base with baking paper.
2. Measure all the ingredients into a large bowl and beat for 2 minutes, or until well blended. Turn the mixture into the prepared tin and level the top.
3. Bake for 35–40 minutes until the cake has shrunk a little from the sides of the tin and springs back when lightly touched with a fingertip in the centre of the cake.
4. Meanwhile, make the glaze. Mix the granulated sugar with the lemon juice and stir to a runny consistency.
5. leave the cake to cool for 5 minutes in the tin, then lift out, with the lining paper still attached, and place on wire rack set over a tray.
6. Brush the glaze all over the surface of the warm cake and leave to set. Remove the lining paper and cut into slices to serve.

Recipe Tips

Tip 1: It is important to spoon the glaze on to the cake while it’s still warm so the lemon juice soaks in properly.

Tip 2: lemon balm works well as an alternative for lemon verbena if you can’t get hold of any, or you could use finely chopped lemon thyme leaves.

Tip 3: This traybake can be stored in an airtight container for 3–4 days and frozen for up to a month.