The ultra soft lemon cake or Lemon drizzle cake is an extraordinary dessert both in terms of the speed of execution and the final result: very soft, tall, fluffy, just the right amount of moist, with a strong lemon flavor that will win you over at the first bite.
The recipe is by Mary Berry (English cook and baker that many of you will remember for hosting Bake off UK) and it’s extremely easy; just put all the ingredients in a bowl, mix the batter for a couple of minutes, and pour it into the cake pan; in half an hour your cake will be ready. The execution times are similar to my 5-minute lemon cake but the texture is very different.
The Lemon drizzle cake is a foolproof recipe, it always works for everyone and from today it is my favorite lemon cake. The version I am sharing is the original one, I already know that the sugar might seem too much but trust me it’s perfect as it is, no need for changes.
After baking and resting for 5 minutes, you will need to soak it with a lemon and sugar syrup that will dry immediately leaving a delicious crust on the surface.
Before proceeding with the execution, I leave you with other lemon-based recipes to try:
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 10 People
- Cooking methods: Electric oven
- Cuisine: English
- Seasonality: All seasons
- Energy 322.99 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 47.49 (g) of which sugars 32.40 (g)
- Proteins 2.62 (g)
- Fat 14.76 (g) of which saturated 9.46 (g)of which unsaturated 5.15 (g)
- Fibers 0.50 (g)
- Sodium 2.73 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 100 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 2 cups cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup cups butter
- 1 cup cups sugar
- 4 eggs (large – mine weighed 220 g)
- 3 tbsps tbsps milk
- 1 packet baking powder
- lemon zest (grated – you need the zest of 2 organic lemons)
- 6 tbsps tbsps lemon juice (I squeezed the two organic lemons after removing the zest)
- 3/4 cup cups granulated sugar
Tools
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Scale
- 1 Electric whisk
- 1 Cake pan rectangular 9×12 inches
- Parchment paper
Procedure
Leave the butter at room temperature for 1 hour, it should be very soft.
Crack the eggs into the bowl, add the sugar and mix.
Add the softened butter, flour, milk, baking powder, and the zest of the two organic lemons, and beat everything with the electric whisk for 2 minutes.
Pour the mixture into the cake pan lined with parchment paper and level it with the back of a spoon.
The batter is ready for baking.
While the cake bakes, let’s prepare the syrup:
Squeeze the two lemons, collect the juice in a small bowl, add the granulated sugar and mix well with a spoon.
The syrup is ready.
Note: It’s normal for the sugar to dissolve only partially, it will be used to create the crust on the surface after baking.
Bake the cake in a preheated static oven at 320°F for 30/35 minutes.
Perform the toothpick test to verify doneness, if necessary extend the baking time by a few minutes.
The ultra soft lemon cake is ready, take it out of the oven, let it rest for 5 minutes, then brush the surface with the lemon syrup and let it absorb. Allow it to cool completely and serve.
If you prefer, you can make small holes in the cake with a toothpick so that the syrup moistens the inside well too.
Advice
Storage
The ultra soft lemon cake can be stored at room temperature, under a glass dome for 4 days.
***************************
For tips on making the recipes, contact me on FACEBOOK and, if you like, follow me on INSTAGRAM
Send me your photos, I will be happy to share them on my social media
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Is it necessary to bake the lemon cake in a rectangular pan?
No, you can also bake this cake in a loaf pan or a round cake pan, with this amount you will get two 8-inch diameter cakes.
Can I reduce the sugar in the syrup?
The amount of sugar in the syrup is balanced to create a crust on the surface after baking, if you reduce the amount the cake will be too sour and you won’t achieve the desired effect.
Can I reduce the sugar in the cake?
The lemon cake is perfectly balanced, the weight of the ingredients is very important and I advise against modifying it.
Can I replace butter with oil
If necessary you can do it but you won’t get the same result.
