best lemon cake

Lemon Drizzle Traybake (glazed lemon cake)

recipe adapted from Mary Berry

makes one 9 x 9" cake

INGREDIENTS

For the cake:

2 cups self raising flour

2 tsp baking powder

2 sticks (1 cup or 225g) unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

4 eggs

1/4 cup milk

Zest of 2 lemons

1 tbsp finely chopped lemon verbena/lemon thyme leaves/earl grey tea leaves (optional)

For the glaze:

1/2 cup granulated sugar

Juice of 2 lemons

METHOD:

1. Preheat oven to 350F (180C or 160C fan). Grease your baking pan and line with parchment paper along the bottom and up the sides. Set aside.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together your dry ingredients. Set aside.

3. In the mixing bowl of your stand mixer, cream sugar and butter together on medium for 2 minutes until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides in-between. Add eggs in one time, fully incorporating each one and scraping down the sides.

4. On low speed, add half the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Pour in milk and remaining flower. Mix until just combined, scrapping down the sides. Do not overmix. Use a spatula and pour batter into prepared pan. Tap out any air bubbles and gently level.

4. Bake for 35-40 minutes until the cake has shrunk a little from the sides of the tin and springs back when lightly touched in the centre of the cake. While the cake is baking, make the glaze by mixing together sugar and lemon juice. Set aside.

5. Let cake cool in pan for 5 minutes. Lift out the cake with the parchment paper still attached and place on a wire rack set over a tray (to catch any drips).

6. Spoon the glaze evenly over the cake and leave to set. Do this while the cake is still warm so that the glaze soaks in properly.

7. Let cool completely before transferring cake to a cutting board to cut into squares or slices. Cake can be stored in an airtight container for 3-4 days or frozen for up to a month.