Easy Lemon Drizzle Cake - Ellas Better Bakes

Alter quantities (metric only) 10 slices

2lb loaf tin
Greaseproof (parchment) paper or loaf tin liners
stand mixer or hand mixer with paddle attachment fitted if a stand mixer or beaters if a hand mixer
Fine mesh sieve
Spatula
Small saucepan
Measuring Spoons

235 g Self-raising flour (1 Cup and 11 level tablespoons) or you can use plain/all-purpose flour and an extra level teaspoon of baking powder
½ teaspoon Baking powder must be level
¼ teaspoon Fine salt must be level
100 g Unsalted butter (7 tablespoons) at room temperature
250 g Caster (superfine) sugar (1 Cup + 2 tablespoons)
115 ml Plain natural yoghurt (½ Cup) at room temperature
4 teaspoon Lemon zest
2 tablespoon Lemon juice (about 2 medium lemons)
4 Large eggs at room temperature

Set your oven to 350°F/180°C/160°C Fan/Gas mark 4.
Insert a loaf tin liner or line the base of your loaf tin with greaseproof paper and grease the exposed ends of the tin with some extra butter
Sift together your flour, baking powder and salt.
Rub your lemon zest into your caster (superfine) sugar.
Using the paddle attachment for your stand mixer or beaters for your hand mixer, beat your butter a few times to ensure nice and soft. It should no longer be clumping around the paddle/beaters when soft enough.
Add your caster sugar and rubbed in lemon zest and beat until a dry paste is formed, this takes about a minute.
Mix together your yoghurt and lemon juice and then add it all to your beaten butter and sugar, beat together a few times until just combined and wipe your bowl down with your spatula intermittently to ensure everything is equally mixed.
Add an egg and a tablespoon of your sifted flour mixture and beat on a low setting until combined and no unmixed egg remains.
Repeat until the eggs are all mixed in.
Lightly beat in the remaining flour until just combined, again wiping down with your spatula to ensure all of the batter is mixed in.
Give the mixture a fast beat on medium-high for 10 seconds and no more. It should be mixed and look silky when ready.
Pour the mixture into your prepared tin and level out.
Place in the centre of your oven and bake for 35-40 minutes, until golden on top and skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Whilst your cake bakes make your lemon syrup.
Add your water and sugar to a small saucepan and mix thoroughly whilst heating on a gentle heat until all of the sugar has dissolved.
Set aside to cool and then mix in your lemon juice.
As soon as your cake is out of the oven, use a skewer to prick holes all over it and then spoon over your lemon syrup allowing it to soak in.
Let your cake cool in the tin and then remove it and peel away the liner or greaseproof paper.

Once your cake has completely cooled make your icing.
Mix together your sifted icing (confectioner's) sugar and lemon juice until fully combined.
Drizzle the icing over the top of the cake, this is best done by spreading it in a line across the centre and allowing it to naturally spread over the top and drip down the sides.

Key tips:

Don't overbeat your mixture, it will take some of the air out.

Storage:

This cake will keep for 2-3 days in an airtight container

Place on kitchen paper as it is quite moist.