Mary Berry’s cake recipes remain favorites, including her Victoria sponge and lemon drizzle traybake. Her classic lemon loaf cake, baked in a 2lb loaf tin, comes together in just five minutes and delivers reliable flavor. Recently, I baked this recipe and enhanced it with a straightforward icing topping for extra appeal and taste.
Ingredients for the Cake
225g softened butter
225g caster sugar
225g self-raising flour
Two level teaspoons baking powder
Four large eggs
Four tablespoons milk
Finely grated zest of two lemons
Ingredients for the Drizzle
175g granulated sugar
Juice of two lemons
Baking Instructions
Preheat the oven to 160C/140C Fan and line a loaf tin with baking paper. Beat the softened butter and caster sugar until pale and fluffy. Incorporate the self-raising flour, eggs, baking powder, and milk, then mix thoroughly. Fold in the lemon zest and transfer the batter to the prepared tin.
Bake in the middle of the oven for 60 to 70 minutes. In my oven, it finished at around 60 minutes—check early and cover with foil if browning too quickly.
While hot from the oven, combine the granulated sugar with lemon juice and spoon it evenly over the cake.
Simple Icing Upgrade
The cake shines on its own, but a thin icing layer adds visual polish, subtle sweetness, and improved texture. Mix icing sugar with a splash of lemon juice and water until smooth, then drizzle over the cooled cake. The result mimics a bakery-quality finish, with the tangy icing perfectly complementing the moist lemon loaf.
