Lemon Drizzle Cake

Lemon drizzle cake is a classic cake recipe, up there with the Victoria sponge, coffee and walnut cake and carrot cake. Our version here is gluten free.

This version of our recipe uses a loaf tin, but if you're looking for a traybake then follow our lemon drizzle traybake recipe.

Gluten free

Those that suffer from gluten intolerance must avoid the protein gluten as found in wheat, rye, barley and sometimes oats. Gluten free flour is often a combination of gluten free ingredients (such as ground rice and tapioca), and xanthan gum. Xanthan gum is often used in gluten-free baking, it acts as a thickener and stabiliser, preventing ingredients from separating – mimicking properties ascribed to gluten.

We have used a combination of gluten-free flour and ground almonds in this recipe to help keep the cake moist. However, if you have a nut intolerance, simply replace the weight of ground almonds with more gluten-free flour.

Incorporating air

No one likes a heavy and dense sponge, so it's imperative that you incorporate and retain as much air as possible throughout the sponge making process. There are several ways to do this;

This recipe uses the creaming method. This is when softened butter and sugar are beaten together until pale and fluffy. Creaming creates pockets of air and fat which results in a lighter and more plentiful cake mixture.

This lemon drizzle cake uses gluten-free self-raising flour. This means that the gluten-free flour has a chemical raising agent added to it-baking powder. Baking powder consists of bicarbonate of soda, an acid and cornflour. The baking powder will begin to take effect as soon as it comes into contact with liquid, so it's important that you move as quickly as possible to get the mixture into the oven once the flour is added. If you don't have self-raising flour, a general guide is, use 2 level tsp baking powder to 225g plain gluten-free flour.

Bring your bowl as close to the tin as possible when spooning your mixture into your tin. Don't drop your mixture from a great height, otherwise this will destroy the fragile air structure within the mixture.

How do I prevent my mixture from curdling?

It isn't the end of the world is your mixture begins to curdle once your eggs are added. However, there are a few measures that can be taken to prevent this eyesore;

For baking in general, you'll get a lot more out of your ingredients if they are all brought up to room temperature. By adding eggs that are the same temperature as your butter, they are far more likely to emulsify, and therefore prevent curdling. Adding room temperature eggs, slowly and steadily, is key to a successful emulsion. However, if your mixture does split, then simply add 1tbsp weighed flour to the egg/butter mixture, beat, and it should re-emulsify.

How do I know when my cake is cooked?

If you over bake your sponge, it will become dry and if you under bake your sponge, it will sink in the middle. Neither scenarios will impress your guests or family! So here is how you know your sponge is baked to perfection;

• The sponge will begin to come away from the edges of the tin

• Your sponge should be springy and firm to the touch

• When a clean skewer is inserted into the middle of your sponge, it should come out clean

• It smells like cake!

It's important to bake your cake on the centre shelf in the oven and to keep the oven door closed throughout the baking process. Do not open the oven door until at least 20min into the cooking process to check your sponge. If the oven door is opened too early, the structure of the cake won't have had time to set, and it will cause your sponge to sink in the middle.

We have plenty of other lemon drizzle inspired recipes including an easy lemon drizzle traybake, lemon drizzle cheesecake and a courgette lemon drizzle cake.