Lemon Drizzle Traybake Recipe (All-In-One Method)

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This Lemon Drizzle Traybake recipe is the first cake I ever made at school. It uses the all-in-one method, where all the cake ingredients are added to a bowl and whisked together to form a batter. It’s so easy, completely foolproof and perfect for kids to make.

Close up of a slice of Lemon Drizzle Traybake on a plate with a glass pedestal with more slices and a board with the rest of the cake in the background.

Background to Lemon Drizzle Cake
Serving Occasions
How To Make Lemon Drizzle Traybake
Frequently Asked Questions
More Traybake Cakes
Conclusion

Lemon Drizzle Traybake cake with 2 slices cut from a corner. Shown on a board still in baking parchment with a cake knife.

Background to Lemon Drizzle Cake

I still have my Home Economics exercise book from school, where this recipe was actually called Lemon Crisp. The name no doubt refers to the crispy sugary lemon coating on top of this traybake.

I have tweaked this recipe to include lemon zest in the cake batter and also upped the quantity of ingredients.

With the arrival of spring and in need of some comforting nostalgia, I just felt compelled to make this classic lemon cake.

It’s the perfect cake to introduce your kids to baking, as it can be mixed with a wooden spoon, a whisk or an electric hand whisk.

Plus, as there’s no creaming butter and sugar together, it won’t split and will work every time!

Close up of a slice of Lemon Drizzle Traybake on a plate with a fork on a cork mat. Half a lemon in the background and board with cake just visible.

Serving Occasions

Lemon Drizzle Traybake is perfect for a bake sale, afternoon tea, potluck, Mother’s Day, or any special occasion.

I’ve said it serves 12, but you can easily cut it into smaller pieces if you are feeding a crowd with other teatime treats.

Overhead shot of Lemon Drizzle Traybake in parchment paper on a wire rack on a wooden board surrounded by a whisk, lemon juicer, eggs, a knife etc.

How To Make Lemon Drizzle Traybake

Find the full recipe at the bottom of this page.

Ingredients

Self-raising flour: I like to use organic.
Baking powder: an extra raising agent.
Caster sugar: a finer grade of sugar than granulated sugar. If you can’t source it, you can blend granulated sugar, but not so finely that it results in icing sugar.
Butter: softened (very important), can be salted or unsalted. Again, my preference is for organic.
Free-range large eggs: room temperature is best. Otherwise, you risk chilling the butter.
Milk: whatever milk you have. I use organic full-fat milk.
Lemon: for zest and lemon juice. Use an organic lemon to avoid pesticides, which penetrate the skin. Failing that, omit the zest from the recipe.
Granulated sugar or caster sugar: used for the lemon drizzle topping. My school recipe used caster sugar, but I used granulated sugar this time.

Equipment

Large bowl: for mixing the cake batter (the observant among you may notice my first bowl had to be swapped for a bigger one)!
Digital scales
Paring knife
Citrus juicer
Lemon zester
Measuring spoons
Small bowl: for the lemon syrup.
Electric mixer, stand mixer or balloon whisk.
Plastic spatula: for scraping the sides of the mixing bowl.
Baking parchment: Use FSC-approved, unbleached, PFAS-free baking paper that’s free of toxins, e.g., “If You Care”.
Square 23 x 23 cm/9 x 9 inch cake tin or 25 x 20 cm/8 x 10 inch traybake tin.
Wire rack

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180°C, 160°C fan, 355°F, Gas Mark 4.
Grease a baking tin with butter, then line it with baking parchment.
Sift the self-raising flour and baking powder into a large mixing bowl.
Add the caster sugar, softened butter, lemon zest, eggs and milk.
Beat with a hand mixer (or in a stand mixer) for 2 minutes or by hand with a whisk/wooden spoon until you have a smooth batter. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula to incorporate scattered ingredients.
Pour the cake batter into the prepared tin and spread it out to the corners and sides.
Bake for 35 – 40 minutes until golden. The cake is ready when it springs back to the touch and has shrunk away from the edges of the baking tin.
Allow the cake to cool for a few minutes while you mix the sugar and lemon juice to make a syrup.
Transfer the lemon cake (by holding onto the parchment paper) to a wire rack. Then, starting in the middle, spoon the lemon glaze onto the warm cake and evenly coat the top.
Allow the lemon traybake to cool and the glaze to set before slicing and serving.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long will Lemon Drizzle Traybake last?

3 – 4 days if kept in an airtight container at room temperature in a cool place.

Can you freeze Lemon Drizzle Cake?

Yes. Cut into slices and place in a ziplock freezer bag, and expel all the air from it. Tip: You can suck this out from a corner with a metal straw. Then thaw individual slices. Will keep for between 1 – 3 months in the freezer, depending on your freezer.

Lemon Drizzle Traybake slices stacked on top of teach other on a wooden board with knife showing in the foreground.

More Traybake Cakes

Easy Iced Lime Cake with cut slice. — Easy Iced Lime Cake

Once you’ve made my Lemon Drizzle Traybake, you should also try the following traybakes:

Close up of a slice of Lemon Drizzle Traybake on a plate with a glass pedestal with more slices in the background.

Conclusion

If you’re looking for comforting nostalgia with your afternoon cup of tea, then bake this delicious Lemon Drizzle Traybake. Better still, teach your child or grandchild to bake this easy cake recipe!

Share it with family and friends and bask in the glow of the pleasure you’ll be spreading.

The simplest pleasures really can make the world seem like a better place!

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Lemon Drizzle Traybake Recipe Pinterest image.

Leave a comment and rating below when you’ve made this recipe; I love getting your feedback! You can also share your pictures by tagging @FabFood4All over on Instagram.

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