Refreshingly tart and fragrantly lemony all the way through from the moist rich crumb to the hard lemony drizzle on top.
Ingredients
1 cup butter (227g)
1 cup sugar (215g)
2 lemons, zest of
3 eggs
1 3/4 all purpose flour (218g)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
6 tbsp milk
Lemon Sugar Syrup
1/2 cup sugar (100g)
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
Lemon Zest Drizzle
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar (180g)
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
zest of one lemon
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C). Butter a 9-inch by 4-inch loaf pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on both sides to allow you to pull cake from pan when done.
Add cubed butter, sugar and zest of two lemons to mixing bowl and beat at high speed until very light and fluffy. Add in eggs, one at a time, beating in thoroughly each time.
Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Add the half of flour mixture to butter egg mixture and mix at low speed until just combined. Add in milk and mix in. Add in the rest of the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Pour into pan and smooth top. Bake 45 mins or until a knife stuck in comes out clean.
While cake is baking make the Lemon Sugar Syrup. Combine sugar and water in small pot and cook over low heat until the sugar dissolves. Let cool to room temperature, then add in fresh lemon juice.
Leave the cake in the baking pan once out of the oven. Use skewer to poke holes through to cake bottom at 2 inches intervals. Pour about 1/2 -3/4 cup of sugar syrup over the cake, using a brush to help the syrup settle evenly. Let the cake sit in the pan until completely cool and syrup absorbed.
While cake is cooling make the Lemon Zest Drizzle. Shift powdered sugar into mixing bowl. Add lemon juice and zest and whisk until smooth.
Use a sharp knife to loosen cake from sides of pan and lift out using parchment paper overhang. Remove paper and place on serving plate. Pour drizzle evenly over cake and let set for 10-15 mins or until hardened.