April 11th, 2009

Lemon drizzle cake with lemon icing

www.cocoandme.com - lemon drizzle cake with recipe

(For the extra glossy icing, I put the iced cake back in to a pre-heated oven of 230 degrees for just under 1 minute. – By doing this, the moisture evaporates a little & the icing becomes slightly crystalized, & shinier!)

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I’m the type that take cook books to read in bed. I have piles of them by the bedside.
I read through these books like a bible. And when I find recipes that are worth careful reading, I imagine every step in my mind… – I imagine what it must taste like. – And when it’s a “really” good recipe, I close my eyes & start to add or change the recipe here & there, think of how to serve them, & to whom, at what kind of occasion.

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Imagining about food, (especially with sugary content ^^) is my all-time stress-buster. Must admit, it HAS been known to have the dis-advantage of me hoping out of bed to raid my food cupboard at times (!), but the best thing about this imagination-game is when, sometimes, my trail of thought affects the contents of the dream I am to have that night.

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Whilst in my dream world, the said recipe gets wilder and wilder, & the story surrounding it most certainly strange, a bit like Alice in Wonderland actually. So far there was a nice guest appearance from Monsieur Hermè, who was slurping fizzy cola from a paper cup with some faces I knew from 15 years ago (that I thought I had forgotten about), critiquing the recipe in question! At a food court in a mall of all places! Lol…
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The other night I read a recipe book in bed as usual.

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And I got very much fixated on carrot cakes. I like ’em moist. The cream cheese frosting, a must. No raisins, but lots of walnuts. Easy on the spices.

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By now, I was hoping to dream more about it in my dream, but my dream story must have had a twist, – because when I woke up the next morning, as odd as it may sound, my fixation was not CARROT cake anymore but LEMON cake instead.

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When I woke up, I was like: – So that’s it. Here I am totally fixated on lemon cakes. Gotta bake it. Like, now. – But what kind of lemon cake? Should it have lemon juice &/or just zest? Which cake tin? Round? Square? How should it be garnished? Lemon Icing? Drizzled? What’s the best lemon/ sugar ratio for lemon syrup? … Hmm! It’s like trying to solve a good puzzle! I Love it.
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x . x x . x x . x x . x x . x x . x x . x x . x x . x x . x x . x x . x x .
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So here it is, my lemon cake recipe after numerous test-bakes & sacrificial loosened belts for the cause.

It is super moist thanks to the drizzle, & the sponge is flavoursome because some of the plain flour has been replaced with almond powder. It also keeps exceedingly well. Please take note, there’s lemony notes everywhere, what with the zest & the juice in the cake batter, the lemony-sugar syrup drizzle, aswell as more juice in the crunchy icing top. There’s the optional candied lemon strips for the garnish too. – IT’S pretty LEMON-MAD (but not in a OTT way).
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What does sour cream do to the cake?

As well as contributing a fresh & tangy flavour that’s just a perfect addition for a lemon cake, sour cream, being an acidic ingredient, tenderizes the gluten formed in the cake batter, which in effect, results in a finer, dense & moist sponge.
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Why clarify the butter in the cake recipe?

When you gently melt the butter, the 15% water content evaporates & you are left with three layers, separated by density. The top layer is fine foam of whey proteins that floated up, the middle is clear highly purified liquid, & the bottom is cloudy white residue of more milk solids.

The middle layer is the “clarified butter”. It’s unique points are:

  • It has a higher smoke point. It can be heated to 200 centigrade before burning (for example this is perfect for pan-frying, & for making pale coloured crepes!). This is because we’ve removed the milk solids which burns easily.
  • The highly purified butter gives the cake a concentrated butter flavour. Also slightly nutty fragrance. Typically financiers, madeleines & genoise sponge uses clarified butter.
  • It won’t get rancid as quickly as un-clarified butter, since the water content & the impurities had been removed.
  • The cake becomes moist & tender because the butter relaxes the gluten in the flour.

To make the clarified butter:

First work out how much to melt. You should melt 130%+ of what the recipe calls for. (My lemon cake requires 100g of clarified butter, so I’ll be melting 130g.)

  • 1. Melt butter in a saucepan or microwave.
  • 2. Skim the foam/ froth (whey proteins) that surface with a spoon. The best way to skim efficiently is to use the back of a spoon to gently push the froth to one side of pan & then spoon it out.
  • 3. Leave aside a little to let it settle in the pan.
  • 4. Finally gently spoon out the clarified layer, leaving the milky residue still in the pan.

The star tip here is to have it warmer than body temperature when time comes to use it. The warm liquid will be runnier to mix better with the batter (just like how oil is gloopier when cold, but watery when heated up). Melting & separating the layers is a little extra work to do, but it will make a difference!

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Another mundane but important tip is that you really will be better off if you weigh out all the ingredients beforehand.

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x . x x . x x . x x . x x . x x . x x . x x . x x . x x . x x . x x . x x .
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Lemon Drizzle Cake with Lemon Icing Recipe:

(8″ cake = 7 to 8 slices)

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Ingredients:

(quantities for 8″ round baking tin or something similar)

200g eggs (about 4 eggs)
240g sugar
a pinch of salt (3g)
135ml sour cream
20ml of lemon juice
190g plain flour
40g almond powder
5g baking powder
100g of clarified unsalted butter (have prepared 130g to skim from)
zest of 1 unwaxed lemon

For the lemon syrup to drizzle:

50ml lemon juice
60g castor sugar

For the lemon icing:

35ml lemon juice
200g icing sugar

For the garnish:

skin of 1 unwaxed lemon
50g sugar
roughly chopped “extra green” pistachio

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Things to prepare beforehand:

  • Line the bottom of the baking tin with baking paper.
  • Butter the baking tin sides. Then move around some flour in it so that it clings to the sides. Tap out excess flour, & store the prepared tin in the refrigerator until needed.
  • Grate 1 large unwaxed lemon & mix it with a teaspoon of sugar & leave aside ( = the sugar enhances the lemony quality/ essence). Remember, don’t grate the white pith under the yellow skin. It’s too bitter.
  • Melt 130g of unsalted butter. Weigh out 100g of the clarified liquid.
  • Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.

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x . x x . x x . x x . x x . x x . x x . x x . x x . x x . x x . x x . x x .

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Method:

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  • 1. In a large steel mixing bowl, loosely whisk 200g of eggs.
  • 2. Put the mixing bowl above a pot with simmering hot water (bain marie).
  • 3. Whisk the eggs with 220g sugar (added in three go’es) until light cream in colour, & thick in textureIt should be so thick that it dollops off the whisk. You’d be whisking for 5 to 10 minutes. The egg mixture would look like it tripled in quantity.
  • 4. Put together 135ml sour cream + 20ml of lemon juice + lemon zest + 3g salt in a seperate bowl, then whisk it in to the egg foam. The lemon juice loosens the gloopy consistency of sour cream, & makes life a little easier to mix it on to the batter!
  • 5. Sift & then fold in the 190g plain flour + 40g almond powder + 5g baking powder.
  • 6. Warm the prepared 100g clarified butter to just above body temperature. Warm clarified butter is much more fluid than cold. It will merge with the cake batter better.
  • 7. Take a little of the cake batter & mix it in to the butter dish. This technique will ensure that the butter mixes in evenly & quickly.
  • 8. Now fold in the butter + batter mixture to the rest of the batter. Make sure it is thoroughly folded in to the batter from the bottom of your bowl, as butter is heavier than the batter, it sinks to the bottom & you’d have a weird hard layer on the bottom of your cake!
  • 9. Pour the batter in to the prepared cake tin.
  • 10. Pop it in the preheated 180 degree oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until it passes the skewer test. Use a metal skewer & pierce the middle of the sponge. If it comes out clean & the tip is hot to the touch, then it is done.
  • 11. While the cake is in the oven, make the lemon drizzle syrup. Simply heat 60g castor sugar with 50g lemon juice in a small saucepan until the sugar has dissolved & melted completely. (Beware! The liquid easily boils over if you’re not watchful!)
  • 12. When the cake has baked, quickly de-mold from the tin & place upside down on an oven tray. The bottom will be the top of the cake. This way, you’ll get a level top surface perfect for achieving flat icing.
  • 13. Place the cake-tin wall back around the sponge. This trick will keep the hot lemon syrup from spilling everywhere.
  • 14. Skewer the sponge & spoon the hot syrup over it & let it soak in to the hot sponge.
  • 15. (Optional) While the cake is cooling, make the lemon garnish:
    – Peel the lemon skin. Make sure there’s no bitter white piths attached to the underside.
    – Cut it in to thin short strips.
    – Boil it in hot water for 3 minutes. Then drain.
    – Put it back in a pan with 50g sugar & just enough water to cover it.
    – Boil it for 6 minutes.
    – Leave to cool in the sugar liquid until you need it.
  • 16. Now make the lemon icing:
    – Place 200g icing sugar in a small bowl.
    – Pour in 35ml lemon juice & make the paste.
  • 17. Place (upside down) cake on a level surface. Pour the white icing in the middle, all in one go. Let some (but not all) drip to the sides.
  • 18. While the icing is still wet, garnish the top with the lemon strips &/ or chopped green pistachio.
  • 19. For the extra glossy icing, put the cake back in a pre-heated oven (230 degrees) for under 1 minute. The moisture evaporates & the icing becomes slightly crystalized. This step also changes the mouth-feel of the icing from gooey to somewhat sharper.
  • 20. Wait for the icing to harden. Never try to move the cake while the icing is soft as that will crack the icing surface.
  • 21. Slice with a sharp knife. Wipe knife after every slice for the clean cut.

Coco&Me : Lemon Drizzle Cake with Lemon Icing Recipe : www.cocoandme.com

Posted in Cakes, Desserts, Recipes, What I sell

81 Comments »

  1. I love lemon cake and am going to try this recipe.

    Comment by Esme - April 12, 2009 12:08 am

  2. Thank you so much for this gorgeous recipe!! I absolutely love your blog…..keep the recipes coming! I also wanted to know how the hot chocolate went on your stall? Hope you sold out!
    Robyn,
    Brisbane, Australia

    Comment by Robyn - April 12, 2009 8:21 am

  3. OMG! Happy Easter :) what a luscious recipe! defiantely on will-do list. Hope you & yours are enjoying this day (& totally warped on sugar).

    Comment by petoskystone - April 12, 2009 11:48 am

  4. Wow, that looks AMAZING! I’ll be on the lookout now for an occasion to make it… I’m also glad to know I’m not the only one with a pile of cookbooks next to my bed. (Though I don’t think I’ve dreamed about a recipe… at least, not yet. ;) )

    Hope you’re having a lovely Easter! x

    Comment by Rachel - April 12, 2009 4:51 pm

  5. Cheers guys.
    I’m enjoying the break actually! The weather yesterday (Sat) didn’t look great, drizzly all day long, & I didn’t miss the market a bit.
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    Robyn, the hot chocolate went fantastically well the first week, but not so great the week after. I’m blaming the warm weather…! And my pricing was too expensive maybe – I’m thinking of re-launching it in the Autumn…

    Comment by tamami - April 12, 2009 6:40 pm

  6. Thanks for the recipes with the photos! The step-by-step photos really add to it.
    Personally, I’m going to look forward to a carrot cake recipe too.

    Comment by rita - April 12, 2009 11:41 pm

  7. Mornin’ Rita. Hmm, yes, carrot cake – I bet they’ll go down well at the market – maybe I ought to look in to this! Cheers!!

    Comment by tamami - April 13, 2009 9:08 am

  8. that looks amazing – a little more complex that my usual cakes but I am sure the extra effort pays off … will give it a go for an upcoming birthday. I made your brownies this weekend with hazelnuts and they turned out great, so I know your recipes can be trusted! thanks for taking the time to share them…. & happy easter

    Comment by zoe - April 13, 2009 3:03 pm

  9. hey tamami, the lemon drizzle looks amazing… we are hoping to find it on the stall this saturday… can it be possible?

    also I could have sworn there were prunes in the brownies you made last year. Have they been exiled from brownie island?

    see you soon, ari and chris. xx

    Comment by Chris Ward - April 13, 2009 6:14 pm

  10. Thanks Zoe, the extra effort really does pay off! Promise! But maybe worth a quick test-bake, before making it for upcoming birthday, just incase…?
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    Hey C & A, are you thinking of coming over this Saturday? That will be cool! – Your baby really stole my heart with her smiles last time. Seriously, no kidding. – Re Brownie: nope, never had prunes in there! Always been the same!
    Look forward to seeing you guys!

    Comment by tamami - April 13, 2009 9:42 pm

  11. oh this cake looks delicious :)

    Comment by snooky doodle - April 14, 2009 7:59 am

  12. Thanks Snooky doodle! ;-)

    Comment by tamami - April 14, 2009 12:05 pm

  13. hi tamami, thanks a lot for sharing this gorgeous cake :-)! love your step-by-step recipes! XOXO

    Comment by gine - April 14, 2009 12:55 pm

  14. cheers-y Gine! XoXo

    Comment by tamami - April 14, 2009 7:47 pm

  15. Yeah, we are hoping to pop by this saturday. Probably in the morning again. By the way, how have sales of your delicious hot chocolate been going?

    Comment by Ari - April 15, 2009 11:30 am

  16. actually Tamami, I wonder if I could order a whole lemon drizzle cake for saturday? I’d like to buy one to take round to my parents for sunday tea if poss xxx

    Comment by Ari - April 15, 2009 6:39 pm

  17. Hey Ari!! Good to hear from you! Sure thing about the lemon drizzle! I’ll keep it aside for you! – Looking forward to seeing you this Saturday! xxx

    Comment by tamami - April 15, 2009 10:40 pm

  18. I read cookbooks in bed too! I have been enjoying your blog for a while now; I found it via chocolate and zucchini. This lemon cake looks fantastic and I have never seen your tip on putting the iced cake back into the oven for a bit before…thanks for such detailed instructions and photos!

    Comment by Jennifer K - April 16, 2009 1:12 pm

  19. Hi Jennifer! Thanks for leaving your first comment here! ^^
    Re: the putting icing back in to the oven: it really changed the texture of the icing – the type of icing that makes a slight crush sound when you bite in, rather than the gooey, sticks to the back of the tooth kind!

    Comment by tamami - April 16, 2009 8:10 pm

  20. hey tamami, thanks for being so generous with your recipes! it really is super sweet of you to share them, and i so look forward to making this cake — but of course, even better will be what follows after that. :D

    by the way, would like to ask: noticed that the pan you used is a dark one. if i was to bake using a light one (hope you know what i mean!) should i increase oven temp. or baking time?

    thanks a lot, again. (:

    Comment by kimberly - April 20, 2009 8:46 am

  21. Hi Kimberly, thanks for leaving a lovely comment! RE light/ dark cake pan, you mean those Anodized pans right? Well, I don’t think it should change the oven time much. In my recipe, I put 35 to 40 minutes baking time – but it just depends on your oven & besides, you’ll be doing the skewer test so.
    Anyway, sorry if I’m not much of a help…! t x

    Comment by tamami - April 20, 2009 1:18 pm

  22. Hi Tamami!
    Hope you had a great Easter! Please don’t tempte me no more with those lusceous photos…it’s agonizing to be standing here so far away ;)
    I want to ask you something: do you know Slaterry Patissier and Chocolatier in Manchester? They have a 5 days intensive workshop on chocolate and I’m thinking about participating.. but I’m in Portugal so if you knew the place for me it would be more assuring. Because here in Portugal there’s almost no training in chocolate.. just a few one day workshops here and there.
    Thanks! (sorry for the lond “speech”)
    Inês *****

    Comment by Inês - April 21, 2009 2:15 am

  23. I have been on something of a ‘lemon kick’ myself. I have tried numerous recipes for lemon breads and cakes with the best so far being from “Baked”. A lot of them call for lemon extract which I just don’t love at all. I thought I was moving on to strawberry recipes but I think I’ll have to backtrack to try your lemon drizzle. Did you use Meyer lemons or Eurekas? Thanks also for the info on the butter, very informative. Also am looking forward to your carrot cake escapades- I love it as well-sans raisins and with plenty of cream cheese icing!

    Comment by Carol Smithback - April 21, 2009 3:31 am

  24. Hi Tamami. I love reading your blog. I had once tried baking your “Luxury brownies” and it turned out very well. This time, your nice and beautiful blog of “Lemon Drizzle Cake” has made me yearn for baking again :-D However, i don’t familiar with “almond powder” and don’t think i can easily find it here in Thailand. Can you give me a hint what should i find to substitute almond powder?

    Nunu
    BKK, Thailand

    Comment by Nunu - April 21, 2009 10:28 am

  25. Hi Inês.
    I haven’t heard of the place, sorry… but it sounds good I guess…
    I never went to a course myself. Pure self-taught. – I bet Spain would also be a great place to look for courses. They’re mad about good chocolate I hear! – Anyway, if I were you, I’d experiment on my own at home with blocks of chocolate before spending 650 quid + airflight costs. You might realize that it is pretty easy! ^^ Good luck & let me know the outcome!
    .
    Hi Carol,
    I don’t like Lemon extracts either! As for lemons, I can’t remember which type…! I’ll check next time I buy it! – As for carrot cake: god, I fancy one right now…
    .
    Hi Nunu,
    thanks for your lovely comment. – Almond powder is literally almonds that has been ground! You could probably just use the food processor to grind it (although I’ve never tried myself!)
    Good luck with the Lemon Drizzle!

    Comment by tamami - April 21, 2009 8:47 pm

  26. mmm..i dream about food too, especially sweets, tamani. i don’t think i’ve ever read recipe books in bed though, but the sound of that is quite enticing..just as enticing as the luscious lemony cake of yours.

    i just made a thee-layered chocolate cake for my good friend’s birthday and i’m feeling a little daring to try the lemon drizzle cake. with pistachios? what a perfect compliment!

    hope youre feeling better!
    xxx connie

    Comment by Connie - April 22, 2009 5:11 am

  27. Thanks for the advice! I’m quite a self-taught freak myself but in this case I was a bit reluctant. Now I just have to be brave and start experimenting! I’ll let you know the outcome :)***

    Comment by Inês - April 22, 2009 12:08 pm

  28. Hi Connie! Hmmm… three layered choc cake!!!!! This lemon cake may sound daring but it is not when you give it a practice! xx
    .
    No prob Inês!!!!!! xx

    Comment by tamami - April 23, 2009 7:30 am

  29. Uau, you were really inspired. Thank you for the effort!

    I am astonished by the step by step of the cake. I love lemon cakes and I can’t wait to make it.

    Thank you so much for the recipe.

    Cheers,

    C.

    Comment by Claudia - April 24, 2009 3:52 pm

  30. Hi,
    Found your blog thru ‘Chocolate & Zucchni’ and am really enjoying it.
    Loved the look of the lemon drizzle cake but due to a nut thing don’t want to make it using almonds – could I replace the it with extra flour?

    Cheers,
    Mitch

    Comment by Michiko - April 27, 2009 9:22 am

  31. Hello,
    have just discovered your delicious blog via the beautiful Nordjlus one and very glad indeed, the lemondrizzle cake looks absolutely scrumptious and will try it as soon as I get my new oven. In the meantime maybe will try a slice if I pop over to LOndon before.
    Take care and keep up the good work
    liz from Paris

    Comment by liz - April 27, 2009 10:25 am

  32. Cheers Claudia & Liz!! ^^
    .
    Hello Michiko san, I haven’t tried this with just flour so I can’t guarantee – but I suppose you can! Good luck with the baking!
    .

    Comment by tamami - April 27, 2009 11:14 am

  33. Happy Birthday, Tamami!

    D.

    Comment by Dirk - April 30, 2009 6:38 am

  34. THANK YOUUUUU!!!! love, t xoxoxo

    Comment by tamami - April 30, 2009 2:48 pm

  35. Hi, I love your blog – you write so well. I’m just wondering how you cope with selling cakes and chocolate in hot weather. I have a market stall too (some similar product tho’ mine are all gluten-free) and have had a dire day due to the sun. My brownies were practically melting! Any tips would be appreciated. And please drop by (see web for details) if you’d like to say hello. Thank you.

    Comment by Caroline - May 1, 2009 8:20 pm

  36. Cheers Caroline! I’ve not been selling the truffles for 2 weeks in a row now. I’m planning on just selling cakes for the Summer, until the weather is cool enough. Your brownies; how comes it was melting? Is it not baked? Anyway, good luck with your stall ^^ – & I look forward to seeing you one day!

    Comment by Tamami - May 2, 2009 10:07 pm

  37. I really love your recipes. I am not sure if u remember me. but a yr ago, you gave me tips butter cookies and everybody was reving about it. Right now I am back in Singapore working full time. So gone are the cooking and baking days. Keep writing. I am your fan

    Comment by angie - May 10, 2009 2:10 am

  38. Thanks Angie, & ofcourse I remember you! xx

    Comment by tamami - May 10, 2009 5:53 pm

  39. Hi. Made this cake over the weekend for a kids birthday party.. for the adults :) .. it was divine, really worth the little extra effort and super lemony. thanks so much for sharing the recipe.

    Comment by viv - May 25, 2009 9:42 am

  40. Hi Viv!! Thanks for reporting back! It makes me happy! xx

    Comment by Tamami - May 25, 2009 10:30 am

  41. I definitely share your Lemon Cake fixation. I have just arrived at a lovely Lemon Undrizzled Cake after quite a few trials. I have found finely grated butternut squash + lemon curd + seville orange marmelade work wonder for a moist and tangy result. I trust the grounded almonds would add a lovely flavor here too! Glad I found your recipe which comes with pro tips on clarified butter and shinier icing. You could elaborate for eternity, couldn’t you ;-)

    Comment by Ulrika - June 15, 2009 5:30 pm

  42. Hello Ulrika, yes, people can certainly get fixated on this type of cake – I’ve got customers that would ALWAYS buy a slice of this & then say something like “Ah… I never get to try anything else on your stall!!!” Sweet.
    Finely grated butternut squash? Great! With orange marmalade? Good idea!!

    Comment by tamami - June 15, 2009 6:10 pm

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    Comment by mwfood - August 18, 2009 4:47 pm

  44. Hi Tamami,

    Many thanks for sharing your recipe and all the precious tips which makes this cake recipe so outstanding rather than just good.

    I have just finished a one year cake and patisserie course at Hackney College, the gentlemen who teach on the course (Wednesday evenings) are great tutors and both work at Fortnum & Mason’s. I learnt a great deal from them.

    I am now excited to have found your blog dedicated completely to cakes of all shapes and sizes, cannot wait to go through your postings. Pls keep up the writing, I will come by your stall one of these Saturdays and say hello!

    Luiz x

    Comment by Luiz Hara - September 3, 2009 2:59 pm

  45. By the way, I forgot to say – i also have piles of cookery books by my bed, and read them on the tube & everywhere… Always felt a bit awkward as my friends tease me, but I just love reading all these recipes which I might not have the time to cook! I get through most of them though… Luiz x

    Comment by Luiz Hara - September 3, 2009 3:04 pm

  46. Hello Luiz! Thank you for leaving a lovely comment! I read your blog about underground dining with much interest! I always wanted to know and see pictures of these places! – well, I hope to see you down the Market one day then!

    Comment by tamami - September 4, 2009 10:58 am

  47. Hi , I search Tamami Hara and find your site . Do you know her . She was my friend and I was lost her .If you can help me I will be very glad .

    Comment by REZA TAJIK - November 2, 2009 2:20 pm

  48. Hello Reza,
    I am sorry but I don’t know her…Sorry I can’t be of any help… Good luck with your search.

    Comment by tamami - November 2, 2009 9:28 pm

  49. I’m that fellow from Hong Kong who dropped by your stall two weekends ago bright and early. If it wasn’t for your site, I would never have ventured into Broadway Market, which is so interesting and different from the usual spots I see on visits to London. It has such a easy, relaxed and neighbourhoody feel to it and the products were all so well-made. There is this guy a few stalls down from you which sells his “award-winning” grilled sausages that had me running back to buy another. But the highlight was your lemon drizzle cake. I loved the moist texture and the crackly, tarty, lemony sugar topping. Hope to make it back there again soon.

    Good luck and thanks again.

    Comment by Daniel - December 9, 2009 12:15 pm

  50. Ooooh! Hi Daniel! How cool that you posted a message! I’m so glad you enjoyed the Market & the lemon drizzle cake! It’s always so amazing to see blog readers, & am humbled every-time when I get a visit. I hope your business trip went well & that there’s another chance one day to see you down at the Market! Take care!!

    Comment by tamami - December 9, 2009 1:50 pm

  51. Hi Tamami! I’m from Indonesia
    After a several months dreaming about lemon drizzle cake(and try to appease the lust by baking several lemon yogurt cake), I finally gathered my courage and decided to baked lemon drizzle cake few hours ago… FYI I’m an amateurish in baking department, may be that’s why the cake won’t rise, I did use a larger pan(9″), when finished baking i found out that the bottom of my cake is not golden brown(is it because my oven temperature messed up??), and to my surprise it dented a bit, and too dense to be called sponge cake… I love the taste tho, it’s lemony and moist(because it’s dense due failing to rise properly), is it because I over mix the batter when folding in the flour( i notice that the batter is a bit deflated during this process) or is it during mixing the clarified butter (in step 7, you said to mix a bit of the cake batter with clarified butter, but i fail to make it mixed, it’s kinda looking like a lava lamp, so i decided to drizzle it to the batter, and mixed it until all of it mixed to the batter thoroughly, and its deflated further more…)
    btw sorry for my messy english and long comment, i hope you can tell me which step i messed up horribly and how to avoid it in the future
    ps: I’ll try to upload the picture tomorrow

    Comment by Joy - December 18, 2009 1:43 pm

  52. Hello Joy, sorry for the late reply…! I just finished my market yesterday & am very very tired!
    .
    I wouldn’t be able to give you a precise answer since I’m not there in Indonesia, but here’s a little go at answering your questions:
    .
    – Maybe get an oven thermometer. You’d be surprised to know that some ovens are not very precise!
    – Also, did you pre-heat the oven?
    – Over-mixing is not good. As you say, it deflates the batter…
    – I guess it’s all about practicing I’m afraid! ;-)
    .
    Good luck with it! And let me know if there’s anything else…!

    Comment by tamami - December 20, 2009 11:18 pm

  53. Hi, Tamaki!
    Thank you for your reply! I guess I have to practice how to not over mixing the batter, and get an oven thermometer. I definitely will try again!

    Comment by Joy - December 24, 2009 5:56 am

  54. ;-)
    Good luck!!!!

    Comment by tamami - December 24, 2009 11:49 pm

  55. Hi Tamami!
    Thanks for another great recipe! (I tried your luxury brownies as well)
    I finally baked this cake and the whole family just inhaled it! It’s not very often that everyone loves a cake like they did last weekend ;-) I used lemon only for the batter and lemon and lime for the drizzle and the icing. The almond powder gives the cake a touch of bite, hmmm.
    I think I will bake this cake again soon! Thanks again!
    Janka

    Comment by Janka - March 8, 2010 1:09 pm

  56. Hello Janka! Wow! Thank you for trying out the recipe & reporting back!!! I love it when hear about how it went! Lemon & lime icing sounds lovely! xx

    Comment by tamami - March 8, 2010 3:48 pm

  57. I’ve had my eye on this recipe for months and finally got an excuse to make it this weekend. The technique involved is certainly a bit more complex than “chuck everything in the mixer then bake” but the results make up for it. A really excellent cake (even my french husband who is a massive snob about patisserie loved it). Thank you so much for sharing it with the internet!!

    Comment by elemjay - June 2, 2010 11:30 am

  58. Elemjay, I’m so glad that you have left feedback – thank you very much. It means a lot to me! xx Ps: and I’m happy to hear that your French husband also liked it too!!

    Comment by tamami - June 2, 2010 12:23 pm

  59. Hi there,
    I was really excited to find this picture – I’m getting married next month and trying to find someone who’ll make a really big lemony lemon cake for us! I have eaten some very nice things from your stall in the past, I wondered if you ever do commissions and if so if you’d be interested in discussing it?

    Comment by Fran - June 26, 2010 6:14 pm

  60. Hello Fran! sorry for the late reply! I’m going to email you in a second!

    Comment by tamami - June 27, 2010 9:37 pm

  61. Hi Tamami-san,

    It’s Maria from Hong Kong (again). After trying your cheesecake recipe, I decided to try your lemon drizzle cake recipe (FINALLY!).
    I love lemon, so I don’t know what took me so long.

    Huge huge thanks for sharing your recipe and tips, I got much better results compared to the Nigella Lawson recipe I was using before for lemon syrup cake. Instead of pistachio, I used brown-caramelized lemon peel and flaked almonds as garnish.

    One question though, how do you make the top of your cake flat? I turned mine upside down as instructed but it still had a big “muffin top” dome. I couldn’t get it to become flat by turning it upside down so cut off the top instead. I guess it still looks OK because the icing hides it! ^^;

    Also I tried it in cupcake format and it turned out very well too.

    – Maria (HK)

    Comment by Maria - March 10, 2011 9:32 am

  62. Hello Maria!! Oh, thank YOU for trying this recipe & leaving a great feedback! Lemon peel & flaked almonds sounds great as a garnish! I can just imagine it going really well with the almond sponge. And wow, cupcake version! I haven’t tried that yet! You’re one step ahead of me!
    RE: flat top: I turn it upside down soon as it is out of the oven. – This normally works, but if you think it still would have domed top, press it down slightly?
    xx

    Comment by tamami - March 10, 2011 10:18 pm

  63. […] also writes her own recipes, and a few of these are to be found on her blog. I’ve made her lemon drizzle cake and her brownies quite a few times: the recipes are very detailed, with captioned photographs […]

    Pingback by A great cooking blog for a gloomy day | East London Local - May 5, 2011 9:12 am

  64. Cheers East London Local for the loveliest write-up!!! All the best, t xx

    Comment by tamami - May 5, 2011 12:34 pm

  65. Hi Tatami,

    Thank you so much for a wonderful recipe. I tried it out today (finally! after being kept in my bookmark list for months) and although i’m not a citrus lover, i’m impressed at how delicious the cake is!
    I really appreciate your detailed instruction and step by step pictures as it makes the process so easy to follow. The cake is very moist with a lovely citric taste and not sweet at all. I enjoy it with a cup of English breakfast tea.

    Here is the link to some pictures i took http://www.lanvaobep.org/2012/09/cuoi-tuan-sang-bang-banh-chanh.html
    Sorry it’s not in English.
    I followed your recipe for making candied lemon strips and may I say, it looks lovely together with the chopped green pistachio.

    I hope everything is going well and you soon will publish a book. I’ve been admiring your work and your blog since my university years. Thanks again for sharing us your precious recipes!

    -Linh

    p/s: I also tried your cheesecake, and it’s the best!

    Comment by Linh - September 30, 2012 7:24 am

  66. I’m very sorry I called your name wrong, Tamami-san…

    Comment by Linh - September 30, 2012 7:31 am

  67. Hello Linh! No problem!! :) And thank you very much for the write up about the lemon drizzle cake! It looks really good in the rectangular loaf size! And it looks classy too! xx

    Comment by Tamami - September 30, 2012 4:39 pm

  68. Hello Tamami,

    I baked your cake yesterday and it came great. Thanks a lot for sharing it. I like cakes with citrus fruit.
    In the batter, I put stevia instead of sugar and it worked. I will try other recipes of yours. Good luck with your selling in the market!!xx

    Comment by Maria A. - September 26, 2013 4:38 pm

  69. Dear Maria A.!! :) That’s wonderful that it came out well!! It’s very interesting to me to be told about stevia too! So thank you very much for writing a comment here!! xx

    Comment by Tamami - September 26, 2013 4:55 pm

  70. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe, tried it out last night and it came out great! New favorite :)

    Comment by Sandra - March 23, 2014 11:48 am

  71. Hi Sandra!! Ooooh, new favourite~!!! Thank you!!!! That’s great to know!!!! Many many thanks!!! x

    Comment by Tamami - March 23, 2014 7:23 pm

  72. Hi Tamami,

    I tried the cake today BUT i was very confused with the amount of lemon juice for the lemon syrup. Is it 50ml OR 50mg?? In your ingredient list you list 50ml and in your instructions you say 50g. Also, just to be sure, is it 20ml and 35ml of lemon juice for the cake and for the icing.

    THANKS! Dawn

    Comment by Dawn - April 25, 2014 2:18 pm

  73. Hi Dawn! Sorry to have confused you.
    .
    – You combine 20ml to the cake batter.
    – For the lemon syrup that you drizzle over the baked cake, it is 35ml.
    – And for the icing, you mix 35ml with icing sugar.
    .
    Hope this helps, & thanks for trying the recipe! x

    Comment by Tamami - April 25, 2014 2:43 pm

  74. Hi again Tamami,

    Thanks for the clarification. I am going to make the cake again! I will let you know how my second attempt turns out :)
    xx Dawn (From Perth, Australia).

    Comment by Dawn - April 27, 2014 12:20 am

  75. No probs Dawn! :) Happy Baking Days! xx

    Comment by Tamami - April 27, 2014 2:07 pm

  76. Dear Tamami, the cake came out great in my second attempt. Thank you for a wonderful recipe and detailed instructions. You are swell!!! Xx

    Comment by Dawn - April 28, 2014 3:18 pm

  77. Pleasure!! Am super glad that it came out well 2nd time round! xx

    Comment by Tamami - April 28, 2014 7:37 pm

  78. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on recipes from the stall table.
    Regards

    Comment by mp3juice - June 4, 2016 5:54 pm

  79. hello. thank you for leaving a comment!

    Comment by tamami - June 5, 2016 7:09 pm

  80. […] Mọi người ghé trang Coco and Me để xem công thức nhé: Lemon Drizzle Cake with Lemon Icing. […]

    Pingback by Hướng cách làm bánh chanh ăn sáng - Công thức món ngon - July 10, 2017 3:16 am

  81. Thank you so much for mentioning me in your post about the cake! Looks very nice! :)

    Comment by Tamami - July 10, 2017 9:50 am

 

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