Everyone loves a spot of afternoon tea, and there are plenty of great recipes that you can make to go alongside your traditional scones with cream and jam. One of the top favourites is a lemon drizzle cake, which you can make as a traybake. The beauty of this cake is that it’s quick and easy to make, and it tastes absolutely wonderful.
Why Does Lemon Drizzle Work for Afternoon Tea?
Whether you’re making your own afternoon tea or treating yourself to one of the afternoon tea boxes from https://www.afternoonteabox.com, you’ll probably find lemon drizzle cake on the menu. It provides a perfect zingy alternative to the traditional simple scone and a lighter, zestier option if chocolate brownies or Victoria sponge have had their moment. The trick to a great afternoon tea is to offer a few cake options, especially if you’re hosting your own.
An Easy Lemon Drizzle Traybake Recipe
Prepare for a traditional afternoon tea with this simple and easy recipe. You’ll need to begin by heating the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Then line a square baking tin with parchment and set it to one side.
Use a whisk to beat together 120g of caster sugar and 70g of soft butter until they are light, pale and fluffy. Add two eggs and mix again before adding 140g of self-raising flour, a teaspoon of baking powder, the grated zest of a lemon, a tablespoon of lemon curd and two tablespoons of milk. Use a wooden spoon to combine everything well, and then pour the mix into a prepared tin. Bake it for up to half an hour.
The topping is the fun bit! Mix 250g of icing sugar with the juice of lemon, a little water and some yellow food colouring, and pour it over the cake while it’s hot. Let the cake sit and cool.
You can then add piped icing to the cake for a fancy touch or serve it simply or with a spoon of mascarpone cheese – whatever you fancy. Just remember to enjoy it with a cup of Earl Grey.