Lemon + Blackberry Drizzle Cake

Lemon drizzle cake is just the happiest cake of them all. This loaf is so perfectly zingy and vibrant and I can’t wait to start baking this one when spring finally comes around. The lemon is delivered in three forms in this loaf – first its grated excessively into the sponge itself, which is then drowned in a tart + juicy sugar syrup once baked, and finally the loaf is topped with a sweet lemon icing.

To make this bake extra special, I incorporated a handful on frozen blackberries into the mixture just before it went into the oven. The studded blackberries in the cake, and on-top give a sweet jamminess to counter the lemon, and a beautiful deep colour.

This cake is also amazing without the added blackberries, so do feel free to leave them out if you don’t have any in the house!

Enjoy baking and please comment below any questions ❤

Ingredients:

• 225g self-raising flour
• 225g unsalted butter, softened
• 225g caster sugar
• 4 eggs
• 2 large lemons
• 5 tbsp icing sugar, sifted
• 300g frozen or fresh blackberries
• 2 tbsp. sugar
• 90g caster sugar

Method:

1. Pre heat your oven to 170°C, and grease and flour a standard loaf tin.
2. Beat together your softened butter and caster sugar in a large bowl, until creamy and smooth
3. Crack in the eggs one at a time, beating well in between each one.
4. Sift in the flour and fold until just incorporated.
5. Grate the zest of your 2 lemons into the cake batter, holding back roughly half a teaspoon for later.
6. Finally, fold in 100g of the frozen blackberries into the mix and pour into your pre-prepared tin.
7. Place into the oven to bake for 45-60 mins, checking every 5-10 minutes in between these times.
8. Once baked, remove from the oven and leave to cool partially, for roughly 10 mins.
9. Whilst the cake cools, mix together the juice of the lemons and 90g of caster sugar to make your zingy syrup.
10. Carefully turn out the warm cake onto a wired rack, and prick lots of little holes on top of the cake with a skewer.
11. Spoon your sugar syrup over the warm delicious cake, and watch it seep into the spongy layers – giving a beautiful sugary crust.
12. To make the jammy blackberry topping, place the remaining blackberries, the caster sugar and 2tbsp of water into a saucepan.
13. Bring to the boil, stir and leave to reduce down to a thick put pourable consistency – you may need to add more water if it’s looking too solid 🙂
14. Finally, make the lemon icing – mix together the sifted icing sugar, the remaining lemon zest and 1 tbsp of water – to make a thick smooth icing
15. Once cooled, pour the icing on to the cake and spoon the blackberry jam on-top to finish!
16. Give a piece to your friends and enjoy ❤

Lots of love, Sofia xxxxxxxx

Note – I adapt this recipe from the classic lemon drizzle cake on the BBC good food website  🙂