Lemon drizzle traybake
A zesty, sticky lemon traybake that sells like hotcakes at school fetes — easy to slice, transport and tuck into.
This lemon drizzle traybake is the bake-sale champion: simple to make, easy to slice and bright with lemony sticky sweetness that kids and adults both love. It travels well in a large tin and keeps moist for days if stored airtight.
Make it the night before a school fete — bake, soak with lemon syrup and dust in the morning. No fiddly decorations, just honest flavour and plenty of boxes sold by the time the bell rings.
Ingredients
- 225 g unsalted butter — softened
- 300 g caster sugar — 225 g for the batter, 75 g to make the lemon syrup
- 4 eggs
- 225 g plain flour
- 10 ml baking powder
- 30 ml milk
- 2 lemons — zest finely grated from both; juice about 80 ml for the syrup
- 0 ml fine sea salt
- 10 g icing sugar — optional, for dusting
Equipment
- 20 × 30 cm baking tray
- electric whisk (or wooden spoon)
- saucepan
- wire rack
- spatula
Instructions
Heat the oven to 180°C fan/200°C conventional. Line a 20 × 30 cm baking tray with baking paper, leaving a little overhang to lift the cake out later.
Beat the unsalted butter and 225 g of the caster sugar together until pale and fluffy — about 3–5 minutes with an electric whisk, 5–7 minutes by hand.
Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. If the mixture looks curdled or split, add a spoonful of the plain flour and a splash of milk to bring it back together.
Sift in the remaining plain flour and the baking powder, add the fine sea salt and fold in gently with a large metal spoon until just combined. Stir in the lemon zest and the remaining milk to loosen the batter to a dropping consistency.
Spoon the batter into the lined baking tray and level the top with a spatula or the back of a spoon. Bake in the preheated oven for 30–35 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out with just a few moist crumbs.
While the cake is baking, make the lemon syrup: put the remaining 75 g caster sugar and the juice of the lemons in a small saucepan and warm gently until the sugar dissolves completely, 2–3 minutes. Do not let it boil vigorously.
As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, prick the surface all over with a skewer and pour the hot lemon syrup evenly over the cake so it soaks in.
Leave the traybake to cool completely in the tray on a wire rack for 60 minutes, then lift out using the paper overhang.
If using, dust the top with the icing sugar and cut into 12 even squares before placing on your cake stall board.
Tips
- Soften the butter to just-room temperature — test by pressing; it should give slightly but not be greasy.
- If your batter looks curdled after adding eggs, rescue it with a spoonful of flour before adding more eggs.
- Prick and pour the syrup while the cake is still hot so it soaks right in — that’s what makes the traybake sticky and irresistible.
- Cut the cooled cake with a hot, dry knife (run under hot water then wipe dry) for cleaner edges.
- To transport to a fete, cut into squares and stack in single layers separated by baking paper in a shallow box.
Substitutions
unsalted butter → salted butter, reduce fine sea salt to a pinch
Stays closeplain flour → self-raising flour, omit the baking powder
Stays closelemons → limes, same quantity
Noticeably differentcaster sugar → granulated sugar (finely ground if possible), same total weight
Stays close
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 326
- Calories
- 4 g
- Protein
- 39 g
- Carbs
- 17 g
- Fat
- 1 g
- Fibre
- 25 g
- Sugar
- 150 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
How long will this traybake keep?
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. The lemon syrup keeps it moist — refrigerate only in very warm weather and bring back to room temperature before serving.
Can I freeze it?
Yes — freeze whole (well wrapped) or cut into squares and freeze in a single layer on a baking tray, then bag. Defrost at room temperature; do not add syrup until after thawing if you prefer a less soggy finish.
Can I make this gluten-free?
Use a ready-made 1:1 gluten-free plain flour blend and keep the baking powder. Texture will be slightly different but still enjoyable.
Why is my cake dry?
Most likely overbaked or too little syrup. Check with a skewer from 30 minutes and avoid baking until completely dry. Ensure you pour the syrup while the cake is hot so it soaks in.
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