Lemon drizzle cake is a British classic. How on earth cam one improve on that? Well by the addition of gorgeous hot spicy ginger and making it into this easy lemon and ginger drizzle cake. This really gives it a kick and ramps up that luscious lemon flavour too.
easy lemon and ginger drizzle cake
Food and friendship, the two go hand in hand. This was the cake I made on Wednesday for my lovely friend Louise when she came to visit. I haven’t seen Louise for over fifteen years, seriously where does time go?
Actually time just disappeared completely as soon as we saw each other. We were picking up old conversations as if we’d only just stepped out of the room and not out of each other’s lives for more than a decade. That is real friendship and thus deserves a cake!
A cake that is a partnership of flavours too. Lemon and ginger are a great team. The lemon sings of summer freshness and has that juicy mouth puckering zesty tang. Meanwhile the ginger has spice and heat and a richness too. Lemon and ginger are indeed a marriage made in flavour heaven.
Lemon drizzle cake a British classic
Did you know that in a recent survey 40% of Brits claimed that lemon drizzle cake was their favourite cake? This great cake has been around since the 17th century and was originally a traditional pound cake. This means that there were equal measures (500g/1 lb) of sugar, butter, flour and eggs in it. Sometimes lemon drizzle cake is actually drizzled with icing and sometimes like my easy lemon and ginger drizzle cake it is the syrup that is drizzled on to and into the cake.
What are the ingredients for easy lemon and ginger drizzle cake
Well, there’s lemon of course. Good fresh lemons. If you can’t get unwaxed lemons don’t panic. Simply scrub the lemons in warm soapy water, rinse thoroughly and pat dry. Voila! You now have unwaxed lemons. Ginger in the form of the stem ginger that comes in thick ginger syrup in jars. Butter, caster sugar, eggs, self raising flour and granulated flour.
How to make easy lemon and ginger drizzle cake
This is a simple cake to make. It is basically a sponge cake mix but with the added lemon and ginger. The famous drizzle effect and what makes the cake so moist comes after you have baked your lemon and ginger drizzle cake.
The trick is to pierce little holes all over the top of the cake and literally drizzle the lemon and ginger syrup you’ve made on to the cake. It will seep into the holes and spread beautifully throughout.
This gives the cake a real richness and boosts the flavour of the lemon and ginger beautifully.
How to serve lemon and ginger drizzle cake
Simply serve this luscious cake with a nice cup of tea in true British style. Or get your Italian groove on and serve the cake alongside some of my lovely Lemoncello Lemon Ice-cream. Okay you can use vanilla ice cream but doubling up the lemon like this is totally amazing and makes this simple lemon and ginger drizzle cake into a wonderful dessert.
In fact serving a slice of this cake alongside a glass of homemade lemoncello is the perfect way to end a meal or as a delightful treat in the afternoon. Preferably with sunshine and friends.
How long will this cake keep?
If you store your lemon and ginger drizzle cake in a proper cake tin or plastic box it will keep for about 5 of days. It keeps longer than most cakes due to the moistness created by the lemon and ginger syrup that has worked it’s way inside the cake.
Can you freeze this cake
Yes you can. However I would freeze it before adding that all important lemon drizzle syrup. Simply wrap the lemon and ginger cake in cling film and then pop it in a labelled freezer bag and keep for up to 3 months. Defrost completely and then go on to the drizzling stage.
If you are looking for more tasty cakes then why not try these;
Easy Coconut Lemon and Ginger Cake
Healthy Coffee and Walnut Cake
Finally, if you make this super easy lemon and ginger drizzle cake recipe then do leave a comment/rating below. I love to hear from readers and respond to everyone just as soon as I can. Want more Larder Love, then follow me on Instagram and Facebook and sign up to my free weekly newsletter too.
Lemon & Ginger Drizzle Cake
Ingredients
- 125 g/4oz unsalted butter
- 175 g/6oz caster superfine sugar
- 2 eggs
- 175 g/6oz self raising flour cake flour
- 2 lemons
- 1 teaspoon preserved stem ginger chopped
- 2 teaspoons ginger syrup from the preserves jar
- 50 g/2oz granulated sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas4 Grease and line a 9" cake tin
- Cream the butter and sugar until they are light and fluffy.
- Break the eggs into a jug and whisk. Now add some to the sugar and butter and beat in, add some of the flour and stir, do this till you finish all the flour and eggs.
- Grate the zest off one lemon and add this, also add one teaspoon of the ginger syruup and the finely chopped preserved ginger. Squeeze the juice from the lemon and add this as well. Now stir to combine and pour the batter into the prepared tin.
- Bake for approximately 30-35 minutes or until risen and golden and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
- Leave the cake in the tin to cool.
- Zest the second lemon and put the zest in a little dish along with half of the granulated sugar.
- Squeeze the juice from the lemon and put this along with the remaining granulated sugar and the other teaspoon of ginger syrup into a small pan and heat slowly to dissolve sugar, raise temperature and then simmer for 5 minutes until you get a lemony syrup.
- Now take a small skewer or toothpick and prick the cake surface all over. Spoon on the syrup so it will get into those little holes and then sprinkle the mixed zest and sugar on top.
PIN ME FOR LATER
Oooh, yum, thank you Karon!
S. x
It looks delicious- have to try this one!
Wish you had a photo of the cake being carried off! He must be into everything!
The cake tasted great (what we got of it) and yes, the polecat definately made an impression that day!
Kx