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Lemon and Rosemary Drizzle Cake

Delicious, moist, light as a feather, lemon and rosemary sponge cake, drizzled in a lemon and rosemary syrup and topped with a delicious layer of icing.

Course afternoon tea, Morning Coffee, treat
Keyword drizzle cake, lemon, loaf cake, rosemary
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Author Susan

Ingredients

For the basic cake –

  • 130g unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 130g caster sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 160g plain/all-purpose flour
  • 20g corn flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon fine salt
  • 100g sour cream

Lemon and rosemary flavourings:

  • grated zest from 2 medium sized lemons
  • 6g/ 3 teaspoons rosemary leaves, finely chopped

For the soaking syrup –

  • 45ml/3 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 30ml/2 tablespoons water
  • 80g caster sugar
  • 2 sprigs of rosemary

Sugared Rosemary – (Optional)

  • 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
  • ½ teaspoon caster sugar

For the icing:

  • 100g icing sugar
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Decorate:

  • sugared rosemary
  • grated lemon zest

Instructions

  1. Collect together your equipment (see Recipe Notes below) and ingredients.

  2. Preheat oven to Fan Oven 160°C/180°C/350°F/Gas 4

  3. First make the sponge cake: finely chop the rosemary needles.

  4. Use a fine grater to zest both of the lemons.

  5. It is important that the butter is at room temperature and soft enough to beat. If it is a little hard, beat it with a whisk before adding the other ingredients. If it is already quite soft, you do not need to do this.

  6. Measure all the remaining basic ingredients (everything except the lemon and rosemary) into the mixing bowl with the butter. I place my mixing bowl on top my scales and weigh everything in directly.

  7. Use an electric whisk to beat until combined. This should take less than a minute.

  8. Add the chopped rosemary and lemon zest and fold into the cake batter. Be careful not to over-mix at this stage.

  9. Tip into your lined baking tin and level the surface, ensuring the cake goes into all the corners.

  10. Bake in the centre of a preheated oven for 45 – 50 minutes until cooked. It is cooked when:

    – the centre feels springy when lightly touched with your finger and no imprint remains

    – a toothpick inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean

    – the cake is beginning to come away from the sides of the tin/dish.

  11. While the cake is baking, make the soaking syrup: heat the water, caster sugar and rosemary in a saucepan over a moderately low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Stir from time to time.

  12. Bash the rosemary with the back of a knife or with a muddle and leave for the flavours to infuse.

  13. When the cake is cooked strain the syrup through a sieve, push again on the rosemary to extract as much flavour as possible and then add the lemon juice. The syrup is now ready.

  14. Drizzle the hot, cooked cake with the syrup: as soon as the cake comes out of the oven, puncture it all over with a cake tester or skewer.

  15. Spoon the syrup over the cake, trying to let the middle absorb it as well as the sides.

  16. Leave the cake to cool in the tin.

  17. Sugar coat the rosemary: (optional) heat the sugar in a small frying pan over a medium heat until it is starting to dissolve. Be careful not to overcook the sugar

  18. Take off the heat, immediately add the chopped rosemary and stir well. It will clump together.

  19. Tip out onto some baking parchment. When cool enough to handle, break into small crunchy pieces to scatter on the cake.

  20. Cover with icing: when the cake is cool, mix the lemon juice with the icing sugar.

  21. Use a balloon whisk to mix well, until there are no lumps. It should be a thick pouring consistency. If it is too thick, add a little more lemon juice or water. If too runny, add a little extra sugar.

  22. Remove the baking parchment from the cooled cake and place it on a rack over a baking tray – this is just to help with easy clean up incase the icing trickles off the cake.

  23. Pour over the icing, ensuring it covers the top of the cake – you may need to spread it with a knife.

  24. Sprinkle the rosemary and finely grate some lemon zest over the icing.

Recipe Notes

Equipment:

  • kitchen scales and measuring spoons
  • mixing bowl and electric whisk
  • 21b loaf tin lined with baking parchment or a loaf tin parchment case
  • small saucepan, muddle, sieve and jug or small bowl for the soaking syrup
  • mixing bowl for the icing
  • small frying pan for the sugared rosemary