Lemon & Raspberry Loaf Cake

This lemon and raspberry loaf cake has fresh vibrant flavours with a light and fluffy texture. The sponge is flavoured with lemon zest and filled with fresh raspberries. It’s then infused with lemon sugar syrup before being topped with a thick layer of icing and a sprinkle of freeze-dried raspberries.

Recipe troubleshooting

• How many lemons do I need? This recipe uses the zest and juice of 2 lemons in total.
• baked. If you need to check on the cake, try not to open the oven door before the 45 minutes.
• What size loaf tin should I use? You will need a 2lb loaf tin. Here is the link to the exact same tin that I used for this recipe.
• How do I know when my cake is baked? I recommend a baking time of 60-70 minutes. The cake should have risen and be golden in colour. If you give the tin a gentle shake the cake should be stable. The middle of the cake shouldn’t look wet, if it does, bake the cake for another 5 minutes and keep a close eye on it. If the cake starts to brown too much, you can lightly place a piece of foil over the cake after 45 minutes.
• Why has my loaf cake sunk in the middle? The most common reason is opening the oven door before the cake was fully baked. If you need to check on the cake, try not to open the oven door before the 45 minutes.

How to prep and line a loaf tin

1. Lightly grease the loaf tin with butter or cooking spray.
2. Cut a piece of greaseproof paper that is long enough to line the base and long sides of the tin.
3. Press it into the base and sides of the tin, scoring the edges so they are sharp and straight.
4. Leave enough greaseproof paper hanging over the long edges to help you lift the cake out.

Lemon and Raspberry Loaf Cake

This lemon and raspberry loaf cake has fresh vibrant flavours with a light and fluffy texture. The sponge is flavoured with lemon zest and filled with fresh raspberries. It's then infused with lemon sugar syrup before being topped with a thick layer of icing and a sprinkle of freeze-dried raspberries.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 30 mins

Cook Time 1 hr

Total Time 1 hr 30 mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine Baking

Servings 12

Ingredients

  

For the sponge

• 300 g Margarine or unsalted butter I use Stork Original
• 300 g Golden caster sugar
• 3 large Eggs At room temperature
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract
• 300 g Self-raising flour
• 1 tbsp Milk
• 1 Lemon Zest only
• 150 g Fresh raspberries

For the lemon sugar syrup

• 0.5 Lemon Juice only
• 25 g Golden caster sugar

For the lemon icing

• 225 g Icing sugar
• 1 Lemon Juice only
• 2-3 tsp Cold water
• 1 tsp Freeze-dried raspberries

Instructions

 

Start by making the sponge

• Preheat the oven to 160°C fan / 180°C conventional.
• Lightly grease a 2lb loaf tin (I used this one by Circulon) and line with greaseproof paper (see notes in the post above for how to do this). Set aside for now.
• Cream the margarine, golden caster sugar and vanilla extract together in a large bowl until pale and fluffy.
  
• Mix in the eggs one at a time, adding 2 tablespoons of the 300g flour after each egg to stop the mixture from curdling.
  
• Add the remaining flour, lemon zest and milk. Fold the mixture together until smooth and fully combined.
  
• Toss the raspberries in a teaspoon of flour (this will stop them from sinking to the bottom of the cake) and then fold them into the mixture.
  
• Transfer to the loaf tin and bake for 60-70 minutes* until golden in colour and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
  

Meanwhile make the lemon sugar syrup

• Mix the lemon juice and sugar together in a bowl.
• As soon as the loaf cake is out of the oven, prick it all over with a toothpick or skewer and spoon over the lemon drizzle, letting it sink into the cake.
  
• Leave to cool in the baking tin for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and leave to cool completely.

To make the lemon icing

• Stir the icing sugar and lemon juice together. The consistency of the icing should be thick but still pourable. If it's too thick, stir in a teaspoon of cold water at a time.
• Pour the icing over the cake, letting it drip down the sides.
  
• Sprinkle over the freeze-dried raspberries and allow 20 minutes or so for the icing to set. Slice and enjoy!

Notes

Store the cake in a baking tin at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the fridge for up to 4 days.

*If the cake starts to brown too much, you can lightly place a piece of foil over the cake after 45 minutes. 

Keyword lemon icing, lemon raspberry loaf cake

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