Lemon drizzle cake is a classic British cake recipe that dates back to the 1960s. However, it is believed to have originated from the red cake, which was first baked around 1700.
The classic lemon drizzle cake has a moist texture, a fresh lemon flavor and a delicious runny lemon glaze.
Not being much of a baker, I was skeptical about making this cult classic, but I knew that if anyone’s recipe would give me good results, it was Jamie Oliver’s.
Jamie’s recipe is gluten-free and dairy-free, meaning it contains no traditional flour, butter or milk.
It also includes a little twist on the classic recipe – orange. Described as a “gluten-free lemon cake,” this recipe includes orange zest to give the cake a deeper citrus flavor.
Making gluten-free and dairy-free cakes can sometimes be a real chore, but Jamie’s recipe was surprisingly easy, tasted exactly like the real thing, and tasted really delicious with a cup of tea.
In addition to gluten-free flour, bakers should remember to add xanthan gum and gluten-free baking powder to the cake’s structure.
Instead of a traditional bread pan, Jamie’s recipe also calls for a 20 cm square cake pan and greaseproof paper.
I pretty much followed Jamie’s entire recipe, but decided to add less icing sugar and more lemon juice to make the icing looser and spicier.
How to make Jamie Oliver’s gluten-free lemon cake
Ingredients
- 300g dairy-free margarine (suitable for baking, room temperature)
- 300g gluten-free plain flour, plus extra for dusting
- 300 g golden powdered sugar
- Four large free-range eggs
- Three lemons
- Two oranges
- Two teaspoons of gluten-free baking powder
- Half a teaspoon of xanthan gum
- 100 g powdered sugar
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas 4 and grease a 20cm square cake tin with margarine. Then line the bottom of the pan with greaseproof paper and sprinkle some of the flour on the edges. This will help the cake to release from the pan when it is baked.
2. Next, beat margarine and sugar in a bowl for about five minutes. The composition should be light and fluffy and the sugar should be almost completely dissolved.
3. Add the eggs and finely grate the zest of two lemons and one orange before mixing.
4. Sift the flour, baking powder and xanthan gum into a bowl and fold through. Add the juice of one lemon and half an orange until the cake becomes smooth.
5. Pour the mixture into the cake pan and smooth the edges so that it bakes evenly. Place the cake on the middle shelf and bake for about 35 minutes or until it is golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Mine took about 40 minutes to bake.
6. Let the cake cool for five minutes before turning it out onto a wire rack. Let cool completely and make the frosting.
7. To make the frosting, mix powdered sugar (I used 70g instead of 100g) and the juice of half a lemon and a quarter of an orange. When the cake has cooled, pour the frosting and finish with the grated zest of an orange and a lemon for decoration.
