Lemon Drizzle Traybake Poppy (Printer-friendly)

Zesty lemon traybake with crunchy poppy seeds and a tangy drizzle for a fresh, moist treat.

# What You Need:

→ Cake

01 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
02 - 1 cup caster sugar
03 - 4 large eggs
04 - 2 cups self-raising flour
05 - 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
06 - Zest of 2 lemons
07 - 2 tablespoons milk
08 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
09 - ¼ teaspoon fine salt

→ Lemon Drizzle

10 - Juice of 2 lemons
11 - ¾ cup icing sugar

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with parchment paper.
02 - In a large bowl, beat the butter and caster sugar until pale and fluffy using an electric mixer or wooden spoon.
03 - Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition.
04 - Fold in the self-raising flour, poppy seeds, lemon zest, vanilla extract, and salt. Stir in the milk until the batter is smooth.
05 - Pour the batter into the prepared pan and level the surface evenly.
06 - Bake for 28 to 32 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
07 - While baking, combine lemon juice and icing sugar to create the drizzle.
08 - Immediately after removing from the oven, poke holes all over the hot cake with a skewer and pour the drizzle evenly over it.
09 - Allow the traybake to cool completely in the pan, then cut into 12 squares to serve.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It's foolproof enough for a weekday afternoon but impressive enough to pull out when people drop by unannounced.
  • The lemon flavor is bright and genuine, not that artificial sharpness that sometimes sneaks into bakes.
  • One cake feeds a crowd, and it actually tastes better the next day when the flavors deepen.
02 -
  • Don't skip the holes in the hot cake; this is what lets the drizzle soak through and keeps the whole thing moist instead of dry.
  • If your lemon juice is particularly acidic, go easy on the icing sugar at first and taste as you mix the drizzle, as you can always add more but you can't take it back.
03 -
  • Room temperature ingredients really do make a difference; cold butter and eggs won't cream properly and you'll lose volume.
  • The moment the drizzle hits the hot cake is crucial; that's when it soaks in and becomes the soul of the cake rather than sitting on the surface like an afterthought.

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