Get ready for a flavour explosion with our Lemon and Raspberry Loaf Cake recipe! This heavenly dessert is the perfect combination of zesty lemon and sweet raspberries, topped with a tangy lemon glaze.
An easy loaf cake is my favourite thing to bake. Sometimes, I feel like it’s pretty much all I bake!
Loaf cakes are easy to make, and slice, and by using a super simple (equal parts style) recipe, you can easily make changes and add different flavours and textures.
I love to add fruit to my loaf cakes, with orange drizzle and lemon cake being my absolute favourites!
This recipe for lemon and raspberry loaf cake ticks all of my boxes and is a delicious pudding or afternoon treat, perfect with tea or coffee before the school run or after a busy morning out.
Lemon and Raspberry Loaf Cake – Perfect for Warmer Weather
In winter I love rich sticky brownies, or comforting puddings like apple crumble. But in summer there’s nothing better than a fruity loaf cake. This easy lemon and raspberry loaf cake recipe is perfect for warmer weather because:
- It’s sweet and tangy. A really refreshing flavour for warmer weather.
- Raspberry Lemon Loaf cake is lovely with a nice summery lemonade.
- The lemon glaze using fresh lemon juice is much more refreshing than a heavier buttercream topping.
Ingredients for Lemon and Raspberry Cake
This raspberry and lemon loaf cake follows my usual easy loaf cake recipe, with a couple of easy additions. I use:
Margarine – Or room temperate unsalted butter.
Caster Sugar
Eggs
Lemon Juice and Zest
Self-Raising Flour – Plain flour is okay too, just add a teaspoon of baking powder.
Raspberries – I prefer to use fresh raspberries.
For the Lemon Glaze
I top my lemon and raspberry cake with a simple glaze made from lemon juice and icing sugar. Then I sprinkle over some extra raspberries for colour, but this is optional.
Is This a Lemon and Raspberry Drizzle Cake?
The glaze is drizzable. But it’s not a drizzle cake in the sense that you poke holes in the sponge and pour hot lemon syrup on so that it soaks into the sponge.
I don’t think this cake needs that extra level. It’s already moist and very sweet and tangy and so no this isn’t a raspberry lemon drizzle cake. You might think of it instead as a lemon cake with raspberries.
You can however add a lemon drizzle, like in this lemon drizzle cake recipe, if you want to try it.
Can You Use Lemon Extract?
Yes, you can make lemon and raspberry loaf cake with lemon extract instead of juice and lemon zest. I’d start with a teaspoon to start with, as it’s a stronger flavour.
Could You Make a Raspberry Icing?
Yes. I love a lemon glaze, but you could make a simple raspberry icing for the top if you prefer. Try this recipe for raspberry icing.
Do Raspberries Sink in Cake?
Most things (everything?!) sink in cake batter, and raspberries are no different.
I break mine up smaller with my fingers, which is fairly easy to do, and toss them in flour before adding them to the batter.
I also try to fold them in carefully, taking care not to mix any more than I need to.
Then, once my cake mix is in the tin, I carefully place a few whole, and larger pieces of raspberries onto the top. These sink a little, but some will stay visible on the surface.
How to Make Lemon and Raspberry Loaf Cake – Step by Step
You can get the full quantities and easy-to-follow instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post, but here are some more tips.
Step One
Grease and/or line a 2lb loaf tin. I use reusable baking paper.
Preheat the oven to 160 degrees C. My oven is fan-assisted, so adjust accordingly if yours isn’t.
Step Two
Break around two-thirds of the raspberries into smaller pieces. I find it really easy to just pull them apart with your fingers, without getting juice everywhere.
Coat them with a little flour and leave them to one side.
Step Three
Whisk together the margarine and sugar. I use an electric whisk, for about a minute.
Step Four
Whisk in the eggs, one at a time.
Step Five
Grate in the zest of two lemons, and add the juice of one of them, saving the other for the glaze.
I use a small, Microplane style grater for this.
Step Six
Whisk together.
Step Seven
Add the flour and whisk for a few minutes until even.
Step Eight
Gently fold in the bits of raspberries, only folding as much as you need to, to spread them through the cake batter.
Step Nine
Pour into the tin, and spread the top evenly.
Step Ten
Carefully place some full raspberries on top of the mixture, saving a couple to decorate later.
Step Eleven
Bake for around 50 minutes.
I’d check after 45, using a skewer to make sure the centre is cooked. But don’t open the oven before 45.
From then, if the cake isn’t baked check every 5 minutes or so. It can take up to an hour, so if the top starts to look too dark, gently cover it with foil.
Step Twelve
Leave to cool completely in the tin.
Step Thirteen
Mix the icing sugar with the juice from the second lemon, with a spoon until there are no lumps. Adding more icing sugar or lemon juice to get a thick drizzle.
Step Fourteen
Remove the cooled cake and peel off the baking paper.
Step Fifteen
Use either a spoon or piping bag to drizzle over the glaze.
Step Sixteen
Carefully place a few whole raspberries on top, and scatter over some smaller pieces. This is optional but adds a nice finishing touch.
How to Store Lemon Loaf Cake with Raspberries
I store my cake in a lidded cake stand on the side where it stays nice and moist for 3-4 days.
Lemon and Raspberry Loaf Cake
Ingredients
- 170 g Margarine
- 170 g Caster Sugar
- 3 Medium Eggs
- 2 Lemons
- 180 g Self Raising Flour (+ 1 Tablespoon to toss raspberries in)
- 250 g Raspberries
- 100 g Icing Sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 160 degrees C (fan-assisted) and grease or line a 2lb loaf tin.
- Break around 2/3rds of the raspberries into smaller pieces with your fingers, leaving the rest to one side.
- Place these small pieces in a small bowl and toss with a tablespoon of flour.
- Whisk together the caster sugar and margarine.
- Add the eggs, whisking in one at a time.
- Grate in the zest of 2 lemons and squeeze in the juice of one, saving the other for later.
- Whisk well.
- Add the flour and whisk until the mixture is smooth.
- Fold in the small raspberry pieces carefully, just until they are spread evenly through the batter.
- Pour into the loaf tin and spread evenly.
- Place around half of the retained raspberries gently on top.
- Bake for 45-60 minutes, until the middle, is cooked and the top is golden. I recommend checking after 45 and returning if necessary, checking every 5-10 minutes after, depending on how far off baked it is.
- Leave the cake in the tin to cool fully.
- In a small bowl use a spoon to mix the icing sugar with the juice of the remaining lemon, until there are no lumps.
- Add a little more juice (or water) or icing sugar if needed, until you have a thick drizzle.
- Remove the cooled cake from the tin and peel away the baking paper.
- Use a spoon, or a piping bag to drizzle over the lemon icing, and top with any remaining raspberries if desired.
Notes
- I use fresh raspberries, but you can try it with frozen ones if you prefer. I don’t recommend thawing them first.
- Read the post above for more tips and advice.
Any nutritional information is given as a general guide only and may not be accurate. The information is provided using an online calculator and is specific to my ingredients. Please make your own calculations if you want precise information.
