“I made no less than 12 different lemon drizzle cakes when we were thinking about opening the cafe. It’s my first choice of cake with a morning cuppa, so I wanted to get it just right. This recipe is bulletproof and requires very little work as long as you weigh accurately and use fresh eggs. This recipe is also dairy-free for any lactose intolerant guests.”

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 60-70 minutes

Ingredients (serves 8):

5 eggs

Approximately 250g self-raising flour

Approximately 250ml plus 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Approximately 250g granulated sugar

Grated zest of 2 lemons

For the drizzle:

Freshly squeezed juice of 2 lemons

50g granulated sugar, plus extra for sprinkling

Non-stick 900g loaf pan, lightly oiled and lined with baking parchment

Method:

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 140°C/120°C fan/gas mark 1.

Step 2: Place your mixing bowl onto your scales and zero the scales. Into the bowl, crack the eggs and make a note of the weight. Add the same weight of flour, oil and sugar, then add the lemon zest.

Step 3: Mix for a few minutes with a hand-held electric whisk or in a stand mixer until it forms a smooth batter. Pour into the lined loaf pan, then place in the preheated oven for 60 minutes, until a skewer poked into the centre comes out clean and the internal temperature reaches 90°C.

Step 4: Leave the cake to cool for 20 minutes. For the drizzle, heat the lemon juice and sugar in a saucepan until the sugar is dissolved.

Step 5: To finish, use a skewer to make holes in the top of the cake. Drizzle the lemon syrup into the holes and over the top of the cake to infuse the cake with lemon. Remove the cake from the loaf pan and sprinkle a little caster or granulated sugar over the top of the cake to form a lemon crust.

This is officially the UK’s favourite cake