This sweet and zesty Lime Drizzle Cake is the perfect treat for tea time. It is easy to make and requires only five essential ingredients, which you probably have in the fridge and pantry.

Lime Drizzle Cake is a classic twist on a Lemon Drizzle Cake. Limes are currently on sale in our local supermarket, so what better way to use them (apart from making Margaritas🍸).
If you love a good drizzle cake recipe, pop over to my Lemon Drizzle Tray Bake, which is enough to feed a crowd, and also these lovely Lemon Drizzle Muffins. My blog's other tasty cake recipes are Plum Yogurt Cake and retro School Cake. I've also just published a recipe for Coffee and Walnut Loaf Cake.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Only 5 ingredients.
- A simple one bowl recipe that is prepared and baked in less than an hour.
Recipe Ingredients

Note: The full quantities are shown in the recipe card below.
- Limes - fresh limes are best for this recipe.
- Caster Sugar - you could also use granulated sugar.
- Self Raising Flour - called self-rising flour in Canada and the US.
- Eggs - we use large eggs in our baking and at room temperature if possible.
- Butter - use unsalted butter at room temperature. This takes a bit of planning to get the butter to room temperature.
How to Make Lime Drizzle Cake
Note: This is a summary of the instructions. The full ingredients and instructions are shown in the recipe card below.

- Start by creaming the butter and sugar together with an electric mixer. You want it to be pale and creamy. I use a handheld mixer, which usually takes a couple of minutes.

- Add the eggs, one at a time.

- Beat in the eggs well. The mixture may split (curdle) but will come together later and won't affect the cake.

- Sift in the flour and add the zest.

- Gently fold and mix the flour and zest into the batter. Avoid overmixing, or the cake will be dense.

- Scoop the batter into the tin and level the top with a spoon. Bake in the oven for 40-50 minutes until golden and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
Top Tip
When lining the baking tin with baking paper, leave enough paper to overhang the long edges so that the cake can be easily lifted without disturbing the drizzle topping.

How to Make Lime Drizzle Topping
This is the best part! To make the lime drizzle topping, squeeze a lime and add it to some caster sugar. If it's too runny, add a little more sugar - the consistency needs to be runny enough to pour but not watery; otherwise, the cake will be soggy.
While the cake is cooling in its tin, poke a few holes in the top, then pour over the lime drizzle. Leave it to cool completely in the baking tin to develop a nice crunchy topping.


Recipe Variations
Poppy seeds make a lovely addition to a Lime Drizzle cake!
Storage
Store the Lime Drizzle Cake in an airtight container for up to 3 days. The Lime Drizzle Cake can be stored (wrapped tightly) in an airtight container for up to a month.
Common Questions
Usually, this is down to opening the oven door too soon when the centre of the cake is not cooked through.
This is often caused by the oven being too hot. It doesn't affect the cake's taste, just its appearance. It could also be because the baking tin is too small.
More Favourite Cakes
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📖 Recipe

Lime Drizzle Cake
Equipment
- 900g (2lb) loaf tin. Mine measures 22cm long x 11cm width x 7cm depth.
Ingredients
- 175 g unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
- 175 g caster sugar, (superfine sugar)
- 3 eggs, room temperature
- 175 g self-raising flour, (self-rising flour)
- 1 lime, zested
For the Drizzle Topping
- 1-2 limes, juiced
- 75 g caster sugar, (superfine sugar)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 160°C fan / 180°C / 350°F and line a 900g / 2lb loaf tin with baking paper/parchment paper (Mine measures 22cm long x 11cm width x 7cm depth). Leave an inch or two of paper overhanging at the long ends - this makes it easier to lift the cake out.
- Mix the softened butter and sugar together in a large bowl until pale and creamy. This takes approximately 2 minutes with an electric mixer.
- Beat in the eggs one at a time. The mixture might split (curdle) but will come together later on.
- Sift in the flour, add the lime zest and fold into the batter until well combined (don't over-mix). Spoon the batter into the tin and level the top with a spoon.
- Bake in the oven for 40-50 minutes until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
- Whilst the cake is cooling, poke holes in the cake (see photos in recipe post) and then make the drizzle topping.
For the Lime Drizzle Topping
- Juice a lime, mix with sugar and stir until it is runny. If it is too watery, add a bit more sugar.
- Pour the lime drizzle over the cake and leave it in the tin until the cake has thoroughly cooled.
- When cool, carefully remove the cake and serve.
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