Best Ever Lemon Drizzle Cake - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, slightly softened
4 eggs
1 3/4 cups self-rising flour
1 tablespoon baking powder (optional)
1 lemon, zested
Lemon Glaze:
1 lemon, zested and juiced
7 tablespoons white sugar

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Measure ingredients into bowls. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper.
Combine 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar and butter in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until creamy and pale. Add 1 egg at a time, beating until the batter returns to a uniform pale color before adding the next. Sift in flour gradually. Fold with a wooden spoon to be sure flour is combined. Add baking powder and lemon zest.
Pour batter into the prepared pan, being careful not to press it down.
Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Try not to open the oven door early to avoid collapsing the fluffy cake.
Juice the zested lemon into a small bowl. Add the zest and juice of the second lemon. Stir in 7 tablespoons sugar until dissolved. Pour glaze over the warm cake and leave to cool in the pan; glaze will harden as the cake cools.