Lemon Drizzle Cake

This is a gently revived version of the lemon pound cake my grandmother used to make. Hers was richer, made entirely with butter, and mixed by hand in a large bowl with steady patience. No machines. Just a wooden spoon and rhythm.

Lemons were always somewhere in her kitchen — sitting in a shallow dish, their skins slightly dimpled, their scent fresh and sharp. The moment she began grating the zest, the whole room would fill with that unmistakable citrus brightness. I remember standing close by, breathing it in, knowing immediately that she was making that cake.

She didn’t glaze it. Once baked and cooled, she would simply sift a soft snowfall of icing sugar over the top. It was enough.

Over time, I adjusted the recipe slightly, replacing most of the butter with oil for a softer more moist crumb and adding a lemon drizzle for a brighter finish. But in my mind, it will always be hers — fragrant with lemon and made with nothing more than patience and a wooden spoon.