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Biscuits, Cookies & Traybakes

Lemon & Thyme Drizzle Traybake

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This Lemon & Thyme Drizzle Traybake is a traditional British recipe with a twist. The fresh thyme leaves are delicious with the lemon – give it a try, you’ll love it!

A twist on a British classic

A lemon drizzle cake it a British institution. It is such a classic bake that most people have attempted to make it or have at least eaten it!

This Lemon & Thyme Drizzle Traybake is a twist on that delicious cake we all know and love. Most people have had a lemon drizzle cake so why not change things up slightly?

Thyme in a cake?!

You might be slightly surprised that this cake has time in it. Thyme and lemon are a match made in heaven and really compliment each other.

Don’t be put off thinking thyme is only used in savoury dishes. Think of it like mint that works well in sweet and savoury dishes.

The thyme offers a lovely subtle flavour that is delicious with the lemon without overpowering the cake.

Which Thyme is best to use?

In baking, I really do think you need to use fresh thyme. In cooking you can get away with using dried thyme as an alternative but I wouldn’t try this in baking.

You just need the thyme leaves which are easily removed from the stem. Don’t pick them off individually, run two fingers in a pinching motion in the opposite direction to the way they grow and they will slide off.

Which lemons should you use?

I recommend using unwaxed lemons in any recipes where it calls for the zest. The wax coating can affect the taste of the lemons which isn’t what you want.

Unwaxed lemons tend to be a little bit pricier, but I think you will notice a difference for the better.

Make sure you zest the lemons before you juice them. It is very hard to zest a lemon that has already been juiced!

Should I use margarine or butter?

When I am baking cakes that require the fat and sugar to be creamed, I tend to use margarine. 

This is because you can use it straight from the fridge and don’t have to wait for it to come up to room temperature like you do with butter.

I have been using margarine in my cakes for years now and I have never had any complaints about their texture or flavour. You can absolutely use butter if you prefer but make sure it is unsalted butter. 

Where’s the crisp sugar topping?

Simply put, I don’t like it so I changed it.

I don’t like the crunch of sugar. I know I might be odd but I just don’t like it. So instead I have made a lovely soft but sharp drizzle.

You will find this soft drizzle on a number of my cakes like my Gin & Lime Drizzle Cake and Blood Orange Drizzle Cake.

How many people will this cake serve?

The joy with traybakes is you can cut the pieces into whatever size you like. This makes them ideal when you are catering for a lot of people like at parties and holidays.

I tend to cut this lemon and thyme cake into 24 pieces which gives you fairly small pieces. But that doesn’t mean you have to limit yourself to one piece!

You can obviously cut the cake into larger pieces if you prefer a more substantial piece of cake.

How long will this cake keep for?

This lemon and thyme drizzle cake will keep for up to three days in an airtight container.

You could freeze the cake before you add the drizzle if you wanted to. Wrap it thoroughly and it will be good in the freezer for up to three months.

Make sure the cake is completely defrosted before you add the drizzle and serve.

other recipes you might like

  • Lemon Cupcake with Lemon Curd Cream Cheese
  • Three Layer Lemon Cake
  • Double Orange Cake
  • Gin & Lime Drizzle Cake
  • Lemon Thumbprint Cookies

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5 from 7 votes
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Lemon & Thyme Drizzle Traybake

This Lemon & Thyme Drizzle Traybake is a traditional British recipe with a twist. The fresh thyme leaves are delicious with the lemon – give it a try, you’ll love it!

Course Cake
Cuisine British
Keyword Lemon, Thyme, Traybake, Sheet cake
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings 24
Calories 173 kcal
Author Curly

Ingredients

For the cake

  • 225 g margarine
  • 225 g caster sugar
  • 275 g self raising flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 4 eggs
  • 4 tbsp semi-skimmed milk
  • 2 lemons zested
  • 3 tsp thyme leaves

For the drizzle

  • 100 g icing sugar
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • ½ tsp thyme

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 160ºC (fan assisted 180ºC non fan) and line a  traybake or roasting tin with baking paper

  2. Cream the butter and sugar together for a couple of minutes until light and fluffy

  3. Add the rest of the cake ingredients and mix until combined

  4. Tip into the prepared tin and spread to flatten the top. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a cocktail stick comes out clean

  5. Leave the cake to cool on a wire rack

  6. Once the cake is completely cooled, make the drizzle by combining the lemon juice with the icing sugar. Add a little at a time because you may more need it all 

  7. Drizzle over the traybake and scatter with the fresh thyme leaves. Cut into squares and serve. 

Recipe Notes

Add the lemon juice gradually as you may not need to add it all. You want the drizzle to be thin enough to actually drizzle over the cake, but thick enough so it is visible on the cake. 

Nutrition Facts
Lemon & Thyme Drizzle Traybake
Amount Per Serving
Calories 173 Calories from Fat 72
% Daily Value*
Fat 8g12%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Cholesterol 27mg9%
Sodium 100mg4%
Potassium 71mg2%
Carbohydrates 22g7%
Sugar 13g14%
Protein 2g4%
Vitamin A 380IU8%
Vitamin C 0.7mg1%
Calcium 30mg3%
Iron 0.3mg2%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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14 Comments

Previous Post: « Cheese & Mango Chutney Muffins
Next Post: Garlic & Parsley Dough Balls »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Monika Dabrowski says

    September 12, 2018 at 9:57 pm

    5 stars
    Love the herby twist in this delicious cake! Thank you for bringing it to #CookBlogShare!

    Reply
    • Curly says

      September 17, 2018 at 8:20 pm

      Thanks Monika 🙂

      Reply
  2. Priya Joshi says

    September 14, 2018 at 11:16 am

    5 stars
    Yum! I’ve been making a lemon drizzle for ages now but without the thyme… I defo want to try this now!

    Reply
    • Curly says

      September 17, 2018 at 8:19 pm

      Go on, add a little thyme 😉

      Reply
  3. Corina Blum says

    September 15, 2018 at 8:15 am

    5 stars
    It sounds delicious! We love lemon cakes but I’ve never actually added thyme to one. I’m sure it’s really tasty!

    Reply
    • Curly says

      September 17, 2018 at 8:18 pm

      Thanks. It adds a lovely subtle taste 🙂

      Reply
  4. Eb Gargano | Easy Peasy Foodie says

    September 17, 2018 at 8:30 pm

    5 stars
    YUM!! Love this. I’ve made lemon drizzle cake many times, but never thought to add thyme to it. Need to try that now!! Eb x

    Reply
    • Curly says

      September 18, 2018 at 10:15 am

      Thanks Eb. The time adds a subtle but really lovely flavour and doesn’t make it taste savoury!x

      Reply
  5. Jo Allison / Jo's Kitchen Larder says

    September 17, 2018 at 8:41 pm

    5 stars
    What a fantastic idea to add thyme to lemon cake! I must say I do love traditional lemon drizzle cake but your soft and tangy lemon icing sounds really appealing too! 🙂 #Thank you for sharing with #BakingCrumbs 🙂 x PS. I can’t get over the thyme! lol It’s a must try for me! 🙂

    Reply
    • Curly says

      September 18, 2018 at 10:16 am

      Thanks Jo. I know I’m the odd one out not liking the traditional crunchy topping but hopefully I can win a few people round with my soft icing! Haha give the thyme a try!

      Reply
  6. Kat (The Baking Explorer) says

    September 21, 2018 at 9:40 am

    5 stars
    What gorgeous flavours! I like the soft icing too 🙂

    Reply
    • Curly says

      September 21, 2018 at 1:15 pm

      Thanks Kat 🙂

      Reply
  7. Angela / Only Crumbs Remain says

    September 24, 2018 at 2:02 pm

    5 stars
    This definitely looks like a winner to me too Cat – I love lemon flavoured bakes anyway and having used thyme a few times with lemon bakes myself I know how well they work together. Thankyou for sharing with #BakingCrumbs,
    Angela x

    Reply
    • Curly says

      September 24, 2018 at 3:29 pm

      Thanks Angela, I can see myself making this time and time again! x

      Reply

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Hi, I'm Cat aka Curly. I'm a home cook that likes nothing better than a day in the kitchen baking and cooking. Whether its sweet or savoury, in my mind food is always the answer. Meet Curly

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