Lemon Drizzle Traybake with Lavender Sugar

Ingredients

• 250g unsalted butter, softened
• 250g caster sugar
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 250g self-raising flour
• finely grated zest of 3 unwaxed lemons
• 2 tbsp whole milk
• pinch of fine salt
• juice of 3 lemons (about 120ml)
• 100g caster sugar
• 2 tbsp demerara sugar
• 1 tsp icing sugar
• 1 tsp dried culinary lavender buds

Method

1. Heat the oven to 175°C fan and line a 23x33cm traybake tin with greaseproof, leaving an overhang on the long sides — this is your lift-out handle once it's cool.
2. Beat the softened butter and caster sugar in a large bowl for 4-5 minutes until pale, fluffy and noticeably lighter in colour. Don't rush this — the air you're whipping in now is what gives the sponge its lift, and undercreamed butter makes a dense, heavy bake.
3. Crack the eggs into a jug and beat lightly, then add to the butter mixture a splash at a time, beating well between each addition. If it looks like it's curdling or splitting, add a tablespoon of the flour to bring it back together.
4. Sift in the flour and salt, add the lemon zest and milk, then fold gently with a large spoon or spatula until just combined — overmixing develops the gluten and you'll lose the tender crumb.
5. Scrape into the lined tin and level the top with the back of the spoon. Bake for 28-32 minutes until the top is golden, the edges are pulling away from the tin, and a skewer pushed into the centre comes out clean. The sponge should spring back when pressed lightly.
6. While it bakes, make the drizzle: stir the lemon juice and 100g caster sugar together in a small bowl. Don't dissolve it fully — you want the sugar grainy so it forms that signature crackly crust on top.
7. As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, prick the warm sponge all over with a skewer, going right down to the bottom — dozens of holes, be thorough. Spoon the drizzle slowly and evenly across the surface so it soaks in rather than pooling at the edges. Pouring it onto a warm cake is non-negotiable; cold sponge won't drink it in.
8. Crush the dried lavender buds lightly between your fingers to release the oils, then mix with the demerara and icing sugar. Scatter the lavender sugar evenly across the top while the drizzle is still wet — this is what makes it stick rather than rolling off later.
9. Leave the traybake to cool completely in the tin, at least 1 hour. The drizzle sets into a crisp, sugary crust as it cools and the crumb firms up enough to slice cleanly.
10. Lift out using the greaseproof overhang, transfer to a board, and cut into 16 squares with a long sharp knife, wiping the blade between cuts for tidy edges.