Mary Berry’s Retro Lemon Cake Is the Most Popular Potluck Recipe You Will Ever Make

For the past 10-plus years, The Great British Baking Show has been my number one comfort show. It’s gotten me through knee surgery, three pregnancies with sleepless nights, a pandemic, and all sorts of minor inconveniences life has thrown my way. The show’s contestants are incredibly endearing, and there is no one I’ve loved more than the former host, Dame Mary Berry.

She is an absolute legend in the baking world. Over the years I’ve failed miserably at some of her famous bakes—until we meet again, Bakewell Tart!—but I’ve also found tried-and-true classics like her beloved Lemon Drizzle Traybake Cake.

Kids these days may call this recipe “viral,” since it’s been making the rounds on social media lately, but the truth is that it’s been wildly popular since it debuted in 1960, and for good reason.

This is the sort of cake that you make once, then crave on a weekly basis. If you bring it to a get-together, prepare to bring it to every one of them going forward—it’s just that good. The recipe is truly a breeze. In fact, the first time I made it, I double-checked the directions several times in case I had missed something.

How I Make Mary Berry’s Lemon Drizzle Cake

There is no creaming of butter or whipping of eggs. You simply throw all the ingredients—butter, caster sugar (it’s OK to use granulated), self-rising flour, baking powder, eggs, milk, and lemon zest—into the stand mixer at the same time and mix for two minutes. The batter will be a clumpy, over-worked mess, but it will bake perfectly every time.

Spread the batter into a 9x13-inch cake pan that has been lined with parchment paper. There is not as much batter as you think you need for a cake this size, but the key is to spread it in a thin, even layer so the lemon drizzle has a chance to settle into every last bite.

While the cake bakes, prepare the star of the show: the lemon drizzle. It may seem fussy to use two different types of sugar for this cake—caster sugar for the batter and granulated for the drizzle—but the slightly larger crystals of granulated sugar are best in the drizzle because they leave a tasty, crunchy layer on top of the cake. Whisk it with the juice of two lemons until it’s mostly dissolved.

Once the cake comes out of the oven, let it cool slightly, then set it on a cooling rack set on a rimmed baking sheet. Now the fun part! There will be what seems like an impossible amount of drizzle, but slowly and patiently brush every last drop all over the surface of the cake.

My kids love to help with this part. The cake will soak it all up, fully saturating every bite with a pure, lemony flavor. It’s just what you need to add a little sunshine to any day.