Floofy Lemon Traybake

‘The video of you making the cake was so helpful in getting an exact idea of how loose the batter should be.’
Ann S, Cumbria; Black Labrador Member

✨ Before We Begin…

Light, moist, and lemon-bright, this traybake is a crowd-pleaser. It freezes beautifully and adapts to other flavours.

‘Must be best food offer, of any genre, in Kendal. Hugely accomplished cooking and very much recommended.’
Tony P, Kendal; Food Customer

The Cook’s Mind

What This Recipe Helps You Practise

• Weighing wet ingredients properly.
• Curdling soya milk with lemon juice.
• Avoiding over-mixing for a tender crumb.
• Baking to a flat, even finish.
• Making buttercream to the right consistency.

Make-Ahead

• Holds well for a few days if covered.
• Can be baked the night before a gathering.

Freezer-Friendly

• Freezes well as whole or sliced.
• Defrost and ice fresh before serving.

Key Substitutions

• Lemon juice: use lime juice for a sharper note.
• Vegan butter: use olive oil spread for a lighter cake.

Cooking Parlance

• Curdling: adding acid to plant milk to create buttermilk.
• Creaming: beating sugar and butter until fluffy.

Ingredient Focus

✨ Lemon — zesty and bright.

To Ingredient Focus: Lemon

Serving Suggestions

• Serve with tea for a homely treat.
• Frost with lemon buttercream for celebrations.
• Cut into squares for packed lunches.

Multi-Purpose Recipe

This recipe has more than one life…

• Endlessly adapt into a lifetime of cake shapes and flavours.
• Turn into cupcakes with the same batter.
• Change the flavour with orange or almond extract.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• A simple bake that stays soft for days.
• Freezer-friendly and perfect for lunchboxes.
• Easy to adapt with other flavourings.

Watch It Being Made

This is your first step inside my kitchen. In the video, I taste the lemon traybake and talk about its lightness and zest. The full cook-along shows you the timings that make or break a cake: when to stop mixing, when the sponge is ready, when buttercream is just the right texture.

Want the full set of videos? Join Black Labrador Membership →

Handpicked to Go With This One

A few recipes that play well together — flavour friends, not just neighbours.

• Damson Curd Tarts with Elderflower Oat Cream and Cinnamon Shortbread Pastry
• Elderflower Cordial
• Golden Florin Biscuits

Waste Less: How To Use Up Your Ingredient Stash!

Got something spare — a handful, a spoonful, or the end of a packet? These tags help you find other ways to use it. It’s a small step toward cooking intuitively and wasting less❣️

Unlock the Premium Training and Recipe

Inside Black Labrador, members unlock the full cook-along video and complete recipe — written especially for real learning.

This is a premium step-by-step training where you cook with me in real time, understand the exact timings, and learn to trust your instincts.

You’ll gain kitchen confidence with every dish — from handling ingredients well to finishing like a pro.

Join Black Labrador Membership →

Come Cook With Us

Inside the Members’ Room, you’ll find structured video courses and an ever-growing cookbook designed to help you cook with understanding, not guesswork. Learn, revisit, and deepen your skills at your own pace.

Totally recommend the cookery course. The meals are really tasty and full of flavour (not like most of the vegan mush I make for myself).
Kerry B, Cumbria