Moist Lemon and Thyme Cake

METHOD

• 1)

  Preheat the oven 170°C, and place in a baking sheet at the same time.

• 2)

  Spray inside the tin with non-stick spray, or brush softened but not melted butter and then coat well with flour- taping out the excess. For bundt moulds, make sure you get into all the crevices.

• 3)

  Leave the bundt tin upside down over a piece of newspaper or baking parchment while you start making the cake batter.

• 4)

  Combine the flour, baking powder and bicarb in a bowl, and whisk together to mix.

• 5)

  Put the butter in the bowl of a freestanding mixer or a regular mixing bowl, add the zest of both lemons, and beat until creamy.

• 6)

  Add 4 tablespoons of thyme leaves from the sprigs, and add with the caster sugar, and beat again until you have a light fluffy mixture.

• 7)

  Beat in the eggs 1 by 1, and after the last one, slow down your mixing and alternate between the flour mixture, and the buttermilk, and so on until both the flour mixture and buttermilk are used up.

• 8)

  Finally, beat in the juice of 1 of the lemons and transfer this mixture to the prepared cake tin.

• 9)

  Place on the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 11⁄4 hours, though start checking after 1 hour. It is ok if the cake rises and sinks back in a bit after baking.

• 10)

  When a cake tester comes out clean, remove the cake to a wire rack and leave in its tin for 15 minutes before carefully turn wing it out of the tin.

• 11)

  When the cake is cool, place on a wire rack. Sieve the icing sugar into a bowl and beat in the juice of the remaining lemon until you have a glaze. Pour over the cake and immediately sprinkle the top with thyme leaves.