Lime, not lemon! This cake packs a nice, zingy punch and is probably my favourite cake of all time.

It is essential the butter you use is at room temperature. Cold butter leads to a very dense cake.

Ingredients & mise en place

• 175g caster sugar
• 175g soft, room temperature, unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
• grated zest and juice of 4 limes
• 4 tbsp (plant-based) milk
• 2 large eggs
• 175g self raising flour, optionally sifted
• 3 tbsp granulated sugar
• 2-3 kaffir lime leaves, finely sliced, frozen or fresh

Equipment

• Stand mixer or electric hand whisk/mixer
• Loaf tin
• Spatula
• Sieve (optional)

Timeline

• Preheat oven, line loaf tin.
• Create cake batter and transfer to tin.
• Bake in oven.
• Make lime syrup, reduce, and allow to cool.
• Add sugar and zest to syrup.
• Remove cake from oven, pierce with skewer and drizzle syrup over.
• Cool completely before serving.

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C fan or 180°C without fan. Grease and line a 900g loaf tin with parchment paper.

2. Place the caster sugar, butter and most of the lime zest in a bowl and beat together until pale and creamy. Remember to scrape the sides while creaming. Add the milk, and then beat in the eggs, one at a time, adding a spoonful of flour with each egg to prevent the mixture from curdling. Mix in the remaining flour. Transfer to the prepared tin and level the surface using a palette knife.

3. Bake for 45 minutes if large or 30 minutes if small or until golden and a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the centre. This takes around 35 minutes for a 900g loaf tin.

4. While the cake is cooking, bring the lime juice to the boil in a small saucepan and allow to reduce in quantity to about 3 tablespoons. Remove from the heat, leave to cool then stir in the granulated sugar to dissolve. Add the remaining lime zest and the lime leaves and combine. Taste to ensure you have a nice, sweet-and-sour punch - adjust sugar as necessary.

5. As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, prick several times with a skewer and then slowly pour the lime syrup all over the top, letting it soak into the cake. Leave to cool completely in the tin before turning out and cutting into slices to serve.