Yoghurt citrus cake with gin syrup

Ingredients

• 125 g unsalted butter, softened
• 220 g (1 cup) caster sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 lime, zested
• ½ lemon, zested
• 225 g (1½ cups) self-raising flour
• 50 g almond meal
• 200 g (¾ cup) Greek-style yoghurt
• 2 tbsp demerara sugar
• whipped or pouring cream, to serve

Gin syrup

• 155 g (¾ cup) caster sugar
• ½ lime, juiced
• ½ lemon, juiced
• 2 tbsp gin

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease a 20 cm square cake pan and line with baking paper.

Using electric beaters, cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl until pale. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gently fold in the zests, flour and almond meal, then the yoghurt. Transfer mixture to the prepared cake pan and smooth the surface, making a slight dip in the centre to help it rise more evenly. Bake for 35 mins or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Cool slightly before using a skewer to poke about 30 holes into the top of the cake.

Meanwhile, to make gin syrup, place 60 ml water, sugar and juices in a small saucepan over medium heat. Simmer, stirring to dissolve sugar, for 5 minutes or until slightly reduced. Stir in the gin.

Spoon the hot syrup evenly over the cake, trying to prevent it running down the edges of the cake. Sprinkle over the demerara sugar. Allow the cake to cool in the pan, before cutting into squares and serving with cream.

Photography Alan Benson

As seen in Feast magazine, November 2013, Issue 26.