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Michael planted more herbs on our roof garden and the basil went wild. Harvesting for the salon Deli and giving to friends still left a verdant surplus. Hence my recipe this week which made a small dent in supplies. The tart infusion of lime mixed with the herby scents give a delicious twist to this cake.
Lime & Basil Bundt Cake
Ingredients:
For the cake:
300g plain flour
300ml milk
180g sugar
85g unsalted butter (room temp)
30g basil leaves finely chopped (adjust to taste)
Zest of 4 limes
3 eggs
1tbsp lime juice
2½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp salt
For the syrup:
Juice from 3 limes
120g sugar
For the glaze:
65g icing sugar 1 tbsp lime juice (adjust for desired consistency)
Method:
For the cake:
Preheat oven to 160c fan. Grease the bundt cake tin.
Finely chop the basil leaves. In a large bowl mix the flour, baking powder & salt. Measure out the milk. Set all aside.
In a large bowl beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then add the lime zest and continue to beat. Add the eggs one at a time beating in between each. Beat in the vanilla and lime juice.
Alternating between the flour mixture and the milk, in 3 additions add about a third of each beating on low in between, then pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for appx. 40-45 mins. A skewer inserted will come out clean when the cake is ready.
Place some foil under the wire rack. Turn the cake out onto the wire rack and poke thin holes all over the top using a skewer, (stop before the bottom of the cake). While the cake is cooling slightly, prepare the syrup.
For the syrup:
In a small saucepan bring the lime juice and sugar to the boil, turn the heat down slightly until it has thickened a little. Pour this slowly over the top of the cake, allowing it to seep in.
For the glaze:
Add the lime juice to the icing sugar a little at a time until you have the desired consistency, then drizzle over the cake.
Enjoy
Gaby Van Clarke
Here's a bit of fun for Christmas which the kids will love having a go with. You'll need the cookie cutters, but they come in all shapes, sizes and designs nowadays.
Also known as a Berliner in Germany and a ponchik in Poland, Michael used to queue up excitedly for similar ones as a child, at the bustling Bakery in the Old Kent Road.
Hanukkah (Chanukah) is a Jewish festival commemorating the recovery of Jerusalem and subsequent rededication of the Second Temple in the 2nd century BC.