Sweet surprise…
It’s a small wonder how herbs find their place in sweet creations, both my Lavender cake and Lemon and Thyme cake have been surprisingly delicious…
This cake happened almost by mistake!
Mistakes in the kitchen are the start of brand new discoveries…
A compelling combination, with the right amount of sweetness in it, playing with fresh thyme leaves and tangy lemon is so rewarding and satisfying.
The syrup makes it beautifully moist and fragrant, so it lasts well.
Thick yogurt is the creamy, dreamy element that is the staple of every Greek kitchen that I use in many of my cakes.
Lemon and Thyme Cake Loaf
Ingredients
For the batter:
1½ cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
200 g butter, unsalted
cup sugar, granulated
2 lemons, zest
3 teaspoons lemon thyme leaves
3 large organic eggs
2 tablespoons Greek yogurt, plain white
For the syrup:
2 teaspoons lemon thyme leaves
3½ tablespoons sugar, granulated
3 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons water
For the topping:
1 tablespoon sugar, granulated
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 160℃ (300℉). Butter a 23 cm x 13 cm loaf tin and line the base with baking parchment.
2. Flour mixture: Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
3. For the batter: With an electric mixer, beat the butter, sugar, lemon zest and lemon thyme leaves until fluffy. Beat the eggs, one at a time, beating very well after each addition (add a spoonful of flour mixture to keep the batter from curdling).
4. Gently beat in the flour in two batches until well combined.
Add the yogurt and gently beat in.
5. Spread the batter evenly over the base of the buttered and lined tin, and bake until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean and the cake is firm, about 40 to 50 minutes.
6. For the syrup: While the loaf is baking prepare the syrup. Into a small saucepan add the water, lemon thyme, sugar, and lemon juice. Bring to a boil over low heat. Let simmer steadily until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Let cool to a warm temperature.
7. As soon as the loaf comes out of the oven, prick it all over with a skewer and pour the warm syrup through a sieve over the cake. Transfer to a wire rack and let it cool for 15 minutes. Turn the cake [over] onto a serving plate and sprinkle the 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar over the top of the cake to give it extra crunch. Let the loaf cool completely before serving.
