I love long weekends, especially those that automatically call for a celebration. What better excuse for champagne and cake than a birthday! Make it a major Royal Birthday (her 90th) and there is even more reason for raising a glass.
So on this Queen’s Birthday we’d like to celebrate with a very special cake. It’s our Currong Comestibles Almond & Lime Shrub Pound Cake and it’s perfect for the occasion. It’s a rich, moist, old fashioned pound cake that’s the perfect partner for tea or champagne. The Lime Shrub adds just the right amount of citrus tartness while the marzipan gives the cake a light nutty texture.
We were very lucky as our cake was baked by Hulya Suleyman, the chef at Williams-Sonoma, Bondi. Along with being a homeware paradise this store also has a fabulous in-store kitchen where you can take a range of classes and learn a myriad of Masterchef techniques. And of course they have the perfect Bundt cake pans for your creations. (Our cake was baked in the traditional Anniversary pan.)
Need we say anymore? We’re sure that the Queen would approve!
CC’s
Almond & Lime Shrub Pound Cake
(inspired by Nigella Lawson’s EASY ALMOND CAKE)
Ingredients
250 g. Butter (or Coconut Oil)
250 g. Marzipan (softened)
150 g. Caster Sugar
1/4C Currong Comestibles Rainforest Lime Shrub
1/3C Greek Yoghurt
1 tea. Vanilla extract
3 ‘shakes’ Mixed Spice
1/2C Shredded Coconut (optional)
5 large Eggs
200 g. Self-raising Flour
Method
You will need a 25cm / 10 inch springform tube pan, bundt tin or patterned ring mould, buttered and floured.
- Preheat oven to 170ºC.
- Chop the butter and marzipan to make them easier to break down, and put them in the bowl of the food processor, fitted with the doublebladed knife, with the sugar. Process until combined and smooth.
- Add other ‘wet’ ingredients: vanilla extract, yoghurt, Lime Shrub and finally the eggs, one at a time through the funnel, processing again each time.
- Add the ‘dry’ ingredients: Coconut and flour, combining well and remembering to scrap the sides and bottom of the mixer.
- When fully mixed pour the mixture into the prepared tin, scraping the sides and bottom with a rubber spatula.
- Bake for 50 minutes, but check from 40 minutes. Then, when the cake looks golden and cooked and a caketester or fine skewer comes out cleanish*, remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin. (*Note: This is a moist and rich cake and should not be over baked.)
- The cake can be finished off with a simple icing of Icing Sugar, Lime Shrub and Butter or simply dusted with Icing Sugar (as per the photo).