Try this lemon bundt cake from the Pierneef à La Motte pastry kitchen. More than the much-needed vitamin C, also enjoy the delicious combination of a soft crumb with a sweet lemon syrup and a zingy drizzle. 

Lemon Bundt Cake Recipe

Ingredients

250 g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing the pan

250 g plain flour

1½ tsp baking powder

¼ tsp fine salt

225 g caster sugar

Finely grated zest 3 lemons

4 large free-eggs, at room temperature

For the syrup

100 g caster sugar

Juice of 3 lemons

For the icing drizzle

80 g icing sugar

Lemon juice

1 drop elderberry essence

1 Bunch elderberry flowers to garnish

Method

Heat the oven to 180°C. Generously butter the inside of the bundt tin using a brush to get right into the corners of the tin. Be thorough. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. In another large bowl, cream together the butter, sugar and lemon zest until the mixture is very pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking well after each addition, then fold in the flour mixture, taking care not to knock out the air.

Spoon the mixture into the greased bundt tin and smooth the top, then bake for 20-30 min or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Make the syrup: heat the sugar and lemon juice in a pan, cook for 3 min until reduced by half, then transfer to a shallow bowl to cool completely.

When the cake is cooked, remove from the oven, poke holes all over the surface and, while the cake is still warm, pour over the cooled syrup. Leave the syrup to soak into the cake for 15 min, then turn the cake out of the tin onto a wire rack and leave to cool completely.

For the topping, put the icing sugar into a jug and add a tsp cold lemon juice. Stir well with a fork until smooth, then add a little more juice, drop by drop, until the icing reaches a thick, pourable consistency. Drizzle over the cake, leave to set for 15 min.