Lemon & Thyme Syrup

200gm caster sugar

200gm water

1 lemon (juice and peels)

10gm fresh lemon thyme

3 bay leaves

Place all ingredients except for lemon juice into a saucepan on medium heat. Bring it to a high simmer and then let it simmer for one minute. Take off heat and stir through lemon juice to cool it down. Leave to the side to infuse.

Olive Oil Cake

4 eggs

200gm caster sugar

1 cup Red Island extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

1/2 cup milk

Pinch of salt

270gm self raising flour

Preheat oven to 180 degrees celcius.

In a stand mixer with whisk attachment, place eggs and sugar and beat them for at least 5 minutes on high so they’re light and fluffy. Reduce speed to medium low and slowly drizzle in the EVOO, milk, vanilla and salt. Reduce speed to its lowest setting and in three batches add in the self raising flour. Remove bowl from stand mixer and fold mixture to make sure everything is well combined.

Line a 22cm cake, by lining the bottom with baking paper and butter and flour the sides.

Pour batter in, and it should reach 3/4 of the way up, you don’t want to go any further. Bake in the oven for 50 minutes to an hour. This will depend on the strength of your oven, but poke a toothpick in and when it comes out dry and clean you’re ready to go.

When cake is nearly done, place syrup back on super low heat and warm up. You wan the syrup quite loose, so if its become a bit too thick to enter toothpick sized holes, water it down with a dash of water.

Remove cake from oven, with toothpick skewer poke many holes into the cake all over the top, before labelling the warm syrup over the top and allowing it to fall into the cake. Let it sit for 10 minutes before removing from cake tin and serving. I enjoy it with greek yoghurt but anything tangy cream is great.