Lemon and Thyme Loaf

The latest blogger challenge post, which I am very late in writing, was food. So for this topic I thought I'd share my favourite cake recipe: lemon and thyme loaf. Before I share as a little disclaimer this is a Nigel Slater recipe, I didn't come up with it, I saw it on T.V and had to try it for myself. It is a delicious recipe that makes a very lemony cake and always goes down a treat!*

For the loaf:

• 200g Butter (or margarine)
• 200g Golden Caster Sugar
• 100g Plain Flour
• 100g Ground Almond
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• 4 Eggs
• Zest of 1 Lemon
• 1 tsp Thyme Leaves

For Syrup:

• 4 tbsp Sugar
• Juice of two lemons
• 1/2 tsp Thyme leaves

1. Preheat oven to 160 degrees C. Line a loaf tin.
2. Cream together butter and sugar then separately sift flour and baking power and mix this with the ground almond.
3. Lightly beat eggs and add a little at a time to the butter and sugar, also add some flour mix each time egg is added until all is combined. 
4. Mix the lemon zest with thyme leaves and add to the mixture.
5. Spoon the mixture into the tin and bake for approx 45 minutes (or until a skewer inserted to the center of the cake comes out clean.)
6. For syrup dissolve the sugar in the lemon juice over heat and add thyme leaves.
7. As soon the cake is removed from the oven poke holes with a skewer into the top and drizzle the syrup over the cake while it's still hot. Leave to cool.

The syrup flavours right though the cake, making this a perfect recipe for lemon lovers. You can eat it cold or I like it still a bit warm from the oven.