This is a delicious and soft lemon bundt cake that I created for my dear friend Josie when she was dealing with a health challenge. The two special ingredients in this cake are olive oil and Greek yoghurt which make it lovely and moist, and when stored properly, help it last longer.

For something a little decadent, I like to add a lemon icing on top, sprinkled with pistachio nuts. However, it is also very very good plain as a breakfast or tea cake. Even a dollop of fresh cream and strawberries would be nice too. You could also swap the lemon for oranges or put both in for extra zing!

Watch me make it here

Download the recipe card here

Serves: 12 people

Preparation: 1 hour

INGREDIENTS

300g self raising flour

350g caster sugar

A pinch of salt

2 lemons, zest and juice

2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

2 eggs

180mls good quality olive oil

250g Greek-style yoghurt, unsweetened and full fat

METHOD

First prepare the 23cm bundt tin by lining it with a liberal amount of butter and sprinkling of plain flour on top of the butter.
Preheat your fan forced oven to 180 degrees celsius.
In a large mixing bowl add the self raising flour, caster sugar, lemon zest and a pinch of salt. Mix well. If you have time, use your fingertips to rub the lemon zest into the dry ingredients. This will enhance the flavour of the cake.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, vanilla extract, eggs, olive oil and yoghurt. Whisk until the mixture has come together smoothly.
Pour the wet ingredients into the large bowl of dry ingredients and, with the same large whisk or wooden spoon, mix until you have a thick batter. Make sure you scrape the bottom of the bowl to grab any leftover dry mixture that might be stuck.
Grab a spatula and gently pour batter into the bundt tin and spread evenly. Tap the bundt tin once on the bench to settle the mixture evenly.
Cook the cake in the oven for approximately 35 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean. Check at the 25 minute mark to see how it's going.
When the cake is ready, take it out of the oven and allow to cool in the tin for ten minutes before gently inverting the cake onto a cooling rack.

Lasts very well for a good five days.
Optional lemon glaze
In a small bowl, add 1 cup of icing sugar and the zest and juice of half a lemon. Mix well with a small whisk or spoon until it combines into a partially runny paste. If the mixture is too thick, add more lemon juice (a little at a time) until you get the desired consistency. Gently pour over the warm cake and top with with roasted pistachio nuts, if you like.