a cake covered in slices of peach on a large white plate, set on a linen-clothed table and dappled in sunlight

Peach cake with lemon and thyme

Name: Peach cake with lemon and thyme
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: Serves 10
Ingredients: 200g salted butter, softened, plus extra for the tin; 3-4 ripe peaches, stoned and cut into wedges; 100g plus 2 tbsp soft light brown sugar; 1 tsp of leaves thyme; 100g golden caster sugar; 4 (we used Clarence Court Burford Browns) eggs; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 100g self-raising flour; 100g ground almonds; 1 tsp baking powder; 1 lemon, zested; 50g golden caster sugar; 2 sprigs thyme, leaves picked; 1 strip lemon peel; 300ml double cream; ½-1 tbsp icing sugar; ½ lemon, zested; 2 sprigs thyme, leaves picked

Preparation and cooking time
- Total time1 hr and 30 mins
Easy
Serves 10

Ingredients

200g salted butter, softened, plus extra for the tin
3-4 ripe peaches, stoned and cut into wedges
100g plus 2 tbsp soft light brown sugar
1 tsp of leaves thyme
100g golden caster sugar
4 (we used Clarence Court Burford Browns) eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
100g self-raising flour
100g ground almonds
1 tsp baking powder
1 lemon, zested

LEMON THYME SYRUP

50g golden caster sugar
2 sprigs thyme, leaves picked
1 strip lemon peel

TO SERVE

300ml double cream
½-1 tbsp icing sugar
½ lemon, zested
2 sprigs thyme, leaves picked

Method

STEP 1
Butter and line a 20cm cake tin (not springform). Toss the peaches with 2 tbsp of the brown sugar and the thyme leaves. Tip into the base of the tin and arrange in a neat layer. Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4.
STEP 2
Beat the butter with the caster sugar and remaining 100g of brown sugar until fluffy, then beat in the eggs and vanilla. Fold in the flour, ground almonds, baking powder, a pinch of salt and the lemon zest. Spoon this over the peaches, then smooth the top, being careful not to disturb the layer of peaches underneath. Bake for 1 hour-1 hour 15 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then carefully invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.
STEP 3
For the syrup, heat the sugar with 3 tbsp of water, the thyme and lemon peel in a small pan until the sugar has dissolved. Leave to cool, then brush some of the syrup over the top of the cake so some of it is absorbed by the sponge. Whip the cream with the icing sugar to soft peaks. Serve wedges of the cake with the whipped cream, scattered with the lemon zest and a few thyme leaves. Keeps for three days in an airtight container.