This is a cake, which you can make all year round because it calls for tinned lychees (i adore these). Here I really play into the lychee theme by using lychee gummies for the decoration, which you can source at Asian supermarkets or online. Rest assured, if you don’t love lychees, you can use any fruit in this cake such as berries, cubes of ripe pears or stone fruit, and the lime can be switched for lemon.
Serves 12
x Jordan
For the cake
200g butter, at room temperature
200g caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla paste
4 free range eggs, at room temperature
150g ground almonds
100g white all-purpose flour
Pinch of sea salt
¼ cup lime juice
Zest of 2 limes
150g tinned lychees, halved
For the icing
150g butter, at room temperature
220g icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla paste
100g cream cheese, at room temperature
For the decorations
Handful of lychee gummies, cut into strips (optional)
Handful of fresh flower petals, dried or fresh (optional)
Preheat the oven to 170 degrees celsius on fan bake. Line 2 x 22cm cake tins with baking paper.
To make the cake, in the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter, sugar and vanilla until pale, light and fluffy.
Beat in the eggs one by one, mixing well before adding in the next.
In 2 parts, fold in the ground almonds, flour and salt and mix until just combined. Finally, fold through the lime juice and zest.
Evenly divide the batter between the 2 tins and spread out to the sides. Evenly dot in the lychees halves.
Bake for approximately 30 minutes. The cakes are ready when golden in colour, springy to the touch, and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Allow the cakes to cool for around 10 minutes in the pans before turning out onto a cooling rack.
Meanwhile make the icing. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter, icing sugar and vanilla until very pale, light and fluffy. Add the cream cheese little by little and continue beating until the icing is completely smooth.
When the cakes are fully cooled, spread half of the white icing onto one layer using an offset palette knife. Place the other layer on top of this and neatly ice the top. Place the chopped up gummies and flower petals however you like.
Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days.