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Lemongrass coconut cake

Coconut and lemongrass, two quintessentially Southeast Asian ingredients, are combined here in this deliciously moist cake. The lemongrass is added to a syrup that infuses the sponge with its aromatic flavour. Found in supermarkets as well as in Asian food shops, the taste of lemongrass is certainly reminiscent of lemons but has a unique floral flavour all of its own.

Prep time: 15 minutes

Baking time: 40–45 minutes

Ready in: 1 hour 30 minutes

Serves: 6–8

4 stalks of lemongrass, base and tops trimmed, outer leaves removed but reserved for the syrup

250g (9oz) caster sugar

4 eggs

200g (7oz) butter, softened, plus extra for greasing

125g (4½oz) desiccated coconut

125g (4½oz) plain flour, plus extra for dusting

2 tsp baking powder

Greek yoghurt or crème fraîche, to serve

For the syrup

Reserved trimmings and outer leaves of the lemongrass

75g (3oz) caster sugar

23cm (9in) diameter cake tin with 6cm (2½in) sides

Preheat the oven to 170°C (325°F), Gas mark 3. Butter the sides of the cake tin and dust with flour, then line the base with a disc of baking parchment.

Slice the lemongrass stalks quite thinly into rounds about 3mm (⅛in) thick, then place in a food processor with the caster sugar and whiz for 1–2 minutes or until the lemongrass is finely pureed and very aromatic. Add the eggs, butter and coconut and whiz again until combined, then sift the flour and baking powder together and add to the machine, whizzing very briefly just until the ingredients come together.

Tip the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 40–45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.

While the cake is cooking, make the syrup. Roughly chop the lemongrass trimmings, place in a saucepan with the sugar and 75ml (3fl oz) of water and set over a high heat. Stir the mixture until the sugar is dissolved, then bring to the boil and boil for 2 minutes before removing from the heat and leaving to infuse.

When the cake has finished baking, take it out of the oven and let it sit in the tin for 10 minutes. Loosen around the edges using a small, sharp knife and carefully remove the cake from the tin before transferring to a serving plate.

Reheat the syrup, then pierce holes all over the cake with a skewer and pour the hot syrup through a sieve onto the cake, moving the pan and sieve around as you pour so that the syrup covers the top of the cake. Allow the cake to cool down completely.

Serve with a dollop of natural Greek yoghurt or crème fraîche.