Berry bundt cake

SERVES 12-14 // PREP TIME 20 MINS // COOK 40 MINS (PLUS COOLING) With their elegant curves and dramatic icing cascading down the sides, bundt cakes always make an arresting centrepiece.

105 gm butter, softened, plus

extra for greasing

85 gm raw caster sugar, plus

extra for dusting

150 gm caster sugar

60 ml (1⁄4 cup) extra-virgin

olive oil

3 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

300 gm (2 cups) self-raising flour,

sifted, plus 2 tbsp extra

140 ml buttermilk

240 gm (1½ cups) mixed frozen berries, larger berries coarsely chopped Freeze-dried berries (optional; see note), to serve Edible rose petals (optional; see note), to serve

LEMON ICING

1 tbsp lemon juice

120 gm (¾ cup) pure icing

sugar, sifted

1 Preheat oven to 170°C. Butter a 2-litre 23cm bundt tin and dust it with extra raw caster sugar. Beat butter and sugars in an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (5 minutes) until pale and creamy. Add oil, beat until fluffy (4-5 minutes), then add eggs one at a time, beating until incorporated before adding the next, then beat in vanilla. Combine flour and a pinch of salt in a large bowl. With a spatula, fold flour into egg mixture in batches, alternating with buttermilk, until smooth.

2 Toss frozen berries in extra flour in a bowl to coat. Add a third of the batter to prepared tin and top with half the berries. Top with another third of the batter and remaining berries, then top with remaining batter. Shake the tin a little to settle batter, then bake, rotating tin halfway, until centre springs back when lightly pressed (35-40 minutes). Cool in tin for 10 minutes, then invert onto a serving plate. Jiggle tin to loosen and release cake but leave tin on until cool (1 hour).

3 For lemon icing, combine lemon juice and sugar in a bowl and stir until thickened and white. Drizzle icing over cake, then top with freeze-dried berries and rose petals. Cake will keep refrigerated in an airtight container for 3 days.

Note Freeze-dried berries are available from select supermarkets and grocers, or online from fresh-as.com. Edible rose petals are available from The Essential Ingredient and online.