MY AUNT’S FAMOUS LEMON CAKE

Prep: 10 mins Cook: 50 mins Serves 10 (See opposite)

125g butter, softened

1 cup (220g) caster sugar

4 eggs

2 cups (160g) desiccated coconut,

plus 2 tbsp extra

1 cup (150g) self-raising flour

Icing sugar, to garnish Syrup

1 cup (220g) caster sugar 1 cup (250ml) water

4 x 5cm strips lemon rind

1. Preheat oven to 160°C. Grease and line a 12cm x 22cm loaf pan and set aside.

2. Cream butter and sugar using an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time.

3. Fold through coconut and sifted flour, pour into the prepared pan and sprinkle with extra coconut.

4. Bake for 50 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean.

5. Meanwhile, to make the lemon syrup, stir ingredients in a small saucepan over a medium heat, without boiling, until sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Strain and set aside.

6. Pour the warm syrup over the cake and allow to soak for 10 minutes before turning the cake out onto a wire rack to cool. Once cool, dust with icing sugar and serve.

NOTE: A deep 20cm round cake pan will also work well.

PAGE 150, FROM LEFT: Le Gracieux ‘Bancroft’ linen in Falcon Brown (on chair), POA, Elliott Clarke. Napkins in Pink, $115*/set of 4, Matilda Goad & Co. Tablecloth, from $145/240cm x 150cm, Cultiver. Placemats, stylist’s own. Sabre ‘Pop’ dessert spoons and forks in Orange and Yellow, $27.75 each,

and spreader in Spring Green, $32.95, all The Bay Tree. Antique dinner plates and crystal wine glasses, stylist’s own. Lagunab ‘Berlingot Evo’ tumblers in Green/Yellow and Blue/Yellow, $180 each, Pan After. Salad servers, stylist’s own. ‘Chckd’ big bowl in Cocoa, as before and ‘Chckd’ big bowl in Mint Slice, $310, both Jedda Clay. Antique butter plate and platter, as before. Flower bricks by Wendy Littlewood, $95, The Bay Tree. Pebble bowl in Orange, as before. Antique silver serving spoons, from $10 each, The Bay Tree. Batch Ceramics spice dish (used as salt dish) in Basil and Mandarin, $19.95 each, Simon Johnson. Napkin in Orchid Pink and vintage copper pan, as before. Jug, stylist’s own. OPPOSITE, FROM LEFT:

Napkin, placemat and charger plate, as before. Lagunab ‘Berlingot Evo’ tumbler in Blue/Yellow, as before. Platter in Yellow, $126, Mud Australia.

“WHEN I WAS IN MY TWENTIES, MY AUNT SUE MADE THIS LEMON CAKE AND I HAVE loved it EVER SINCE. IT’S MY go-to”