Every Christmas I bring out my Christmassy Nordic ware cake pan and try to think of a creative way to use it. This year’s inspiration comes from the first snow on Troodos Mountains in Cyprus. After a very long summer (too long for my taste) I finally got to light up my fire place and sit by the fire while waiting for my oven timer to beep. I used white chocolate for this tender, velvety cake and flavoured it with lemon zest. I added bits of orange and lemon peel and a hint of Grand Marnier to make it festive. I guess it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas in my house today.

Ingredients

• ½ cup candied citrus peel
• 1 Tbs Grand Marnier or Cointreau
• 130 grams white chocolate
• 125 grams unsalted butter
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 Tbs lemon zest
• ¾ cup whole milk
• 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, plus 2 tsp extra
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt

Method

Preheat oven to 175 C. Butter and flour a round 23 cm cake pan with a hole in the middle.

Put the citrus peel in a bowl and mix with the Grand Marnier. Set aside until needed.

Place the white chocolate in a bowl over another bowl containing hot water. Don’t let the top bowl touch the water. Let the chocolate melt completely, stirring occasionally with a spatula.

In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition (at least 30 seconds). Add vanilla and lemon zest and beat until combined.

Sift the 2 ¼ cups flour in a large bowl together with the baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add about 1/3 of the flour mixture to the mixer bowl and beat until combined. Add the milk and the remaining flour. Mix until combined.

Add the melted white chocolate and beat again. Mix the citrus peel with the 2 teaspoons flour and add them to the cake batter. Stir with a spatula.

Pour cake batter into prepared pan. Bake for 45-50 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean. Invert cake on a serving platter. Once cool, dust with icing sugar.