It’s the season of garden parties & BBQs, G&Ts & factor 30 sun cream. If you’re looking for the perfect summer cake recipe to impress party goers then look no further. Our Raspberry & Lemon Verbena Tea Cake hits all the spots. This delightfully fruity, citrusy & sweet sponge is to die for & very easy to make!

What’s Lemon Verbena?

Native to South America, Lemon Verbena is a perennial shrub that has a variety of healthy & culinary uses. Growing up to 9 feet high, the leaves of the lemon verbena release a potent, citrusy aroma once bruised. Leave them to steep in boiling water for a great tea to aid digestion, reduce anxiety or slice up to run through a salad, lemon verbena is a great all rounder!

Raspberry & Lemon Verbena Cake – The Recipe

Ingredients

100g ground almonds 

100g coconut flour

1 tbsp baking powder

6 eggs

Zest of 3 lemons

100g raspberries

Small handful fresh lemon verbena or lemon balm leaves (optional) 

150g caster sugar

100ml oil or melted butter

Method

Preheat the oven to to 180C (160 fan) 

• Oil or line a 2lb loaf tin

• Add the coconut flour, ground almonds and baking powder to a bowl and stir well to combine 

• In another mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest and oil or butter

• Stir the wet ingredients into the dry, then gently fold through the raspberries, and fresh herbs if using

• Pour the batter into the prepared tin

• Bake for 45-50 minutes

• Remove from the oven and allow to cool 

Notes

Coconut flour seems like a niche ingredient but it works amazingly in gluten-free baking. We haven’t tried subbing regular flour for the coconut flour but it would probably work if you don’t need the cake to be gluten-free!

Lemon Verbena Tea Drizzle

Ingredients

Juice of 3 lemons

2g porter hill Loose Leaf Raspberry & Lemon Verbena Blend

100g caster sugar

Method

• Add the lemon juice to a small pan over a low heat, add the loose leaf blend and bring to a gentle simmer, then turn off the heat and leave to infuse for 5 minutes 

• Strain the infused lemon juice through a small tea strainer or fine sieve, then combine with the caster sugar

• Once the cake is cool, remove from the tin, make a few holes in the top with a cocktail stick and pour over the drizzle

• Leave until the drizzle is set, then enjoy!