50 Ways to Make Christmas All About The Cake

Combine the polenta, almonds, sugar and baking powder in a mixing bowl. Mix the oil and eggs together, then stir into the polenta mixture with a wooden spoon to make a thick, batter-like consistency. Stir in the orange, lemon and lime zest.

Pour into the prepared cake tin and place on the middle shelf of a cold oven, then set the temperature to 190°C/170° Fan, 375°F, Gas Mark 5. Bake for 20 minutes, then crumple up the parchment paper, run it under cold water, shake to remove any excess water and place over the tin to prevent the cake from over-browning. Bake for a further 30 minutes until rich brown and a fine skewer comes out clean when poked through the centre.

Meanwhile, make the syrup by combining the Lyle's Golden Syrup®, juices and all the spices in a small pan. Put over a low heat for 6-8 minutes, bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer for 2 minutes until syrupy. Set aside to allow the spices to infuse, strain and reserve the spices.

Remove the cake from the oven, let it cool for 10 minutes, then turn out on to a serving plate, carefully peeling off the parchment paper.

Pierce the cake all over with a fine skewer and, while it’s still warm, start spooning over the syrup which will take 1-2 hours for it to absorb it all.

Arrange all the spices from the syrup on top of the cake to decorate, and serve with bowls of Greek yoghurt and pomegranate seeds sprinkled with orange flower water.

Recipe courtesy of Lyle's Golden Syrup®