A beautifully patterned bundt cake needs very little decoration, but getting it out of the tin intact can be the hardest part. This lime and yoghurt version uses a simple homemade coating made from flour, oil and butter to help prevent sticking and preserve the cake’s shape.

Unlike the traditional method of greasing and flouring a tin, the coating does not leave a pale, powdery finish on the surface. It also helps the batter cling evenly to the sides of the tin as it rises.

Lime and Yoghurt Bundt

Makes: 1 bundt cake or one 20cm round cake

Total time: 2–3 hours

For the tin coating:

20g plain flour, approximately 10% protein

20g vegetable oil

20g unsalted butter, very soft, around 22°C

For the cake:

6 juicy limes

400g caster sugar

280g unsalted butter, softened to around 20°C

5 eggs

375g soft plain flour, approximately 8–9% protein

2 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp fine sea salt

240g plain yoghurt, at room temperature

For the lime syrup:

250g lime juice

300g icing sugar mixture

Prepare the Tin and Batter

Heat the oven to 170°C, or 150°C fan.

Mix the flour, vegetable oil and softened butter until smooth. Brush the mixture carefully over every groove, corner and detail of bundt tin, then set it aside.

Finely grate the lime zest and rub it into the caster sugar with your fingertips. This helps release the citrus oils and intensifies the flavour.

Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the softened butter and lime sugar on medium speed for six to eight minutes, until pale and fluffy. Stop once or twice to scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Place the uncracked eggs in hot tap water for five minutes. Put them into a separate bowl, whisk well, then weigh out 250g. Add the egg mixture to the butter in three stages, beating thoroughly after each addition. Continue mixing for another five minutes.

Fold and Bake Carefully

Combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Remove the bowl from the mixer. Sift half the dry ingredients over the batter and fold gently with a sturdy spatula. When they are almost incorporated, fold in half the yoghurt.

Repeat with the remaining dry ingredients and yoghurt, mixing only until the batter is smooth and no streaks remain.

Spoon the batter into the prepared tin and level the surface. Bake for 60–70 minutes, until the top is lightly browned and cracked and a skewer inserted into the thickest part comes out clean. The internal temperature should be around 95°C.

Add the Lime Syrup

While the cake is baking, prepare the syrup. Whisk half the lime juice into the icing sugar to form a thick paste, then gradually add the remaining juice until smooth.

As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, the exposed surface several times with a metal skewer. Slowly spoon over about half the syrup, concentrating it around the cracked upper ring, then leave the cake to rest for 10 minutes.

Invert it carefully onto a serving plate. Check the top and inner edge lightly, then brush over more syrup. Two coats give the cake a generous citrus finish, while any remaining syrup can be added for a more intensely soaked result.

Leave a bundt to cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing. Covered at room temperature, it will keep for up to three days and can also be frozen for as long as three months.

The finished cake is light, moist and intensely citrusy, with a soft yoghurt richness and a clean, defined shape. The simple tin coating turns one of bundt baking’s most frustrating problems into a much more reliable result.