Limoncello and poppy seed cake

Method

1. Heat the oven to 170°C/150°C fan/gas 3½.  Cream together the butter and sugar.  Then mix in the eggs, oil, lemon zest and vanilla. Sift together the dry ingredients in a separate bowl.
2. Add one third of the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, then the buttermilk, then another third of the dry ingredients. Add the limoncello and poppy seeds, then the final third of dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. Don’t over-mix.
3. Pour the cake batter evenly between the 2 tins (weigh as before), smooth the batter and bake for 35-40 minutes or until risen and a skewer pushed into the middle of the cake comes out clean. If the cake browns too quickly, lower the oven temperature by 5-10°C.
4. Leave in the tin for 10 minutes, then carefully remove from the tins and put on a wire rack to cool completely.
5. To assemble the cake, halve the cakes horizontally using a cake wire if you have one, or check out our guide on how to slice a sponge cake horizontally. Then, fill and cover with your choice of icing – we love this swiss meringue buttercream.