Granadilla, lemon and thyme loaf cake

For the cake, preheat the oven to 160°C. Grease and line a standard-sized loaf tin with baking paper. Set aside until needed.

In the bowl of a hand-held/stand mixer, beat the 170g salted butter and 170g castor sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the zest of 1 large lemon. Add the 2 tbsp lemon juice and 60g granadilla pulp, along with the remaining cake ingredients and mix until just combined. Do not overmix the batter.

Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf tin and smooth the top using a spatula or the back of a spoon. Bake in the preheated oven until a skewer inserted into the centre of the loaf comes out clean, about 1 hour.

While the cake is baking, make the lemon syrup. Place the 100ml freshly squeezed lemon juice, 75g castor sugar and 1 tsp lemon zest in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring continuously until the castor sugar has dissolved. Continue to boil until the syrup has thickened slightly, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly.

A few minutes after the loaf cake is removed from the oven, lightly prick the top with a fork and pour the lemon syrup over. Sprinkle with the extra castor sugar and set aside to cool in the tin.

For the granadilla curd, place the eggs, 115g castor sugar, 140g granadilla pulp and cornflour paste in a small saucepan. Using a hand-held whisk, beat everything together, then stir continuously over low heat until warm. Once heated through, add the 60g salted butter and stir until incorporated well. Continue to stir until the mixture starts to boil, then remove from heat and transfer the curd to a chilled heat-proof bowl. Cover the bowl with cling film and set aside until completely cool.

Serve the cake with the granadilla curd and crème fraiche alongside, for topping. Garnish with fresh thyme sprigs.