This cake is a perfect marriage of raspberries and lime – the raspberries tart, the lime refreshing. I’ve thrown in some poppy seeds for texture and some yogurt for moistness. I’m slowly getting over my aversion to raspberries (a result of one summer when we ate nothing but raspberries and blackberries) and I particularly like the red tartness of the ones currently available (yay for farmer’s markets!). This is uplifting cake, the kind to be made on a dreary Wednesday or when you’re suffering from the Sunday blues – it works as breakfast, tea and dessert. I did not ice the cake but you can drizzle some of that white chocolate ganache I spoke of here  if you feel inclined.

Raspberry, Lime and Yogurt Cake
180g butter, unsalted, soft
180g golden caster sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
240g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
40g poppy seeds
2 tbsp plain yogurt
zest and juice of 2 limes
1 punnet of raspberries

Preheat the oven to 180C and line a loaf tin with baking paper.
Mix together the poppy seeds, yogurt and lime juice and set aside.

Cream together the butter and sugar until white and fluffy.
Add in the eggs, followed by the vanilla and lime zest.
Fold in the flour and baking powder followed by the poppy seed mixture.
Finally, crush the raspberries slightly (I just used my hands) and fold them into the cake mixture, creating a ripple like effect.

Pour the mixture into the loaf tin and even the surface with a spatula.

Bake for 25 minutes at 180C and then reduce the heat to 160C and bake for another 10-15 minutes. The cake should pull away from the sides and a cake tester inserted should come out clean. I reduced the heat in the oven because the cake was browning too quickly but you may not need to do this.