Ingredients

0.2g

saffron

6tbsp

boiling water

175g

butter

175g

caster sugar

medium eggs

275g

self-raising flour

100g

currants

The Filling

225g

soft cream cheese

1tbsp

milk

2tbsp

icing sugar

Decoration

Thin strips lemon rind

Icing sugar

Saffron gives a wonderful yellow colour to anything you put it into, this recipe uses currants in the ingredients, a soft light cake with a cream cheese sweet topping to finish off

Method

Lightly crush saffron and cover with boiling water. Allow to stand for 2 hours or ideally overnight.
Reheat the oven to 170°C.
Grease and line a deep 18cm cake tin. Sieve the self-raising flour. Cream the butter and sugar together. Beat the eggs, adding a little flour (if necessary). Strain the saffron water.
Gently fold ½ the flour and then the saffron liquid. Fold in the remaining flour and stir in the currants. Transfer to the prepared cake tin and cook for 1½ to 1¾ hours.
Allow to cool slightly before turning out. When cold, split the cake in half.
Blend together the cream cheese, milk and icing sugar and fill the cake with ¾ of this mixture. Use the remainder to decorate the top of the cake. Layer on the lemon rind into the centre of the cake for decoration, then dust with icing sugar.