Most cake lovers are familiar with eating or bake cakes with lemons as a key ingredient, but thyme is perhaps not on the tip of everyone tongue when it comes to cakes.

However, Chef Nigel Slater has produced a great recipe that makes use of lemons with thyme that delivers wonderful flavours.

Thyme is a member of the mint family and is a aromatic herb with small leaves that has a sweetly earthy flavour. There are many different varieties, but the most readily available in the UK are the common or ‘garden’ thyme, and lemon thyme, which has slightly larger leaves and a flavour with a lemony tang. It is normally used with vegetables, eggs, fish and meat dishes.

Nigel however use it to make a simple, moist lemon sponge soaked with thyme and lemon syrup. It is poised between pudding and cake and tastes wonderful served with thick, creamy Greek yoghurt.

The ingredients are: 200g butter, 200g golden caster sugar, 100g plain flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 100g ground almonds, 4 free-range eggs, 1 lemon, zest only and 1 tsp thyme leaves.

For the topping: 4 tbsp sugar, 2 large lemons, juice only and ½ tsp thyme leaves.