Triple lemon olive oil chiffon cake

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 180ºC, 160ºC fan.
2. Place the thyme leaves and 2 tablespoons caster sugar (from the 225g caster sugar) in a spice grinder. Blitz until the leaves have broken down and the sugar is tinted green. You can skip this step if you prefer, and simply finely chop the thyme leaves.
3. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt, sift into a large bowl (use a stand mixer, if you have one, with the paddle attachment).
4. Add the 225g caster sugar, thyme sugar and lemon zest, mix to combine.
5. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients, add the lemon juice, water, egg yolks, Monini Delicato EVOO and vanilla extract, mix until smooth.
6. In another, really large bowl, whisk the 7 egg whites until foamy, add the cream of tartar then mix until you have soft peaks, gradually add the additional 75g caster sugar, whisking until you have firm peaks and the sugar has dissolved.
7. Fold the egg whites into the batter in three stages.
8. Pour the batter into an ungreased, unlined angel food cake tin and bake for 55-60 minutes.
9. Remove the cake from the oven and immediately invert to cool, if your tin doesn’t have “feet” turn the tin upside down, and carefully feed the centre of the tube over the neck of a wine bottle. It’s really important to cool the cake upside down as this prevents it shrinking and gives the cake its beautiful light texture.
10. When completely cool, run a sharp knife around the inside and the centre section of the cake tin, remove the cake from the tin, run the knife between the cake and the base of the tin, finally invert onto your serving plate.
11. Pour the frosting over the cake, allowing it to run down the sides.
12. Slice giant slabs of cake with a serrated knife and enjoy!