Davinia has gone and done it again. She has reinvented the carrot cake as we know it. The carrot has been replaced by raw fennel and the orange zest frosting has been replaced by lime. This cake is so light and refreshing it cleans your palate ready for the next bite.

Fennel Cake:
150ml sunflower oil, plus extra for greasing
2 organic eggs
140g soft light brown sugar
200g self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp mixed spice
140g fennel, coarsely grated
Zest of 2 limes and juice of 1 lime

Whisk together the oil and eggs. In a separate mixing bowl, mix together the sugar, flour, baking powder and mixed spice. Now add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients and whisk. Finally, add the grated fennel, lime zest and juice and whisk well. Now simply pour cake mix into greased loaf tin. Place in hot oven at 180 degrees for 30-45 mins.

Lime Buttercream Frosting:
8 oz softened butter
16 oz icing sugar
2 tbs milk
2 tsp lime juice
Zest of one lime
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
fennel leaves to decorate

Mix butter in mixer until smooth. Slowly add icing sugar until well combined. Add milk and mix well. Then add lime zest and juice followed by vanilla extract. Layer frosting on top of cooled fennel cake. Decorate with fennel leaves.

Enjoy!