1. Put the rice, milk, half of the sugar, cinnamon and salt into a heavy-based saucepan and add the grated lemon zest into it.

2. Place over a high heat, and stirring regularly, bring to just below boiling, then turn the heat down to low and cook for about 30 minutes, stirring regularly, until the rice is cooked and the milk is absorbed.
3. Keep an eye on it, you don’t want the milk to scorch or boil over, or the rice to stick to the bottom of the pan.
4. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the butter. Transfer to a bowl large enough to take all the remaining ingredients and leave for about 1 hour to cool.

5. Preheat the oven to 325F (160C). Butter a 20cm/8in springform pan. You can also use non-stick spray if so desired. Place a piece of parchment on the bottom before closing the sides around the base, trapping the parchment. This will ensure a good seal, and will make it easy to transport the cooked cake off the metal base for serving.

6. Whisk the egg whites in a clean bowl until stiff, then set aside.

   In a separate smaller bowl, add the remaining sugar to the yolks, and whisk until pale and frothy. Add the vanilla and 2 teaspoons of juice from the zested lemon to the yolks and sugar.

7. Pour the egg yolk mixture gradually into the cooled rice, folding it in well.
8. Dollop a large spoonful of the whisked whites into the rice and stir briskly to lighten the mixture. Fold in a third of the remaining whites gently but thoroughly. Repeat with another third, and finally fold in the rest. Pour and scrape this mixture gently into the prepared tin.
9. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the top has set, with no hint of wobble underneath. Your oven will affect the time needed. Start checking at the 40 minute mark.

10. Leave the tin on a wire rack for at least one hour. It should be room temperature before you proceed. Slide a sharp knife around the outside of the cake to release it from the metal sides, and unclip the tin. Using the parchment paper lift the cake gently off the metal base and transfer it to a cutting board. From here you can gently lift the cake to a cake stand or serving plate before decorating.

    You can make the cake the day before you want to serve it. Just cover loosely with plastic wrap or some other sealed container. Make sure it is cooled before you do this.

Whipped Cream Topping

1. Place the whipping cream into the bowl of your stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Start the speed on low, and gradually increase the speed as the cream to starts foam. When it is beginning to look frothy, add the icing sugar carefully so that it gets incorporated, and increase the speed to medium high. Whip until firm peaks are achieved, but not so firm that you are on the way to making butter!
2. Spoon the sweetened whipped cream onto the cake, mounding the sides ever so slightly higher than the middle. This will create a lovely spot to arrange the fruit.
3. If using bananas, ensure that you have sprinkled the slices with a bit of lemon juice to help them to keep from turning brown. Make sure the other berries etc have been dried on paper towel to collect any excess juices that could bleed into the whipped cream. Arrange till the the top is covered, but not loaded down.
4. Finish with fresh mint leaves, cutting larger ones into appealing bite sized pieces.
5. Serve as is, with extra fruit on the side if you desire. If you want, you can macerate fresh berries in a little sugar for about 15 minutes before slicing and serving, this will create a lovely 'sauce' to drizzle around the cake as well.
6. This cake will keep well, covered, in the fridge for a few days. Because we have stabilized the whipping cream with the icing sugar, it will keep its shape. The fruit may need to picked off and eaten though! Just serve with fresh fruit.

7. See blog post for more details and serving suggestions.