Cointreau and Rosemary Cakes

These are some little moist cakes that would be ideal as a dessert served with a dollop of creme fraiche or for afternoon tea in the sunshine. They are sponges made with oil and flavoured with orange zest, rosemary and cointreau, soaked in an orange, rosemary and cointreau syrup.

The sponge is moist due to the oil and syrup, and has a delicious flavour, although a little more rosemary could be tolerated. The orange flavour is fresh and enhanced wonderfully by the cointreau. They could do with baking at a slightly lower temperature and with a little less raising agent to prevent the central peak, but other than that they are fantastic.