Preheat the oven to 175°C, Gas 4. Cream together the butter and sugar until pale. Beat together the eggs, then add a little beaten egg and a little sifted flour alternately to the batter, mixing well after each addition, until all of the eggs and flour have been added.

Finely grate the zest of the lemon (a microplane grater is very good) and stir to incorporate. Take about half of the rosemary leaves, chop them finely and add to the batter.

Line a medium-sized loaf tin with greaseproof paper and pour in the batter.

Place in the oven and bake for about 35 minutes. Check whether it is done by inserting a knife or skewer. If it comes out clean, the cake is ready.

While the cake is in the oven, place 50g of the granulated or caster sugar and the juice of the two lemons in a small saucepan over a medium-high heat and bring to the boil. Add the remaining rosemary leaves, roughly chopped, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add the grated zest of 1 lemon and cook for five more minutes. Strain to remove the lemon zest and rosemary, then allow to cool slightly. Add the remaining 50g sugar and stir gently, but you don’t want this sugar to dissolve.

While the cake is out of the oven and still warm, carefully pull the greaseproof paper away from the cake, but leave everything in the loaf tin.

Stick a fork into the top of the cake a few times, then pour over the lemon-rosemary syrup, making sure that all of the top of the cake has been doused in the syrup.

When the cake is cold, carefully remove it from the tin, peel away the greaseproof paper and serve.