Goat Cheese & Black Pepper Cake with Blackberry Glaze

Cake and Blackberry Soak:

1. Heat oven to 325°F. Grease and line a 9" x 5" loaf pan with parchment paper; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together goat cheese and honey until smooth. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, freshly cracked black pepper, and kosher salt.
4. In another large bowl, combine sugar and lime zest. Using your fingers, rub together until the zest’s oils are released and you smell that citrusy goodness.
5. Add eggs, olive oil, milk and vanilla to sugar, then whisk until thoroughly combined.
6. Add ½ of the flour mixture to sugar mixture. Using a silicone spatula, gently mix until almost fully combined. Add remaining flour mixture, then mix until combined, making sure to hunt down any hidden pockets of flour.
7. Pour about ¼ of batter into cake pan; top with about ¹/₃ of goat cheese mixture. Using a skewer or cake tester, marble batter and goat cheese mixture. Repeat. Then repeat again, but also pour final ¼ of cake batter on top before swirling layers together.
8. Tap pan on counter a few times to dislodge any big air bubbles.
9. Bake for 60–75 minutes. If top is browning too quickly, tent with aluminum foil. Cake is done when a wooden pick inserted in the centre comes out clean with only a few fluffy crumbs attached.
10. Allow cake to cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan and transferring to a wire rack.
    NOTE: If you’re using a decorative pan ^[1] like we did, you’ll invert the cake onto a wire rack at this step.
11. Using a skewer or cake tester, poke holes all over the warm cake. Slowly drizzle or brush blackberry syrup over cake, allowing it to soak in before drizzling more.
12. Allow cake to cool completely.

Macerated Blackberries:

1. While the cake is cooling, slice blackberries in half longways and place in medium bowl. Add sugar, blackberry syrup, lime zest, salt, and black pepper. Gently mix. Cover and place in fridge to macerate for at least 2 hours.

Blackberry Glaze:

1. In a medium bowl (preferably with a spout), whisk together melted butter, confectioners’ sugar, blackberry syrup, and salt until completely smooth.
2. Allow glaze to cool and rest for 20 minutes. During this time, it will thicken up some, but also remain pourable.
3. Drizzle or pour glaze over cake.
4. Allow cake to sit at room temperature until glaze is set (1–2 hours).
5. Once glaze is set, slice and serve cake with macerated blackberries.