Coca de San Juan is a traditional Spanish summer cake made for St. John's Eve, on 23 June, when the summer solstice is celebrated. A soft brioche-like dough, decorated with candied fruit, pine nuts and cream - a dessert that in coastal Spain is shared with family in front of bonfires and fireworks. It looks like a restaurant job, but it's actually made at home.

For the dough you'll need 500 g of flour, 100 g of sugar, one egg, 25 g of fresh yeast, 190 ml of milk, 150 g of butter, a little salt and grated lemon zest. The cream is made from 200 ml of milk, 40 g of sugar, two egg yolks, 12 g of cornstarch and a cinnamon stick. On top go pine nuts, candied fruit and sugar.

First you make the cream and let it cool. The yeast is dissolved in the milk, mixed with the flour, the egg, salt, sugar and lemon zest, then kneaded for about fifteen minutes, adding the butter gradually. Then comes the first rise of one to two hours, until the dough doubles.

Next the dough is shaped into an oval, cuts are made, the cream is piped into them and pine nuts are sprinkled on. A second rise of about two hours, then baking at 190 degrees for thirty to thirty-five minutes. It's served chilled. The secret isn't some expensive ingredient - it's the patience between the two rises. As with many good things in the kitchen, time is the most important spice.