Slice the starfruits into ½-inch thick slices, pick out the seeds, then set them aside for the moment. (Use a toothpick or skewer if they’re too small to pick out by hand.)

Ready a 15-20-inch pan that you’re gonna bake the cake in, and pour the sugar into the pan. Heat it over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, swirling it around until it melts and browns into a deep, dark—not burnt—caramel. When the caramel has good colour, gently place in a couple of cubes of butter. It’ll start to sputter in the beginning—this is normal—but keep adding more butter, swirling the pan as you go to incorporate the caramel with the butter. Then, add in the starfruit slices and place the pan over low heat, letting the starfruit saute in the caramel for 3-5 minutes on each side.

Turn on your oven and heat it to 180°C.

Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Then, in a separate bowl, combine the butter milk (or milk and lemon juice), eggs, oil, caster and brown sugar, lemon zest, and vanilla extract. Combine the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, then whisk it well to totally incorporate the ingredients.

Arrange the starfruits in a single layer in the pan, then pour the batter over the caramelising starfruit. Transfer the pan into the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes, until well-browned on top, and when a cake tester poked into the middle of cake comes out clean. When done, remove the cake from the oven and let it rest on a cooling rack for 5 minutes. Then, run a paring knife or spatula along the sides of the pan to make sure the edges of the cake aren’t stuck, then flip it out onto a plate or serving tray. Let it rest for a further 15 minutes before cutting into the cake.

Cut the cake into 6 or 8 slices—or 7, or even 11, if you like a challenge—then serve! It also goes great with a little whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.