Pineapple & Cherry Upside-Down Sandwich Cake

This nostalgic sponge layer-cake is a trip down memory lane, fit for any afternoon tea party - fill generously with jam and vanilla cream

• Cooking Time Prep 1 hr
  Cook 30 mins
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Cuts into about 10 slices

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  610

• Protein

  6g

• Carbs

  63g

• Fat

  37g

• Saturates

  22g

• Fibre

  1g

• Sugar

  43g

• Salt

  0.6g

Ingredients

• 250g pack butter, melted, plus a knob to grease
• 250g golden caster sugar, plus 2 tbsp
• 1 can pineapple rings
• 3 glacé cherries, halved (we used red dyed ones to keep it classic, but the choice is yours)
• 300g plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs
• little icing sugar, for dusting
• For the filling
• 6 tbsp cherry jam
• 250ml double cream
• 1 tbsp caster sugar
• ½ tsp vanilla extract

Directions

1. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Grease 2 x 20cm round cake tins and line bases and sides with baking parchment. Scatter the 2 tbsp caster sugar in the base of one of the tins. Drain the pineapple over a bowl to catch the juices. Measure 100ml of juice into a big mixing bowl. Pat dry 3 pineapple rings with kitchen paper and halve horizontally. Arrange in the sugared tin, then add the glacé cherries.
2. Add the melted butter, sugar, flour, baking powder, vanilla and eggs to the pineapple juice, and beat with an electric whisk until smooth. Divide the mixture evenly between the tins-it should be runny enough to pour over the pineapple to cover. Bake for 30 mins or until a skewer poked into the middle comes out clean. Leave for 5 mins, then turn out the cakes onto a wire rack (pineapple-side up), peel off the parchment and cool.
3. Spread the jam over the cooled sponge without the pineapple. Whisk the cream, sugar and vanilla until thick, then spoon over the jam. Gently sit the pineapple sponge on top, and dust with a little icing sugar. Best eaten within 48 hours.

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Wedding Cake -Light Fruit Cake

This makes the top tier of a three tier wedding cake, or make it alone for christenings, Christmas, or whenever you need a good, lighter, fruit cake

• Cooking Time Prep 30 mins
  Cook 2 hrs, 15 mins
• Skill Level Moderately easy
• Servings Serves 24

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  157

• Protein

  2g

• Carbs

  24g

• Fat

  7g

• Saturates

  3g

• Fibre

  1g

• Sugar

  18g

• Salt

  0.06g

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp orange flower water
• zest and juice 1 orange
• zest and juice 1 lemon
• 140g unsalted butter, softened
• 140g golden caster sugar
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 175g plain flour
• 100g undyed glacé cherries, halved
• 100g dried apricots, roughly chopped
• 100g mixed peel, chopped (we used Sundora)
• 100g golden sultanas
• 50g shelled pistachios, left whole
• 50g (3 balls) stem ginger from a jar

Directions

1. Heat oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3. Grease and double-line the base and sides of a deep, 15cm cake tin. Wrap a double layer of greaseproof or brown paper around the outside of the tin, too, then secure with string.
2. Using an electric whisk or a tabletop mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy and light. Beat in the eggs gradually. In a small bowl, mix the orange flower water with the zest and juice of the orange and lemon. Fold the flour, then dried fruit, pistachioes and ginger into the creamed mix, followed by the juice and zest mix.
3. Spoon the mix into the prepared tin and bake for 30 mins, then turn oven down to 150C/ fan 130C/gas 2 and bake for another 1 hr 45 mins until risen, golden and an inserted skewer comes out clean. Leave to cool for 15 mins before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
4. The cake will keep well wrapped in a cool place for up to 1 month.

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Wedding Cake -Zingy Lemon

Tier two of our three tier wedding cake, this gives a real citrus hit and the drenching of lemon syrup keeps it beautifully moist

• Cooking Time Prep 30 mins
  Cook 2 hrs
• Skill Level Moderately easy
• Servings Serves 30

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  269

• Protein

  4g

• Carbs

  33g

• Fat

  8g

• Saturates

  1g

• Fibre

  20g

• Sugar

  0.17g

• Salt

  0g

Ingredients

• 350g unsalted butter, softened
• 350g golden caster sugar
• 6 eggs, beaten
• 140g plain flour
• 280g self-raising flour
• zest of 4 lemons, juice of 3 (about 100ml/3½fl oz)
• For the syrup
• zest and juice 2 lemons
• 100g golden caster sugar

Directions

1. Heat oven to 160C/fan140C/gas 3. Prepare the inside and outside of a 23cm tin, as before. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, then gradually beat in the eggs a little at a time. Add a tbsp of the plain flour if it starts to split. Fold in the flours and a pinch of salt, followed by the lemon zest and juice.
2. Spoon the mix into the tin and bake for 1 hr 15 mins until well-risen and golden and a skewer inserted comes out clean. Meanwhile, make the syrup by heating the sugar, lemon zest and juice in a small pan until the sugar dissolves. Set aside.
3. Once the cake is out of the oven, leave to cool until it's just warm, then use a skewer to poke holes down to the bottom all over the cake. Pour the syrup over, letting it completely soak in after each addition. Leave to cool completely, then either wrap or fill and ice the cake. The unfilled cake will keep well if you wrap it with baking parchment and cling film for up to 4 days, or in the freezer for up to a month.

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Wedding Cake -Rich Dark Chocolate Cake

This recipe makes the bottom layer of our three tier wedding cake or a simple delicious chocolate cake, perfect with a touch of cream

• Cooking Time Prep 40 mins
  Cook 2 hrs, 30 mins
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Serves 50

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  274

• Protein

  3g

• Carbs

  30g

• Fat

  16g

• Saturates

  9g

• Fibre

  1g

• Sugar

  20g

• Salt

  0.23g

Ingredients

• 650g unsalted butter
• 650g plain chocolate (70% cocoa)
• 100ml very strong coffee- espresso is ideal
• 3 tsp vanilla essence
• 650g plain flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 950g light soft brown sugar
• 10 eggs
• 2 x 284ml/9½ fl oz soured cream

Directions

1. Heat oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3. Butter, double-line and wrap the sides of the 30cm deep-round cake tin as before. Put the butter and chocolate into a medium saucepan, then stir over a low heat until melted and smooth. Stir in the coffee and vanilla.
2. Sift the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda into the biggest bowl you have. Add the sugar, breaking down any lumps with your fingertips if necessary. Beat the eggs and soured cream together in a jug or bowl and pour into the flour mix. Pour in the melted chocolate mix as well, then stir with a wooden spoon until you have a thick, even chocolaty batter.
3. Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 2½ hrs-don't open the oven door before 2 hrs is up, as this will cause the cake to sink. Once cooked, leave in the tin to cool completely. The unfilled cake will keep for up to four days, wrapped as before, or frozen for a month.

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Summer Celebration Cake

This fruity cake is impressive but easy to make - perfect for birthdays or for dessert

• Cooking Time Prep 20 mins
  Cook 1 hr, 30 mins
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Serves 16

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  349

• Protein

  6g

• Carbs

  35g

• Fat

  22g

• Saturates

  13g

• Fibre

  1g

• Sugar

  19g

• Salt

  0.24g

Ingredients

• Easy vanilla cake mix (see recipe below - you won't need the syrup)
• 2 x 170g punnets raspberries
• 225g punnet blueberries
• 225g tub crème fraîche
• icing sugar (optional)

Directions

1. Butter and line the base and sides of a round, loosebottomed 23cm cake tin with non-stick baking paper. Make the Easy vanilla cake batter , spread half of it into the tin, then mix half the berries into what is left. Spoon this over the first layer and smooth the top. Bake for 1 hr 30 mins; check with a skewer-it should come out clean.
2. Cool for 30 mins, then remove from the tin and leave to cool on a wire rack. Once completely cold, put onto a plate, smooth the crème fraîche over and pile the remaining berries on the top. Dust with icing sugar, if using. The cake is best eaten fresh, but will keep in the fridge for up to 2 days; return to room temperature before topping with the cream and fruit and serving.

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Croquembouche

For an alternative wedding cake, try croquembouche

• Cooking Time Takes 2-2¼ hours, plus cooling
• Skill Level For the keen cook
• Servings Serves 20

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  -

• Protein

  -

• Carbs

  -

• Fat

  -

• Saturates

  -

• Fibre

  -

• Sugar

  -

• Salt

  -

Ingredients

• 185g plain flour
• 175g unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 6 large eggs, beaten
• For the limoncello cream
• 9 large egg yolks
• 150g golden caster sugar
• 50g plain flour, plus 1 tbsp finely grated zest of 2 lemons, plus 4 tbsp juice
• 500ml full cream milk
• 7 tbsp limoncello (Italian lemon liqueur) or an orange flavoured liqueur
• For the decoration
• 400g white chocolate
• 200g refined caster sugar
• mixture of cream and pink sugared almonds, 175g/6oz each
• 2 x 100g tubs crystallised whole roses
• For the cardboard cone
• 1 A1 sheet of card
• 60cm length of string
• tape and foil for shaping cone

Directions

1. Three days ahead (or 1 month and freeze): preheat the oven to 200C/gas 6/fan oven 180C. Lightly butter 3 large baking sheets. Sift the flour onto a large square of greaseproof paper. Put the butter in a large, heavy-based saucepan with 450ml/3?4pint water and gently heat until the butter has melted. Bring to the boil then immediately tip in the flour, all in one go. Beat with a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a ball that comes away from the sides of the pan. Leave to cool for 5 minutes.
2. Beat in the eggs, a little at a time, beating well between each addition, until the mixture is glossy and only just holding its shape. You may not need to add all the beaten egg. Spoon and pack half the mixture into a large polythene freezer bag. Twist the opening to secure and snip off a 1cm tip from the corner (or use a piping bag and 1cm plain nozzle).
3. Pipe small rounds, about 2cm in diameter, on to the baking sheets, trimming the paste from the bag with a knife. Leave room between them to allow for spreading. You should end up with about 75 rounds. Bake for 25 minutes, in batches if necessary depending on how many baking sheets you have, until well risen and golden, rotating the baking sheets half way through cooking. As soon as the pastry is cooked, make a 1cm slit on the side of each bun to let the steam escape. (This stops them turning soggy as they cool). Return to the oven for a further 5 minutes to dry them out, then transfer to a wire rack to cool. Store in an airtight container (or freeze).
4. Make the cone. Make a pencil mark halfway along a long edge of the A1 card. Mark the halfway position along both short edges and draw a line from each point to the mark on the long edge. Attach one end of the string to the pencil and holding the other end at the point on the long edge, draw a curve from the point on one short side to the point on the opposite side. Cut out the card shape and use as a template to cut out the same shape in foil. Tape the foil over the card and roll up (foil inside), overlapping the straight edges to make a cone shape with a 20cm diameter opening. Secure with tape and snip 10cm off the point of the cone.
5. Two days ahead: make the limoncello cream. Beat the egg yolks, sugar, flour, lemon zest and juice in a bowl to make a smooth paste. Bring the milk to the boil in a large, heavy-based saucepan. As soon as it reaches the boil, pour it over the egg mixture, stirring well. Return to the saucepan and cook over a low heat, stirring constantly until the sauce is very thick and bubbling. Stir in the liqueur and transfer to a bowl. Cover the surface with a circle of greaseproof paper to prevent a skin forming and leave to cool completely. Refrigerate until ready to use.
6. The day before: if the buns are a bit soft when you take them out of the container, lay them in a single layer on baking sheets and re-crisp in a moderate oven for 5 minutes. Fill them sparingly with the limoncello cream by piping as before. You can always pipe in a little extra if you have any mixture leftover.
7. Break the chocolate into a heatproof bowl and melt over a bowl of gently simmering water. (Or melt in the microwave on Medium for 2-3 minutes.) Give the chocolate an occasional stir until it has just melted. Turn off the heat.
8. Rest the cone inside a vase or jug for support. Put a small bun into the point of the cone with the bun's base face up. Spoon 1 tsp of melted chocolate onto the base and secure two small buns over the first, again with base up. Spoon over another teaspoon of chocolate. It's a little difficult working at the tip of the cone but it gets much easier as the cone gets wider.
9. Work up the cone, packing in the buns quite firmly, drizzling the chocolate (see left) and working in horizontal layers until the cone is filled. Make sure that each bun is firmly secured in place with chocolate before proceeding to the next layer and make sure the last layer forms a flat base for the cake. Keep the filled cone in the coolest place overnight.
10. On the day: carefully invert the cone on to a flat serving plate and lift away the cone. Gently peel away the foil if it hasn't come away already. Put the remaining 100g/4oz sugar in a small heavy-based saucepan with 5 tbsp water. Heat very gently, stirring slowly until it has dissolved to make a smooth syrup. Take care not to splash the syrup up the sides of the pan or it may crystallise and solidify.
11. Bring the syrup to the boil and cook for 4-6 minutes, watching closely until it turns a rich golden colour. Take off the heat and dip the base of the pan in cold water to prevent further cooking. Stand back as the pan will splutter noisily. Carefully dip the ends of the sugared almonds and roses in caramel and secure around the cake, scattering a few on the plate.
12. Using a teaspoon, drizzle more caramel around the buns so that it falls in fine threads. If the caramel hardens before you've finished decorating, gently reheat it, taking care not to burn it. Finish with a dusting of icing sugar. To serve the cake, it is easiest if you have one server to break pieces off for the guests, starting from the top and working down.

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Chococcino Cake

We know you all love coffee cake as much as chocolate cake, so why not combine the two?

• Cooking Time Prep 15 mins
  Cook 25 mins
• Skill Level Easy
• Servings Cuts into 8 slices

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  805

• Protein

  8g

• Carbs

  64g

• Fat

  59g

• Saturates

  35g

• Fibre

  2g

• Sugar

  46g

• Salt

  1.07g

Ingredients

• For the sponge
• 200g soft, butter, plus extra for greasing
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 85g good-quality cocoa powder, such as Cafédirect or Green & Black's
• 140g self-raising flour
• 200g golden caster sugar
• 4 eggs
• 2 tbsp milk
• For the filling and icing
• 2 x 250g tubs mascarpone
• 85g golden caster sugar
• 4 tbsp very strong coffee (see tip below)
• 50g dark chocolate, for grating

Directions

1. Heat the oven, line the tins and make the sponge, sifting the cocoa powder with the flour and baking powder.
2. For the filling, beat the mascarpone and sugar together, then beat in the coffee. Use half the mix to sandwich the cakes and spread the other half over the top, swirling with the back of a spoon to make pointy curls. Finely grate the chocolate over the top, then serve.

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Simple Elegance Wedding Cake

To make a three-tier wedding cake, all you need to do is multiply basic cake mixtures and icings, and take your time

• Cooking Time Prep & cook 3 days to stagger the work
• Skill Level For the keen cook
• Servings Cuts into about 90 slices

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  -

• Protein

  -

• Carbs

  -

• Fat

  -

• Saturates

  -

• Fibre

  -

• Sugar

  -

• Salt

  -

Ingredients

• You will need
• 5 x ingredients for Easy vanilla cake
• 5 x ingredients for Basic vanilla buttercream (see recipe below)
• 340g/12oz jar strawberry jam, optional (I used Tiptree Strawberry & Champagne)
• 340g/12oz jar apricot jam, warmed and sieved
• 4kg white ready-to-roll icing (I used Regalice)
• 15cm, 23cm and 30cm thin round cake boards
• 40cm thick round cake board
• cocktail sticks
• palette knife
• a roll of baking parchment
• a flat baking sheet or cake lifter
• icing sugar, for rolling out
• string, for measuring
• 8 x long plastic dowels
• kitchen scissors
• 3½ m x 1½ cm white satin ribbon
• tube of UHU glue, or similar
• To stack and insert the flowers
• 12cm and 15cm polystyrene cake dummies
• 18-gauge floristry wire, cut into about 20 x 10cm lengths
• 15-20 white and pale green hydrangea heads (get some smaller, some larger, if you can); your florist can advise
• 40cm, 30cm and 18cm cake boxes with lids, if you're transporting the cake

Directions

1. MAKING THE CAKES: Make the basic Easy vanilla cake recipe , following the instructions below for each tier, then cool and drench with the syrup. The cakes can be frozen ahead, without icing. However, if you bake them three days before the wedding, the cake will be fine until the big day.
2. For the bottom tier, triple the quantities for the basic cake mix, then spoon into a ready-lined deep round 30cm cake tin. Bake for 2 hrs 15 mins on the middle shelf until risen and cooked through as before. While this cooks, make up a quadruple batch of the syrup-this will be enough for all three cakes. Cool and drench the cake with syrup as before.
3. For the middle and top tiers, double the quantities for the basic cake mix, then spoon it into ready-lined 15cm and 23cm cake tins, filling each to about two-thirds full. Bake them together on the middle shelf, taking the small cake out after 1 hr 15 mins, and leaving the larger cake to cook for 1 hr 30 mins in total. If you know that your oven has hot spots, quickly move the cakes around after 50 mins. Cool and drench with syrup as before.
4. LAYER AND COVER THE CAKES: Make the buttercream as in the basic recipe. You will need 5 x basic quantity-this is a lot, so split your weighed-out quantities in two before you start mixing. You may have some left over, but better too much than too little. Weigh out the buttercream-you will need approximately 400g for the 15cm cake, 600g for the 23cm cake and 1.3kg for the 30cm cake. Spread a little buttercream over the 15cm cake board. Level the top of the cake if you need to, then upturn the 15cm cake onto it. Split into three using a bread knife. I like to mark the front of the cake on each layer before lifting it off, using toothpicks, so I can reassemble it in exactly the right way. Take the top third off first (what was the bottom of the cake) and set aside. Carefully cut the middle layer and set that aside, too. A flat baking sheet or cake lifter can be very helpful here to slide the cake layers off and then back onto each other.
5. Spread a layer of buttercream over the cake on the board. Return the middle layer, lining up the toothpick markings, then spread another layer of buttercream on top. Add a little jam if you like, dotting it over, then spreading evenly. Top with the final piece of cake, then dust off any crumbs on or around the cake. Now brush the whole cake with a thin layer of apricot jam. This should stop you getting too many crumbs in the buttercream. Sit the whole cake on a large sheet of baking parchment.
6. Spread the rest of the buttercream over, starting with the top, then smooth and paddle it around the sides and down to the board. Repeat the whole process with the remaining cakes, using the corresponding boards and the different quantities of buttercream. The cakes are now ready to be iced. You can leave them overnight if needed, loosely covered with cling film.
7. COVERING THE CAKE WITH ICING: You will need about 500g icing for the 15cm cake, 1kg for the 23cm cake and 1.7kg for the 30cm cake. Dust the work surface with icing sugar, knead the icing until pliable, then use your rolling pin to roll it into a circle large enough to cover the sides and top of the cake, with a little left over. Use string to check the size. Use your rolling pin to help you lift the icing over the cake.
8. Smooth the icing around the cake with your hands, easing it over the edges and down to the board. Then trim off the excess with a sharp knife, flush with the bottom of the cake board. Smooth any marks with the flats of your hands, buffing the icing to a slight shine.
9. Once you've iced all the cakes, cover the thick base board. Lightly brush with cooled boiled water, then lay the icing over. Trim to the edge of the board with a knife (I tend to do this like I would a pie crust, holding the board in my left hand, and knife in my right), then leave the board and the cakes to dry overnight.
10. STACKING THE CAKES: Dowels, which are basically plastic sticks, provide stability and strength to tiered cakes, and polystyrene blocks allow you to add a 'floating' layer of flowers. By measuring and cutting the dowels to the same length as the polystyrene, you'll provide an even platform for the next cake to sit on, even if the cake below is a bit wonky.
11. Sit the 15cm dummy centrally on top of the biggest cake. Insert four of the dowels into the cake, around the outside of the dummy, in a square shape. Push them right down until they meet the cake board. Mark with a pen where the top of the dummy comes to.
12. Carefully pull out the dowels; then, using scissors, score around each dowel where you marked it. Snap the plastic cleanly. Re-insert the dowels in their original holes, rounded end down. Repeat the process with the 23cm cake and the 12cm dummy.
13. Position the biggest cake in the middle of the covered board. Run a thin line of glue around the base board and fix the ribbon around it. Fix the ribbon around each cake, using a spot of the glue on the ribbon to secure it to itself. If you're moving the cake to a venue, put the cakes into their boxes now. Make a little kit to take with you-glue, scissors, etc-just in case you have to re-do anything.
14. ON THE DAY-STACKING AND DECORATING THE CAKE WITH FLOWERS: I used hydrangeas-they're beautiful, in season and you can achieve a dramatic effect with relatively few blooms. On the day, save putting the flowers on the cake until as late as you reasonably can. Cut the stems of the hydrangeas to about 2-3cm. Split your least-favourite bloom into smaller pieces-this will help you fill any awkward gaps later. Make sure you save one beautiful bloom for the top.
15. Insert a length of floristry wire into each stem (or wind it around the stem), leaving a spike of wire about 3cm long. Push this into the polystyrene dummy. Repeat until the two dummies are surrounded with a halo of flowers. The bottom cake should be in its permanent position now-out of direct light and away from any radiators. Lift the 23cm cake onto the bottom polystrene dummy, taking care not to squash any petals, then repeat with the top cake. Fill any gaps with the broken-up flower head you reserved earlier. Sit the final bloom on top of the cake, and you're done!
16. CUTTING THE CAKE: Cut the cake across, in a grid, rather than into wedges. You should be able to get 50 servings from the large cake, 30 from the middle and 12 from the top, when cut into 2.5 x 5cm pieces.

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Passion Cake

Bake Sarah Cook's scrumptious triple-layer cake for someone you love this Valentine's Day

• Cooking Time Prep 1 hr
  Cook 25 mins
• Skill Level Moderately easy
• Servings Serves 10

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  611

• Protein

  7g

• Carbs

  80g

• Fat

  32g

• Saturates

  13g

• Fibre

  3g

• Sugar

  56g

• Salt

  0.83g

Ingredients

• 150ml sunflower oil, plus a little extra for the tin
• 300g self-raising flour
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 300g caster sugar
• 50g desiccated coconut
• 2 eggs, plus 2 egg whites, whole eggs beaten
• 2 over-ripe bananas, mashed
• 140g carrots, grated
• 432g can crushed pineapples in juice, drained in a sieve, reserving the juice (or briefly whizz a can of pineapple chunks, then sieve)
• 100ml milk
• For the drizzle & icing
• 4 ripe passion fruits, halved
• 25g caster sugar
• 200g tub soft cheese
• 100g softened butter
• 85g icing sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

1. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Oil and line the bases of 3 x 20cm sandwich tins with baking parchment. Mix the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, half the sugar and the coconut in a large mixing bowl. In another bowl mix the beaten whole eggs, mashed bananas, grated carrot, drained crushed pineapple, milk and oil. Beat the egg whites until stiff, then add the remaining sugar and beat until stiff and shiny again.
2. Stir the wet mixture into the dry until smooth and lump-free, then using a large metal spoon or spatula, fold in the egg white mixture. Divide evenly between the tins and bake for 25 mins until risen and a skewer comes out clean. You might need to swap the position of the tins after 20 mins.
3. For the drizzle, scoop out the passion fruit pulp into a small pan. Add the pineapple juice and caster sugar and heat until bubbling, then bubble until syrupy. For the icing, beat the cheese and butter until lump-free, then beat in icing sugar and vanilla. Chill until ready to assemble.
4. Poke the cakes all over with a skewer, drizzle over most of the passion syrup, then cool. Once cool, spread the icing over two of the sponges. Sandwich together and top with the third, un-iced, sponge. Drizzle over the remaining syrup.

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Pauls Berry Sponge

Make the most of British summer berries by piling them onto a stunning layered sponge

• Cooking Time Prep 45 mins
  Cook 25 mins
• Skill Level Moderately easy
• Servings Serves 10

Nutrition per serving

• Kcalories

  621

• Protein

  9g

• Carbs

  55g

• Fat

  42g

• Saturates

  22g

• Fibre

  2g

• Sugar

  35g

• Salt

  0.26g

Ingredients

• 50g butter, melted, plus extra for greasing
• 250g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• 250g caster sugar plus 1 tbsp
• 8 medium eggs
• 600ml pot double cream
• 400g punnet strawberries, halved
• 180g punnet blueberries
• 150g punnet raspberries
• icing sugar, to dust

Directions

1. Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Brush 2 x 20cm cake tins with melted butter, line the bases with baking paper, then dust well with flour tipping out any excess. Set aside.
2. Put the sugar and eggs in a large heatproof bowl, then set it over a pan of barely simmering water. Whisk with an electric hand whisk for about 7 mins or until the mixture is pale and has trebled in volume. Remove from the heat, then slowly pour in the butter folding it in as you pour until it is completely mixed in.
3. Gently fold the flour and a pinch of salt into the egg mixture, then pour into your prepared cake tins. Cook for 25 mins until the cake is golden and risen-a skewer pushed into the cake should come out clean. Allow the cakes to cool for a few mins in the tin, then remove and cool completely on a wire rack.
4. Meanwhile, whip the cream until it just holds its shape, then set aside. Whizz about a quarter of the strawberries with 1 tbsp sugar until smooth, then fold this purée through the cream so you get a ripple effect.
5. To assemble the cakes, cut each one in half horizontally. Put one sponge on a serving plate, spread a quarter of the cream mix on top, then dot a quarter of the blueberries and raspberries around the edge. Repeat this step two more times, put the last layer of cake on top (save a top half of cake for the top layer), spread the remaining cream over, then put the blueberries and raspberries around the edge and pile the strawberries in the centre. Dust with icing sugar just before you serve.

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