Summer

Layer

Cake

This cake is like a summer embrace, full of soft buttery layers of Victoria Sponge filled with the perfect tart and sweet lemon curd and raspberry jam; toasted marshmallow frosting on top with candied walnuts for some textural contrast!

6 hours Serves 10-12

You will need:

Victoria Sponge (3 layers):

3 large eggs

Butter (same weight as that of 3 eggs, approximately 190 – 200 g)

Caster sugar (same weight as that of 3 eggs, approximately 190 – 200 g)

Plain flour (same weight as that of 3 eggs, approximately 190 – 200 g)

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. baking powder

2 tbsp. milk

Preheat your oven. Grease and line 7-inch baking tins.
Cream the butter and sugar till pale in colour. (approximately 5 minutes)
Add in eggs one at a time and mix well.
Add in vanilla and milk. Give it a final mix.
Sift in the dry ingredients and lightly fold it all in.
Divide the batter equally among 3 tins.
Bake at 165°C for 20-25 minutes or until skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Cool cakes in the tin for 30 minutes then remove and allow to cool completely.

Note: I baked two layers as one cake and the third layer separately. You could also bake one whole cake and cut it into 3 layers. This cake would take longer to cook. (About 50 to 60 minutes) However, baking individual layers makes a lighter cake.

Lemon curd:

1 egg + 1 egg yolk

50ml lemon juice

50g caster sugar

Zest of 1 lemon

Pinch of salt

30g butter, cubed and chilled

Mix all the ingredients except the butter.
Cook them over a bain-marie (double boiler) till the mixture thickens.
Take off the heat and strain the mixture while it's still hot.
Whisk in the butter and store in an airtight container to cool down in the fridge.

Note: It’s preferable to prepare the lemon curd the night before making the cake. This ensures it sets properly.

Candied Walnuts:

Walnuts, one handful

2 tbsp. sugar

Pinch of salt (optional)

Toast off the walnuts in a pan.
Add in the sugar and let it melt.
Once the sugar has melted, mix with a spoon to get even caramelization.
Remove on a silicon mat or greased baking sheet and spread it out.
Sprinkle with salt (optional). Let cool completely before separating.

Marshmallow frosting:

1 egg white

110 g caster sugar

20 g honey

¼ tsp salt

Mix all the ingredients
Cook over a bain-marie till the sugar dissolves completely. (test the mixture between your fingers to know its ready)
Take off the heat and whisk using an electric mixer till the mixture triples in volume and is glossy with firm peaks, about 5 minutes.

Note: I would suggest making this frosting after you have assembled your cake and left it in the fridge to set. To prevent the frosting from hardening, leave it over the bain-marie with the heat turned off.

Assembly:

3-4 tbsp raspberry jam

Sweetened whipped cream

Colourful candy for decorating

Heat the jam in a microwave for 30 seconds to loosen it up.
Whip up some whipping cream with a little powdered sugar till it has soft peaks. Chill in the fridge for 15 minutes.
Cut your cake in 3 even layers (if you have baked one cake)
Begin layering your cake on a cake board or serving dish.
Spread a 1cm thick layer of whipped cream on the base layer and then lemon curd on top of it.
Place the second layer of cake over it.
Repeat a layer of whipped cream and then raspberry jam on top of it.
Top with the final layer and store in the fridge to set for 30 minutes.
Once the cake is set, decorate the top with marshmallow frosting.
Using a blowtorch, toast the marshmallow frosting lightly until golden brown.
Top with candied walnuts and colourful candy. Your cake is now ready!

Some important pointers:

While filling the layers with cream, keep the filling a good inch in from the edge of the cake. This is because once you go on building the layers, the filling will spread out to the edges because of the weight.
If you do not have a blow torch, you can also toast the marshmallow frosting in an oven. Simply leave out the top layer of the cake and decorate it with the frosting separately. Put it in the oven at the highest temperature, on the topmost level and remove once the frosting has turned golden brown. Once the layer has cooled down a bit, place it on top of the cake.

More recipes you might like

Peach Galette

Share the love!

Recipe Journal