Serves 12-16
Fruity and fabulous – this cake is delicious and will showcase your hand piping skills. Layers of fresh vanilla cake with strawberry and champagne jam and vanilla Swiss meringue buttercream. Dressed with fresh strawberries and cherries.
FOR THE VANILLA CAKE
250g Unsalted butter – softened
250g Golden caster sugar
250g Beaten eggs (4-5 large eggs) – room temperature
250g Self raising flour
40ml Milk – room temperature or slightly warmed
10ml Vanilla extract
For the SYRUP
150g Golden caster sugar
150ml boiling water
15ml vanilla extract
Method
Preheat the oven to 170C and line the base and side of 2 qty 8 inch round loose bottom tins with non-stick baking parchment.
In a desktop mixer, cream together the sugar and softened butter until light, pale and fluffy.
Add the beaten eggs followed by the vanilla extract in a slow trickle with the mixer on medium high speed until fully incorporated.
Transfer the batter to a large mixing bowl, sieve in the flour and fold with a silicon spatula or metal spoon. Add the warmed milk and continue to fold until all the ingredients are mixed and you have a smooth batter.
Divide equally between the two tins, level the top and bake in the oven for 30 minutes until well risen, golden brown, gently shrinking from the sides, and the top springs back when gently pressed. A small clean knife inserted, should come out clean with no liquid cake batter.
TOP TIP – I cannot emphasise enough the importance of weighing your ingredients accurately, having them all at room temperature (or even on the slightly warm side) and not rushing any stage of the process. This will all ensure you have a beautifully risen, even-crumbed cake, which will be soft and moist.
While the cake is in the oven, make the syrup. Measure the sugar, water and vanilla together ins a jug. Stir until dissolved. (If necessary, warm gently in a small saucepan.)
Once baked, remove the cakes from the oven and place on a wire rack. Spike the surface of the cakes with a wooden skewer and pour or brush the syrup evenly over the top of each. Leave the cakes to cool, then remove from the tin and wrap in cling wrap and refrigerate until firm and ready to assemble.
Keep any remaining syrup to re-brush the cakes once they are cooled before filling.
TOP TIP – adding syrup to the warm cakes helps keep them moist and full of flavour. Brushing again before filling is optional and can also help keep the cake moist.
VANILLA SWISS MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM
400g Caster sugar
200ml Egg white
2 tbsp Vanilla bean paste
10ml vanilla extract
600g Unsalted butter – cool, room temperature (not chilled, and not overly-softened)
FILLING AND DECORATING
100g Strawberry and champagne preserve
350g Fresh berries – strawberries and cherries
METHOD
Place the egg whites and sugar in a large, clean heatproof bowl and place over a pan of gently simmering water. Stir until the sugar dissolves and the temperature reaches 50-55C (122-131F).
Remove from the heat and transfer to a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk the meringue until it has thickened, tripled in size and completely cooled to room temperature.
Change the whisk attachment for the beater and add the butter in small batches until thickened and stable. The mixture may well loosen and look ‘curdled’ before it comes together so be patient. Add the vanilla bean paste and extract and mix until fully incorporated. Continue to beat for 5 -10 minutes on very low speed to remove all the air bubbles and stabilise the buttercream.
Remove the cakes from the fridge, trim to level if necessary.
Place one cake on a cake board or stand and spread generously with vanilla buttercream. Spoon and swirl the strawberry jam on the top and scatter with fresh diced strawberries. Press the strawberries down into the buttercream. Level the top with a palette knife before placing the top cake in position, upside down.
Spread a thin coat of buttercream on the sides and top of the cake, smooth using a palette knife and side scraper and chill for 15 -30 minutes to firm.
Repeat with a top coat of buttercream for a professional smooth finish and chill to firm.
For the decoration, mark the scallops using a round pastry or cookie cutter on the upper section of the cake. Fill a piping bag with an open leaf nozzle and hand pipe the scallop swags around the side of the cake.
Fill a second piping bag with a 195C nozzle and hand pipe shells around the top and base of the cake.
Fill a third piping bag with a smaller star nozzle and pipe scrolls or shells above the base and. Inside the top ring of shells. Finish the top of each swag scallop with a pearl drop.
Dress the cake with fresh strawberries and cherries.
TOP TIP – temperature is critical when making the Swiss meringue buttercream - don’t overheat the egg whites, else the buttercream meringue will not have the protein structure to hold its shape. If this happens, add 1-2tbsp skimmed milk powder or melted white chocolate. Both will help to restore protein strength and stabilise.
If the butter is too warm the buttercream may look soupy. If this happens, chill the buttercream in the bowl for 15 minutes and repeat on low speed.
If the butter is too cold, the buttercream will curdle. Gently heat the outside of the bowl with a hairdryer, or bain marie of warm water and again, mix on slow speed.
This cake will keep up to 3 days stored in the fridge, but serve at room temperature.
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