Lemon raspberry cake

I love cakes that are light, not overly sweet, simply decorated and beautifully understated in flavour. This refreshing lemon cake was the perfect dessert for a hot summer day while we were out enjoying the sunshine – it was chilling in the fridge, waiting for us to come home. It’s intensely lemony (you really have to love citrus!), yet despite the generous amount of butter in the filling, the butter flavour isn’t noticeable at all. The lemon cream is absolutely delicious. I can’t recommend it highly enough. And don’t skip the raspberries – they brighten the flavour beautifully!

Ingredients for the sponge cake:

• 5 large eggs
• 150 g caster sugar
• 95 g plain flour
• 30 g potato starch

All the ingredients should be at room temperature.

Separate the egg whites from the yolks. Whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form, taking care not to overwhisk them. Gradually add the sugar, one tablespoon at a time, whisking well after each addition. Add the egg yolks one at a time, whisking continuously. Sift the flour and potato starch directly over the egg mixture. Gently fold together with a spatula or balloon whisk until just combined. Folding by hand keeps the sponge beautifully light and airy – do not use a mixer at this stage.

Line the base of a 23 cm round cake tin with baking paper. Do not grease the sides. Transfer the batter to the tin and level the surface.

Bake at 160–170°C for 35–40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Immediately after baking, drop the tin from a height of about 30–40 cm onto the worktop or floor, then leave the sponge to cool completely. Once cooled, loosen the sides with a knife and cut the sponge into three layers.

Ingredients for the lemon cream:

• 500 ml milk
• 180 ml freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 4–5 lemons)
• finely grated zest of 3 lemons
• 4 tablespoons plain flour
• 5 tablespoons potato starch
• 4 eggs
• 250 g caster sugar
• 370 g unsalted butter, at room temperature

Bring 250 ml of the milk and the sugar to the boil. Blend the remaining 250 ml milk with the flour, potato starch, eggs and lemon zest until smooth. Slowly pour the mixture into the boiling milk, stirring constantly. Cook over a low heat until a thick custard forms. Remove from the heat, cover the surface directly with cling film and leave to cool completely.

Beat the butter until pale and fluffy. Gradually beat in the cooled custard, adding it a little at a time. Adding it too quickly may cause the cream to split. Finally, gradually pour in the lemon juice while mixing, just until incorporated. Chill the cream until slightly firm.

Ingredients for the syrup:

• 250 ml mixture of water and lemon juice (or vodka or limoncello)

Additionally:

• 250 g fresh raspberries
• mini meringues, for decorating (optional)
• crushed biscuits or sponge crumbs, for coating the sides

To assemble:

Place the first sponge layer onto a serving plate and brush generously with the syrup. Spread with the lemon cream and scatter over fresh raspberries. Repeat with the second sponge layer. Top with the final sponge layer and cover the top and sides with the remaining lemon cream. There is plenty of cream to fill and decorate the cake generously. Decorate with mini meringues, extra raspberries and coat the sides with crushed biscuits or sponge crumbs.

Note: The cream becomes quite firm in the refrigerator because of the butter. Remove the cake from the fridge 30–60 minutes before serving to allow it to soften slightly.

Enjoy!