A birthday cake for Dame Mary Berry
- Prepare
- overnight
- Cook
- 30 mins to 1 hour
- Serve
- Serves 14
This gorgeous sponge cake filled with fresh cream and lemon curd, and adorned with primroses, is the perfect way to celebrate the grande dame of British baking's 90th birthday.
It's the creation of Monica and Mary's long-time assistant Lucy Young, but of course they used Mary's Victoria sponge recipe. Happy birthday, Mary Berry!
Ingredients
For the crystalised primroses
- 1 free-range egg white, lightly whisked
- about 24 food-safe pale yellow primroses
- caster sugar, to sprinkle
For the cake
- 350g/12oz baking spread, straight from the fridge
- 350g/12oz caster sugar
- 6 free-range eggs
- 350g/12oz self-raising flour
- 2 level tsp baking powder
For the filling
- 600ml/20fl oz double cream
- 3 tbsp icing sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract (or 2 vanilla pods, seeds scraped out)
- about 6–8 tbsp lemon curd
To decorate
- 150g/5½oz raspberries
- 50g/1¾oz white chocolate shavings
- icing sugar, to dust
Method
To make the crystalised primroses, gently brush the egg white over the primrose petals and sprinkle with caster sugar to evenly coat. Place on a wire rack and repeat the process using all the flowers. Allow to dry for a few hours (or overnight).
Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4. Lightly grease three deep 20cm/8in loose-bottomed sandwich tins and line the bases with a circle of non-stick baking paper.
To make the cake, place the baking spread, sugar, eggs, flour and baking powder into a large bowl and beat for about 2 minutes with an electric mixer until beautifully smooth and lighter in colour – the time will vary according to the efficiency of your mixer.
Divide the mixture evenly between the prepared tins and level the tops. Bake for about 25–35 minutes, or until well risen and golden. The cakes should be shrinking away from the sides of the tin and the tops of the cakes should spring back when pressed lightly with a finger.
Leave the cakes to cool in the tins for a few moments, then run a blunt knife around the edge of the tins to free the sides of the cakes. Turn them out, peel off the paper and leave to cool completely on a wire rack.
To make the filling, place the cream, icing sugar and vanilla into a large bowl. Whish with a hand-held electric whisk until soft peaks form, then gently whip so it’s just firm enough to hold its shape. Transfer around three-quarters of the whipped cream into a piping bag fitted with a large plain nozzle.
To assemble, place the first cake layer top down onto a cake stand and spread over one-third of the lemon curd. Spread some of the whipped cream onto the centre of the sponge and push towards the edge, then pipe a neat layer of cream around the edge. Repeat this process with the second layer.
Top with the final cake layer. Spread the remaining lemon curd and whipped cream over the centre and finish by piping a ring of cream around the edge.
To decorate, arrange the raspberries around the top edge of the cake, in between the piped cream. Scatter over the white chocolate shavings and arrange the crystalised primroses on top of the cake, and some on the cake stand. Sprinkle with icing sugar to serve.
Recipe tips
This cake can be made and assembled up to 8 hours ahead. Keep cakes wrapped in the fridge but serve at room temperature. The cooked sponges also freeze well.
Primroses can be picked from the garden in Spring, but if you buy them from a garden centre ensure they aren't sprayed with any chemicals.
