Summer Berry Layer Cake with Lavender Petals

Serves 8-10

  • 2 Large Eggs

  • 200g Caster Sugar

  • 125g Butter

  • 150ml Single Cream

  • 175g Plain Flour

  • 3 tsp Baking Powder

  • 200ml Double Cream

  • 1 tbsp Vanilla Caster Sugar

  • 800g Berries (Strawberries, Blueberries, Raspberries)

  • 2 Sprigs Lavender Petals

Method

  • Using 25g of the butter, grease two 22cm shallow cake tins and line with baking parchment.

  • Whisk the eggs with the caster sugar in a bowl, until the mixture is thick and creamy and the whisk leaves a trail.

  • Put the remaining butter with the cream into a pan and bring to the boil.

  • Allow to cool for a couple of minutes and stir into the egg and sugar mixture.

  • Sieve the flour and baking powder and fold it carefully into the egg and sugar mixture making sure that their are no lumps.

  • Divide the mixture between the two cake tins.

  • Bake in the oven (170º celsius fan assisted or equivalent) for 15 minutes or until they are cooked and an inserted skewer comes out clean.

  • Remove the cake tins from the oven.

  • Allow to cool for 5 minutes and then remove the cakes from the tins and cool completely on a wire rack.

  • While the cakes are cooling, whip the double cream with the vanilla sugar until it is lightly whipped.

  • Prepare and clean the fruit and hull the strawberries.

  • Once cooled, place one cake onto a cake serving plate, or a cake stand.

  • Place half of the whipped cream onto the cake and arrange half of the fruit on top.

  • Put the second cake on top and then place the remaining cream on top. Arrange the fruit and finally sprinkle over the petals from the two sprigs of lavender.

Tips

  • I make the vanilla sugar by placing a vanilla pod into a container of caster sugar. 

  • Instead of whipping the cream with vanilla sugar, it can also be whipped up with a tablespoon of lavender sugar.

  • If you don't have any lavender petals you can omit them, or sprinkle over dried rose petals.

  • Don't overdo it with the lavender, as it will start to taste rather soapy.