Spring is here! This cake reflects the season PERFECTLY. I highly recommend making this cake. The lemon sponge is so light and fluffy, the addition of oil in the sponge makes it lovely and moist and the yoghurt makes it so fluffy and adds such a great flavour to the lemon. Plus the rhubarb jam… MATCH. MADE. IN. HEAVEN.
With any cake like this, yes, it does take a little longer to make, but with spring in full bloom and we can now see our loved ones, what other reasons would you need to celebrate?! This cake is a perfect way to enjoy and spend time with your friends and family.
Here are some tips to get the perfect cake:
- Invest in a good cake scraper. This is for those cake makers among you! If you want a more professional look to your cake, use a metal scraper. It will change your life! (well not literally, but it’s pretty great)
- Use a turntable when masking your cake, it will make it a lot easier to mask! If you don’t have a turntable, use a board that you can easily turn around so you can have smooth edges around the cake.
- Be patient. If you are like me and get impatient when baking as you want to do everything as quick as possible. Don’t! Making these types of cakes takes time. Letting the cake cool down, chilling in between masking and decorating. Trust me, it will make it so much easier and look so much better!
You will need 3×6 inch round tins
Ingredients:
Sponge:
280g Caster Sugar
90g Butter
90g Oil
3 Lemon zest
3 eggs
280g Plain Flour
1/2 tsp. Salt
2 1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
133g Yoghurt
Jam:
250g Rhubarb
200g Caster Sugar
Frosting:
250g Icing Sugar
125g Unsalted Butter, softened
125g Mascarpone
100g Rhubarb Jam
Method:
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Preheat 170 degrees celsius (fan). Grease three 6 inch tins with butter and line the bottom of the tins with baking paper.
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In a free standing mixer using the paddle attachment or an electric whisk, beat together the sugar, butter, oil and lemon until fluffy and well incorporated.
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Slowly add the eggs to the mixture, until all mixed together. Sift together the baking powder, salt and flour.
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Then, alternatively, add the flour mix and yoghurt in two inclusions and continue to mix until well incorporated.
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Weigh the 340g of mixture into each of the tins. Then bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes until golden brown. (time dependant on each individual oven) Leave to cool on a wire rack.
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Now to make the jam. Chop the fresh rhubarb into small chunks and place into a small pan with the sugar. Bring to the boil and continue stirring until the temperature reaches 104 degrees on a sugar thermometer.
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Pour into the container and leave to set completely.
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To make the frosting, beat together the softened butter and icing sugar together until pale and fluffy. Once this has been beaten together, add the mascarpone to the mixture and continue to beat until it is well incorporated and fluffy.
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Mix in the rhubarb jam and leave to set slightly in the fridge.
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Now for the assembly. Using a serrated knife, trim the tops off the sponge and discard. Place one of the sponges on top of a board or plate
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On top of the sponge on the board, add a large spoonful of frosting and use a palette knife to spread evenly across the sponge.
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Place the second sponge on top of this and add the rest of the rhubarb jam making sure to leave 2 tbsp of jam for the outside of the cake.
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Bottom side up, place the final sponge on top and leave to chill in the fridge for 30 minutes or so to firm up.
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Make sure your frosting is soft and spreadable, you can soften your frosting by putting it in the microwave for 10 seconds at a time. Whisking between each time to achieve the required consistency.
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Place the cake on top of a turntable and add two big spoonfuls of frosting on top of the cake. Using your palette knife spread the buttercream around the cake making sure to cover the whole cake in buttercream. Using a scraper or palette knife, scrape any excess buttercream off the cake making the buttercream smooth around the cake.
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Use the palette knife to scrape off any excess buttercream at the top spreading the cream to the middle of the cake. With the 2 tbsp. jam, spread around the sides of the cake to get a marbled effect. It doesn’t have to be perfect, rustic is good!
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Decorated with dried or fresh lemon slices. Store in the fridge in an airtight container. It will keep for 3-5 days.
Enjoy!
