Lemon Tier Cake with Crystallised Rose Petals

Serves : 12

Preparation Time: approx 40 minutes plus drying and cooling time

Cooking Time: 25-30 minutes

Lemon Tier Cake with Crystallised Rose Petals

Ingredients

For the crystallised rose petals

  • 1 free range egg white
  • small pinch sea salt
  • pink rose petals
  • caster sugar

For the chocolate curls

  • 1x 200g bar dark cooking chocolate, packaging removed

For the lemon sponges

  • 300g unsalted butter, softened and cut into small cubes, plus extra for greasing the cake tins
  • 300g self raising flour, sifted plus extra for dusting the cake tins
  • 300g caster sugar
  • finely grated zest of 4 lemons plus 4 tbsp lemon juice
  • 5 large free range eggs at room temperature, lightly beaten
  • yellow food gel, optional

For the butter cream filling

  • 250g unsalted butter, softened and cut into small cubes
  • 350g icing sugar, sifted
  • 6-8 tsp lemon juice
  • pink and yellow food gel

For the glace icing for the top of the cake

  • 100g icing sugar, sifted
  • 4 tsp lemon juice
  • yellow food gel

Method

 

Start by making the decorations:

 

To make the crystallised rose petals

 

Lightly beat the egg white with a small pinch of salt for approx 5 seconds, or until foamy. Place the sugar in a saucer. Hold a petal with tweezers and use a small paint brush to lightly coat both sides of the petal with the egg white. Sprinkle evenly with sugar on both sides of the petal. Place the petals in a single layer without touching on a large tray lined with baking parchment in a warm place for 12 hours.

 

To make the chocolate curls

 

Place the bar of chocolate upside down on a microwaveable plate. Place in a microwave and heat on high for 20 seconds. Then check every 10 seconds until the chocolate is softened and pliable. Remove from the microwave and place vertically on the edge of a chopping board. Hold the bar of chocolate steady with one hand. With your other hand use a potato peeler in one motion to shave along the length of the chocolate bar, allowing the chocolate to curl as you go. You may have to heat the chocolate as before if the chocolate starts to harden.

 

For the sponge

  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/Fan160°C/Gas Mark 4. Grease and base line 3 round 18cm sandwich cake tins with baking parchment and grease again. Dust the base and sides with flour. Remove any excess flour.

  2. Place the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric hand held beater until light and fluffy. Add the lemon zest and juice and beat again until combined. Slowly add the eggs beating well between each addition, adding a spoonful of flour if the mixture starts to curdle. Fold in the flour using a large metal spoon. Stir in the yellow food gel, if using.

  3. Divide the batter mixture equally between each of the cake tins. Smooth the surfaces and bake in the centre of the oven for 25-30 minutes or until just firm to touch.

  4. Allow the cakes to cool in the tins for 10-15 minutes. Loosen the edges with a knife and turn out onto a cooling rack. Remove the baking parchment. Allow to cool completely.

  5. While the cakes cool make the butter cream. Place the butter and icing sugar into a large bowl. Beat by hand with a metal spoon until smooth. Slowly add the lemon juice and mix until creamy and smooth. Divide 1/3 of the butter cream between 2 bowls. Stir in enough pink food gel to colour one of the butter creams to your preferred colour liking. Repeat with the yellow food gel.

  6. Place one of the sponges on a serving plate. Using a small warmed palette knife spread the pink butter cream evenly over the sponge. Top with another sponge and spread with the yellow butter cream. Top with the final sponge. Stir in enough yellow food gel to your colour liking into the remaining butter cream. Using a small warmed palette knife spread the remaining butter cream around the sides of the cake in an even layer.

  7. For the glace icing, mix the icing sugar and lemon juice in a bowl and beat with a metal spoon until smooth. Add enough yellow food gel to your colour liking. The icing needs to be runny enough to drip over the sides of the cake. You may need to add extra icing sugar.

  8. Spoon the glace icing in the centre of the cake. Using a small warmed palette knife gently spread the icing evenly over the top of the cake, allowing the icing to drip down the sides of the cake. Decorate with the rose petals and chocolate curls. Allow the icing to set before serving.