My daughter’s favourite colour is pink. It goes without saying that her favourite drink is pink lemonade, so I invented this for her. This cake is perfect now, when strawberries are wonderfully juicy. The tartness of the lemons complements the sweetness of the cake beautifully. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate spring than with this moist sponge cake, layered with strawberry and mascarpone cream. Hopefully to be shared with friends in the garden. Well, a girl can hope!

Method

• Grease and line two 23cm pans, and preheat your oven to 175°C.
• In a bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, mix the butter and sugar on medium speed for 5-7 minutes, until creamy. (You can do this by hand, using a wooden spoon.)
• Add the eggs one by one, and beating well each time. Add the zest and juice and mix well. Don’t worry if your batter looks a bit curdled, it’ll be fixed once you add your dry ingredients. Sift these in, and fold well to combine.
• Divide the mixture between the 2 pans, and bake for 30 - 40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Allow to cool slightly, before turning the cakes on to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
• While the cakes are cooling, make the syrup: place all ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer over medium heat for about 5-7 minutes then cool.
• Then make your cream: hull the strawberries and mash them well in a bowl with a fork.
• Using an electric mixer or beaters, whip the mascarpone with the lemon juice and sugar lightly for about a minute, then scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the cream. Continue whipping until you reach soft peak stage. Stop your mixer, and fold the strawberries in using a wooden spoon or a spatula.
• To assemble:
• Place the first cake on a serving plate. Pour a few tablespoons of lemon syrup over it. Spread with a generous amount of the cream, then top with the second layer. Repeat with the syrup and cream, spreading the cream all over the top and sides of the cake and smoothing it out.
• Garnish with fresh strawberries, thin slices of lemon and mint leaves.

oogachaka / maghreblondon

First published in the JC, May 27 2021