Triple berry Christmas cake
This impressive cake is a fantastic alternative to a traditional Christmas cake. Cut through the creamy white coconut curls to reveal four layers of lusciously light lemon cake packed with bright bauble-like berries. British Elsanta strawberries are available in December for the first time this winter.
Serves: 12
Ingredients
- For the cake
- A little sunflower oil for greasing
- 225g soft butter
- 225g caster sugar
- 225g self-raising flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 4 medium eggs
- 1 lime, grated zest only
- 1 lemon, grated zest only
- To decorate
- 1 x 325g jar lemon curd
- 225g raspberries, plus extra to decorate
- 400g strawberries, thickly sliced, plus extra to decorate
- 150g blueberries
- 450ml double cream
- 100g coconut shavings
- a little icing sugar, sifted, to decorate
Method
- First, make the cake.
- Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas4.
- Brush the base and sides of two, 20 cm Springform tins with a little oil and line the base of each with a circle of non-stick baking paper.
- Add butter, sugar, flour and baking powder to a large mixing bowl or food processor.
- Add the eggs and fruit zests and beat together for a few minutes until smooth.
- Divide the cake mixture evenly between the two tins and level the surface with a knife.
- Bake for 20-25 mins until the cakes are well risen, golden brown and the tops spring back when lightly pressed with a fingertip.
- Leave the cakes to cool for 5 mins then loosen the edges, remove the tins and cool on a wire rack.
- About 1-2 hours before you are ready to serve, remove the lining paper from the cakes, if you haven’t already, then cut each cake into two layers.
- Put one of the layers on a cake stand or flat plate.
- Spread with some of the lemon curd then arrange half the raspberries and strawberries in an even layer on top.
- Add a second cake layer, more lemon curd and the blueberries.
- Add a third cake layer, more lemon curd then the remaining raspberries and strawberries and cover with the final cake layer.
- Press together gently, checking that the cake stands straight.
- Whisk the cream in a bowl until it forms soft swirls then spread a thin layer over the top and sides of the cake to stick the cake crumbs in place, then spoon the remaining cream over and spread into soft swirls.
- Cover with the coconut shavings then chill until ready to serve.
- Add a few extra berries to the top of the cake, dust lightly with icing sugar before serving.
