Lemon Strawberry Layer Cake
Adam created this dish for Great American Baking Show ™ 4. This bright summer showstopper wraps a light, zesty lemon sponge around a strawberry whipped-mascarpone cream, rolled so the layers stand vertically and jacketed in silky pink strawberry buttercream. A real strawberry reduction carries the fruit through both the filling and the frosting, and a restrained cluster of amber caramel shards finishes the top. This is a Fix-It reconstruction: it preserves the praised lemon sponge and fruit-forward flavour while rebuilding the gritty buttercream as a silky Swiss meringue, tightening the vertical structure, and dialling the caramel decoration back to a considered accent.
- Time: 240 min
Source: Relaxed Recipes
Ingredients
- FOR THE LEMON SPONGE
- large eggs, room temperature
- granulated sugar
- all-purpose flour, sifted
- salt
- Finely grated zest of 2 lemons
- lemon juice
- unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- FOR THE STRAWBERRY REDUCTION
- fresh strawberries, hulled
- FOR THE STRAWBERRY MASCARPONE CREAM
- heavy cream, cold
- mascarpone, cold
- powdered sugar, sifted
- strawberry reduction , fully cooled
- FOR THE STRAWBERRY SWISS MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM
- large egg whites
- unsalted butter, softened and cubed
- strawberry reduction, cooled
- FOR THE CARAMEL SHARDS
- water
- FOR ASSEMBLY
- Lemon syrup: 2 tbsp lemon juice + 2 tbsp strawberry reduction, to brush
- EQUIPMENT
- Swiss roll tin
- Parchment paper
- Stand mixer with whisk and paddle attachments
- Digital thermometer
- Heatproof bowl / bain-marie
- Offset spatula
- Bench scraper
- Fine-mesh sieve
- Light-coloured saucepan
- Silicone mat or parchment-lined tray
- Piping bag