Eton Mess Cake

Hi, I'm Kayleigh and I have way too many baking accessories. So I wanted to make a big cake for my mum's birthday and Eton Mess is one of her favourite desserts, with that in mind I set out to make an Eton mess cake. After watching endless tutorials on how to create the perfect smooth cake I then realised I have way too many cake accessories... Like, drawers full. Like who needs five different types of pallet knife? Or ten spatulas? 

I also tried out the food gel that Jake got me for Christmas and it has changed my food colouring world! The meringues came out so vibrant which is what I was looking for to create the strawberry in Eton Mess. To create this cake I went for strawberry frosting and raspberry jam inside to recreate the fruit elements and vanilla frosting for the cream, also with the addition of strawberry tea inside the sponges gives it a real Eton mess flavour. 

Eton Mess Cake

300g Butter

300g Self Raising Flour 

300g Caster Sugar 

4 Eggs 

1 1/2 Tsp Baking Powder 

2 Tbsp Cold Strawberry Tea

Pink Food Gel 

1 400g Ready made Vanilla Frosting 

1 400g Ready made Strawberry Frosting 

Raspberry Jam 

Freeze Dried Raspberries 

Meringue Kisses

2 Egg Whites 

120g Caster Sugar 

Red Food Gel 

This cake has a lot of elements so be prepared for a full days baking! 

Preheat the oven to 160C, gas mark 3. Line and grease 3 20cm sandwich tins. 

The basic cake recipe is really simple and easy, place all the ingredients, apart from the food gel, in a large mixing bowl and whisk together using an electric mixer for five minutes until all the ingredients are combined, light and fluffy. Separate the mixture into three bowls, this should equal to 350g each. 

You want the sponges to be light, medium and dark pink so using the food gel place enough into the mixture to create this effect. If you do not have food gel then colouring will work too, you will just have to use more for an intense colour. 

Place the mixture in the prepared tins and place in the oven for 26 minutes, until just starting to come away from the sides or when a skewer comes out clean. Once cooked, leave in the tins to cool down before transferring onto a cooling rack. 

To make the meringue place the egg whites into a mixing bowl. Using an electric whisk, beat the whites until stiff peaks form. Pour in the sugar a little at a time until it turns silky, whisk until stiff peaks form. Also, another trick, place a little of the meringue between your thumb and middle finger, if you can still feel sugar then keep whisking. 

Take the red food gel and paint 4 strips up a large piping bag, carefully place the meringue inside and snip the end. Push the meringue down to pipe meringue kisses onto a lined baking tray. Place in the oven at 140C for 35 minutes, turn the oven off and leave the door slightly open to allow the meringues to cool down. Once cooled, take out of the oven and leave to one side. 

Now back to the sponges, using a cake leveller or a sharp knife level out the top of each sponge to make a straight flat surface. Then using a plate or smaller cake board than the sponge, use a sharp knife to cut away the edge of the cake, take about half a cm off. 

Place the vanilla frosting in a piping bag with a large round nozzle attached. Place a cake board onto a turn table and then place a little frosting on it to make the first sponge secure. Place the darkest sponge on top and then pipe the frosting around the sponge, using a small pallet knife level and smooth the frosting. Then place a dollop of raspberry jam on top and level out making it as equal and straight as possible. Place the medium sponge on top making sure it is level with the first sponge and repeat the process. 

Place the lightest sponge on top and then using a straight pallet knife, place the vanilla frosting around the side of the cake to create a crumb coat. You do not want this to be thick, just enough to lock in the crumbs. Glide the turn table through your hands, letting it do all the work as you place the frosting around. Place in the fridge for one hour to set. 

Place the strawberry frosting in a mixing bowl and beat for a couple of minutes to loosen it up a little. Take the cake out of the fridge and place back on the turn table. Using the same process as before place the frosting around the cake using a straight pallet knife, only this time you want more frosting around the cake, about half an inch thick. Then using a cake scraper go around the sides of the cake to make the frosting straight and smooth with no bumps. You will have excess frosting so just scrap onto the side of the bowl. When it comes to the top, use a smaller pallet knife and level out on top of the cake. You will notice where the top and sides meet it will need knocking in to create a smooth edge, just use the scraper to knock the frosting in and level out. 

How many meringues you place on top is down to you, just enough for decoration. Sprinkle over freeze dried raspberries. 

If I haven't explained this very well then here is the tutorial I used to help me!