Penelope, the Passionfruit Raspberry Layer Cake!
An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott
- 1 cup caster or superfine sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 340g/12ozs butter, at room temperature
- 5 eggs, at room temperature
- 3 cups cake flour*
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 cup sour cream
- Juice from 1/2 lemon
- Pinch of salt
- 1 large or 2 small passionfruit
- 2 tablespoons raspberry jam
- A small amount of pink colouring
Buttercream
- 375g/13.25ozs. butter, at room temperature
- 190g/6.71ozs. caster or superfine sugar
- 115ml/4ozs. room temperature water
- 1 passionfruit
- 3 tablespoons raspberry jam
To decorate
- 250g/8.83ozs. fresh raspberries
- Passionfruit
*To make 1 cup of cake flour, add 2 tablespoons of cornflour or fine cornstarch to a measuring cup and fill to the 1 cup measure with plain flour.
Step 1 - Preheat oven to 130C/260F (yes very low). Line 2x 20cm/8inch round baking tins on the base and sides. Beat the sugars and butter together until very pale (about 3 minutes on medium speed). Then add the eggs in one at a time beating well after each addition.
Step 2 - Mix the lemon juice with the sour cream. Fold in the cake flour, baking powder and salt in two batches along with the sour cream mix until only just combined. Divide the batter into half and add the passionfruit to one lot and stir until just combined (do not overwork the batter). And add the raspberry jam and pink colouring to the other batter. Spoon into the prepared tins. Bake for 1 hour 10 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. I realise that this is a long time to bake at a very low heat but once you taste the cake, you'll be converted to baking at this heat as the cake is incredibly moist and not dry on the outside. Cool completely in the tin. Cover with cling film and you can leave this overnight or place it in the freezer until you need it.
Step 3 - Strain the passionfruit and set it aside. Using a beater attachment fitted to an electric mixer beat the butter on speed 3 out of 10 where 10 is the fastest. Beat for 5 minutes until white and smooth. Add the sugar and water in two lots and beat on the same speed for 10 minutes. It will be done when you rub the icing between your fingers and you don't feel any sugar crystals.
Step 4 - Divide the icing into a 2/3 lot and 1/3. With the larger lot, use that to ice the cake so leave it white. Cut each cake in half horizontally and spread 3 tablespoons of frosting onto each layer and then a couple of tablespoons of raspberry jam. You don't need too much between the layers. Repeat until you have four layers sandwiched together.
Step 5 - Spread a thin crumb coat on top of the cake. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to firm up. Then with the remaining 1/3 of the icing, split it in two and add the passionfruit to one (you'll need to beat this in) and the raspberry jam to the other). Using angled spatulas, dab icing onto the sides. Spread the seeds from a passionfruit on top and then decorate with fresh raspberries and passionfruit.