LEMON, RASPBERRY & ROSE CAKE, BY PEGGY PORSHEN

If you ever have a chance to go to London, I can recommend visiting Peggy´s Porshen parlor.

I have been there a few times over the years, and I love her cupcakes, cakes, and coffee.

Her parlour/ cafe is just so pretty, and worth a visit when you are in London.

Peggy´s lemon raspberry rose cake was delicious.
I love a good lemon cake, and the cake layers are soaked in lemon syrup overnight, so it gets all this delicious lemon flavor.
You should give this cake a try, think you will love it.
With love, from Peggy Porshen parlour.

LEMON, RASPBERRY & ROSE ( ADAPTED FROM  PEGGY PORSHEN´S BOOK LOVE LAYER CAKES FROM 2015)

OR THE LEMON SPONGE:

• ¾ CUP + 1 Tbsp (200 g) SALTED BUTTER
• ¾ CUP + 1 Tbsp (200 g) CASTER OR SUPERFINE SUGAR
• ZEST OF 2 UNWAXED LEMONS
• 4 MEDIUM EGGS, AT ROOM TEMPERATURE
• 1 ⅔ CUP (200 g) SELF-RAISING FLOUR, SIFTED (SEE NOTE)

FOR THE LEMON SYRUP:

• ⅔ CUP (150 ml) LEMON JUICE
• ⅔ CUP (150 g) CASTER OR SUPERFINE SUGAR

FOR THE RASPBERRY MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM:

• 1 ¼ CUP (270 g) CASTER OR SUPERFINE SUGAR
• ¼ CUP (67 ml) WATER
• 4 ¾ oz. (135 g) EGG WHITES
• 1 ½ CUP (330 g) BUTTER
• 5 ½ oz. (160 g) RASPBERRY PURÉE
• RASPBERRY EXTRACT (TO TASTE)

FOR THE DECORATION:

• ABOUT 3 Tbsp ROSE PETAL FRAGMENTS, GLAZED
• ICING SUGAR AND FRESH RASPBERRIES

TO MAKE THE LEMON SPONGE.

• Preheat the oven to 347°F / 175°C.
• Line three 6-inch (15 cm) sandwich tins with oil spray and greaseproof paper.
• Place the butter, caster sugar and lemon zest in an electric mixer and, using the paddle,beat at medium-high speed until pale and fl uffy. Lightly
• beat the eggs in a separate bowl or jug and, with the mixer set at medium speed, slowly pour into the mixture. If it starts to curdle, add a tablespoon of fl our to bring it back together.
• Once the butter, sugar and eggs are combined, add the fl our with the mixer set at low speed, until just incorporated.
• Using a rubber spatula, fold through the batter to make sure everything is well combined.
• Transfer the batter to the tins and gently spread towards the edges with a step palette knife.
• The mixture should be higher around the edges of the tins than in the centre, to ensure an even bake and level
  cake height.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes. The sponges are cooked when they spring back to the touch and the sides are coming
  away from the edges of the tin.
• You could also insert a clean knife into the middle of each sponge; if they are cooked, the knife will come
  out clean.
• While the sponges are in the oven, make a

LEMON SUGAR SYRUP.

• Place the lemon juice and sugar in a saucepan, stir well and bring to the boil. Allow
  it to cool down.
• Once the sponges are baked, remove from the oven and allow them to rest for about 10 minutes.
• Brush the tops of the sponges with lemon syrup (reserving some for the assembling
  stage and storing it in the fridge overnight).
• Once just warm, run a knife all the way around the sides of the tins, remove the sponges
  and leave to cool completely on a wire rack.
• Wrap the cooled sponges in cling film and leave to rest overnight at room temperature.
• This will ensure that all the moisture is sealed and the sponges firm up to the ideal texture for
  trimming and layering.

TO MAKE THE RASPBERRY MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM:

• Put the raspberry purée in a small saucepan, bring to the boil and simmer until reduced
  to half.
• Chill until cool.
• Place the sugar and water in a small saucepan over a medium-high heat and bring to a rapid
  boil.
• Place the egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer and whip at low speed, using the whisk attachment, until
  frothy.
• When the sugar syrup reaches 121°C, with the mixer running, pour it directly over the meringue in a thin, steady
  stream.
• Take care not to pour any of the syrup onto the whisk or the sides of the bowl.
• Whip the meringue until cool to the touch; this could take several minutes.
• With the mixer running, add the butter a couple of tablespoons at a time.
• Keep beating until the buttercream is completely smooth and spreadable.
• Add a little meringue buttercream to the raspberry purée and mix until well combined.
• Gently fold into the remaining meringue buttercream and add the raspberry extract to
  taste.
• If the mixture splits, whip it with an electric mixer until smooth.

TO ASSEMBLE THE CAKE:

• Trim the three sponge layers,soak with more lemon syrup and sandwich together using some of the raspberry
  meringue buttercream.
• Sprinkle the rose petal fragments between the layers, and use the meringue buttercream to mask the top
  and sides of the cake.
• If you are recreating the design from the Peggy Porschen Parlour, decorate the top of the cake using a stencil and
  a good dusting of icing sugar,
• then pipe small rosettes of raspberry meringue buttercream around the edge and finish with fresh raspberries.