For the second instalment of my Summer Table I had to share the amazing (and delicious) Eton Mess sponge cake recipe I used for my celebration and mini flower topped sponge cakes. I wanted a classic home baked cake to be at the centre of the styling, reminiscent of summer fetes and country cottages to sit prettily amongst the gorgeous tableware. When looking for recipes you can never beat Mary Berry, for all of these I followed Mary Berry's All in One Sponge. Using measures for the large cake (4 egg) cake for the big one and measures for small (2 egg) cake for the mini sponges. I had a bit of a baking fail - I had intended this to be a three layer event but opened the oven too early and my third sponge sank! Not to be deterred I turned it into the most delicious mini cakes which worked better than I could have possibly imagined and looked lush sat upon their individual plates. I've shared the filling and how I created the mini cakes below, I really hope you give these a go whilst strawberries are still in season. Bon Appetit Friends!
The sponge was Queen Mary's, but the filling was all me! Using meringues I bought in France (you can find pre-made in deli's or supermarkets here in the UK - I double checked this morning), double cream (I used two small cartons for all the cakes and had plenty spare) and two punnets of the juiciest strawberries I could find. I whipped the cream so that it was lovely and thick, sliced the strawberries so they were roughly quartered and crushed the meringue, folding everything together in a large bowl.
To fill, I spread an over generous layer on the bottom cake and then added halved strawberries around the edge (I kept the best looking ones to one side for this purpose) and then popped the second cake on top. To finish I added a dollop of the cream mixture to the top along with a few more pieces of crushed meringue and the juiciest strawberry I could find. A dusting of icing sugar was all it needed to be photo ready.
To serve I used a simple glass cake stand with a truly scrumptious large serving plate, layered up with napkins and doilies - do this before assembling the cake.
For the mini cakes - bake one 2 egg sponge (see above link) in a 20cm round cake tin and leave to cool completely (I left mine over night). Using a circular cake cutter cut out small cakes and slice them in half through the centre. Fill generously with the cream, dust using a sieve with icing sugar and then top with a fresh flower (make sure its not poisonous). To complete, place each individual cake on a vintage paper plate.
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