Angel cake

Instructions

1. Step 1

   Heat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Butter a 25cm x 30cm tin and line with baking paper. Put a roughly 20cm-long sheet of baking paper over a similar-sized sheet of foil, then fold accordion-style into three 10cm-wide sections, with two 4cm- or 5cm-high ridges between each section. Put in the tin, making sure it fits snugly – trim slightly if needed.

2. Step 2

   Put the eggs and sugar in a large heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, making sure the bowl doesn't touch the water. Beat using an electric whisk until the mixture has doubled in volume, and is pale in colour and thick enough to leave a ribbon on the surface for a few seconds when you pull out the beaters.

3. Step 3

   Remove the bowl from the heat and slowly drizzle in the melted butter, folding it in a few times with a spatula or metal spoon. Sift over the flour and gently fold again, being careful not to knock any air out, until there are no pockets of flour. Get out two other bowls and divide the batter so you have three equal portions. Add a drop of yellow food colouring and the lemon zest to one, the pink food colouring and raspberry extract to the second, and the vanilla extract to the third, folding to combine each time. Scrape one batter into each individual section of the prepared tin, holding the bowls close to the tin to prevent knocking out too much air. Bake for 12-15 mins or until risen and the middle of the sponges spring back when gently pressed. Leave to cool for 5 mins, then remove from the tins to a wire rack to cool completely.

4. Step 4

   When the cakes are cool, make the buttercream. Beat the ingredients together with ½ tbsp of just-boiled water until pale and airy. Make the fondant icing by mixing the icing sugar with about 2 tbsp of water until stiff and glossy. Remove 2 tbsp of the icing to a small bowl, mix in a drop of food colouring to make a pink icing, and transfer to a piping bag fitted with a small round nozzle.

5. Step 5

   Spread the buttercream over the yellow and pink sponges, smoothing it to the sides. Stack the pink sponge over the yellow, and sandwich the plain sponge on top. Trim the sides of the stack so they’re even and straight.

6. Step 6

   Spoon the fondant icing over the cake and gently spread it to the edges. While the icing is still wet, pipe lines of pink icing over the top. Use a cocktail stick or skewer to drag lines into the icing in alternate directions to ‘feather’ the icing. Cut into slices to serve. Keeps for four days in an airtight container.