A real showstopper, and surprisingly easy to assemble as it’s not iced. With a rich vanilla and elderflower-soaked sponge, zingy lemon buttercream and fruity jam filling, this towering showstopper would make for the perfect wedding cake!
Our multi-tiered, show-stopping spectacular is fit for any celebration, but especially a wedding. This cake is simpler than it looks, as it's not iced, so just an assembly job and the sponges can be frozen for up to 3 months. The ultimate get-ahead!
If you're after more wedding recipe inspiration, then look no further.
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Yields:
70
Prep Time:
2 hrs 45 mins
Cook Time:
4 hrs 25 mins
Total Time:
7 hrs 10 mins
Cal/Serv:
432
Ingredients
For the 15cm Cake
150g
unsalted butter, softened, plus extra to grease
200g
caster sugar
2tsp.
vanilla bean paste
3
medium eggs
225g
plain flour
11/2tsp.
baking powder
3Tbsp.
milk
For the 20.5cm cake
275g
unsalted butter, softened
375g
caster sugar
11/2Tbsp.
vanilla bean paste
6
medium eggs
425g
plain flour
1Tbsp.
baking powder
5Tbsp.
milk
For the 25.5cm cake
500g
unsalted butter, softened
650g
caster sugar
2Tbsp.
vanilla bean paste
10
medium eggs
750g
plain flour
5tsp.
baking powder
10Tbsp.
milk
For the filling
600g
unsalted butter, softened
1
.2kg icing sugar, plus extra to dust, optional
Finely grated zest and juice 3 lemons
1Tbsp.
Sicilian lemon extra (see GH TIPS)
350ml
elderflower cordial, we used Belvoir Farm
450g
good-quality strawberry jam/conserve, we used Bonne Maman
You will also need
15cm, 20.5cm and 25.5cm round cake tins, at least 7cm deep
Kitchen string
Cocktail sticks
15cm, 20.5cm and 25.5cm round, thin cake boards
5
-10 plastic or wooden dowel rods (see GH TIPS)
Mixed berries, we used strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and redcurrants
Directions
Step 1Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan) mark 4. Lightly grease the cake tins
and line the bases and sides with baking
parchment, making sure it comes 4cm
higher than the sides of the tin. Wrap
a triple layer of baking parchment
or newspaper around the outside of each tin, securing with string – this will
help prevent the sides of the cakes
from over-browning.
Step 2Make the cakes 1 at a time, starting
with the smallest, 15cm tier. Using
a freestanding mixer, or a large bowl
and a handheld electric whisk, beat the
butter, sugar, vanilla and a pinch of salt
until light and fluffy.
Step 3Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well
after each addition. Beat in 1tbsp flour
between additions if the mixture begins
to curdle. Using a large metal spoon,
fold in the (remaining) flour, baking
powder and milk in 3 additions, until
combined. Scrape into prepared tin
and smooth to level.
Step 4Bake the cakes until risen, springy to
the touch and a skewer inserted into the
centre comes out clean; 1hr-1hr 10min for
the 15cm cake, 1hr 15min-1hr 25min for the
20.5cm cake, 1hr 40min-1hr 50min for
the 25.5cm cake. Cool in tin for 15min,
then remove outer ring (leave on base)
and leave to cool completely on a
wire rack. Repeat steps 2-4 to make
remaining cakes.
Step 5When ready to assemble, make the
buttercream filling. Using a freestanding
mixer or a handheld electric whisk and
a very large bowl (make in 2 batches if
you don’t have a big enough bowl), beat
the butter until pale and fluffy. Sift in
1/2 the icing sugar and beat to combine
(start on a low speed, to prevent a cloud
of sugar). Sift in remaining icing sugar
and add the lemon zest, juice and extract.
Beat until light and a thick, spreadable
consistency. Close-cover the surface
(to prevent it hardening) and set aside.
Step 6To assemble, remove a cake from its
base, peel off the baking parchment and
put on a turntable or board. Using a
large serrated knife, level the top. With
one hand firmly on top of the cake, run
the knife around the outside of your
cake 1/3 of the way down and 2/3 of the
way down. Without separating them,
slice cake evenly into 3 layers.
Step 7Insert a cocktail stick into each layer
on 1 side of your cake (this will help
you reassemble the cakes more easily).
Repeat levelling and slicing with the
remaining 2 cakes.
Step 8Next, brush the cut sides of all the
layers generously with elderflower
cordial. Set aside the base layers of
each cake until needed.
Step 9Spread a little buttercream on to the
largest cake board and stick on the top layer of the largest cake, cut-side up.
Spread over a generous layer of
buttercream, right to the edges. Working
side-by-side, spread buttercream on top
of the middle layer (of the largest cake).
Next, spread a layer of jam over each.
Step 10Using a cake lifter (if you have one),
lift the middle layer on to the base,
making sure the cocktail sticks align.
Top with the set-aside base layer,
cut-side down. Remove cocktail sticks.
Repeat to fill and reassemble the
other 2 cakes.
Step 11Insert a dowelling rod into the centre
of the bottom tier (largest cake), pushing
it all the way down to the board. Mark
the rod with a pen 4mm above where
it pokes out of the cake. Remove the rod
and, using sharp scissors or a knife, score
well around the mark and then snap.
Mark, score and snap more rod sections
to the same length as the measured rod,
until you have enough to form a stable
platform for the next cake layer. Return
the first dowel to the central hole, then
insert the remaining rods into the
bottom tier, in an evenly spaced circle
3cm in from the edge (see GH TIPS).
Step 12Repeat dowelling process with
the middle tier, measuring, marking,
snapping and inserting rods in a circle
3cm in from the edge, as well as 1 in the
centre of the circle.
Step 13If needing to transport the cake, do
so in separate tiers and stack at the final
location. Carefully lift the middle tier
(on its board) to sit on the dowels in the
bottom tier – it should balance perfectly,
without putting pressure on the cake
itself. Repeat with the top tier.
14 Dust the outside edges of the cake
with icing sugar, if you like. Decorate with
fruit and serve.
GET AHEAD:
To freeze the cakes, leave the baking parchment disc on the base of each to protect the sponges, then wrap well with clingfilm. To make the most of your freezer space, freeze cakes in a single layer for 5hr until hardened, before stacking and freezing for up to 3 months. Defrost at cool room temperature before splitting, brushing, filling and stacking up to 3-4hr ahead. Portions of leftover cake may be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
GH TIPS:
Make sure all your
ingredients are at room
temperature for the best
possible cake texture.
Your butter should
be soft enough that you
can easily press your
finger through it without
resistance. If it’s firmer,
beat well to soften
before using.
Beating the butter and
sugar incorporates air into
the mixture, resulting in a
well-risen cake. Beat until
light (almost white), fluffy
and moussey.
Using lemon extract
as well as fresh lemon in
the icing gives a lovely
extra-citrussy zing, but
you can replace it with
vanilla extract for a more
mellow flavour.
Dowel rods vary in
diameter and can be
hollow or solid, wooden
or plastic. If you’re using
wider, hollow rods you will
need fewer for each tier.
Use enough for each tier,
spaced evenly apart, to
give a stable base for the
tier above to rest on.
Per serving (without fruit decoration):
What to read next
Calories: 432
Protein: 4g
Total fat: 20g
Saturates: 12g
Carbs: 58g
Total sugars: 42g
Fibre: 1g
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An experienced and highly skilled team of food writers, stylists and digital content producers, the Good Housekeeping Cookery Team is a close-knit squad of food obsessives. Cookery Editor Emma Franklin is our resident chilli obsessive and barbecue expert, who spends an inordinate amount of time on holidays poking round the local supermarkets seeking out new and exciting foods. Senior Cookery Writer Alice Shields is a former pastry chef and baking fanatic who loves making bread and would have peanut butter with everything if she could. Her favourite carb is pasta, and our vibrant green spaghetti is her weeknight go-to. Lover of all things savoury, Senior Cookery Writer Grace Evans can be found eating crispy corn and nocellara olives at every opportunity, and will take the cheeseboard over dessert any time (though she cannot resist a slice of tres leches cake). With a wealth of professional kitchen know-how, culinary training and years of experience between them, they are all dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work (and if they don’t – we’ll have the answer for why*) every time (*90% of the time the answer is: “buy an separate oven thermometer”!).
