Triple Layer Eaton Mess Cake Recipe

On Saturday my Husband and  I entered a local charity "Bake Off". We are pretty competitive people and wanted to win, in all honesty we wanted to beat each other. Luckily we entered different categories. My husband baked a three cheese and jalapeno swirl. Our oven decided to break the Friday night in the middle of his bake so he finished it off and his sisters house in the morning. The bread had fallen but it still tasted great. Fortunately I had cooked my cakes beforehand. He's claiming that I sabotaged him. I didn't. Honest. 

On Saturday morning I assembled my cake and by lunch time we had our bakes ready to go. We headed over to the Church where the Bake Off was being held. The turn up wasn't great to begin with which was such a shame as the Bake Off was raising money for a local charity. The charity Baby-Basics  (which has branches all over the country) provides essential baby equipment to new mothers in need. They provide Moses baskets, toys, clothes and basics such as breast pads and maternity towels. It's a great cause. We paid our entrance fee and popped our bakes down on the specific table. Nobody had entered the best decorated biscuit or cupcake, so after some quick thinking the organisers picked up some shop bought biscuits and fairy cakes and icing pens and everyone who attended decorated a biscuit and a cupcake. My mouse cupcake won, It wasn't my best work but a great bit of fun.

There was only one entrant to the savoury category and I bet you can't guess who won! Scoring a 48 out of 60. My husband claimed first prize. Winning some gift vouchers (for our favourite coffee shop!).

It was then time for the showstopper category. I had entered my Eaton Mess Cake. There was a chocolate M&M cake and Victoria Sponge, decorated like a cherry garden with butterflies. There was a bit of deliberation but with 2 votes to 1 I scooped first prize. Winning myself a certificate, a wooden spoon with 2016 Bake Off winner and a cream tea for two at a local tearooms. 

The cakes were auctioned off afterwards and mine sold for £26.50. It was great that my cake raised a good amount of money to go to such a deserving charity. They raised around £150 in total. We had a lovely Saturday afternoon and Edith enjoyed herself scoffing my decorated biscuit. All of it. Good old Granny getting messed up instead of us!

This cake is a perfect summer treat and would work perfectly as a celebration cake.

Triple Layer Eaton Mess Cake

- Serves 12 - 

250g baking butter, softened

250g caster sugar

250g self raising flour, sieved

4 medium eggs

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla extract

800g strawberries

600ml double cream

1 tsp vanilla extract

4 meringues, crushed

25g blueberries

a few mint sprigs, for decoration

- Preheat your oven to 180ºC/Gas 4. Grease 3 20cm loose bottomed tins.

- In a bowl combine the sugar and butter. Whisk until pale and fluffy.

- Add in one egg, the vanilla, baking powder and a quarter of the flour. Whisk until combined. Continue to do this until everything is combined in the bowl.

- Divide the mixture evenly between the 3 baking tins and bake for 20-25 minutes until pale golden brown or a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. 

- Once cooked leave to cool completely.

- Whip the double cream into soft peaks, stir in the vanilla extract and set aside.

- Cut half of the strawberries up and crush with a fork and set aside.

- To assemble the cake, place one of the sponge cakes onto a cake stand. Pipe one third of the cream on top and smooth over with a palette knife. 

- Place half of the crushed strawberries on top of the cream sprinkle over some crushed meringue. 

- Place another sponge cake on top and repeat.

- Place the final sponge on top and spread the last third cream over. Chop the remaining strawberries in half, leaving their stalks on, and pile up on top.

- Dot the blueberries around the strawberries and pop a few mint sprigs on top.

- Sprinkle over the last of the crushed meringue and add a good sprinkling of icing sugar.

This cake will need eating in 24 hours as the fresh cream will not keep for much longer.