Spring layer cake with ricotta frosting

Spring & Summer
Nuts
Easter

Using Bonne Maman Mirabelle Plum Conserve, this spring layer cake is the perfect Showstopper Cake for any spring occasion, especially Easter!

Brought to you by Bonne Maman

This spring layer cake features a vanilla, almond and plum for the tastiest Easter treat around!

Spring layer cake, you say? This orange and almond sponge is moist and delicious with ripe plums and conserve baked into the mix. The layers are then filled and coated with a creamy ricotta and vanilla frosting. Simply decorate with frosted rose petals, primroses and fresh rosemary to create a pretty and delicious masterpiece! Using Bonne Maman Mirabelle Plum Conserve, this bake is the perfect Showstopper Cake for any spring occasion - especially as a pud after an Easter Sunday lunch!

Top Tips!
  • To frost flowers and herbs, brush them very lightly with lightly whisked egg white then sprinkle with caster sugar. Leave to dry at room temperature.
  • Assemble the cake without the final coating of frosting the day before and keep chilled. About 4 hours before serving, finish with frosting and flowers. Keep in a cool place.
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Ingredients

  • 225 g unsalted butter (softened)
  • 150 g golden caster sugar
  • 2 tsp vanilla bean paste
  • 2 medium eggs
  • 220 g self-raising flour
  • 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 140 g soured cream
  • 2 oranges, juice and zest
  • 50 g ground almonds
  • 6 tbsp Bonne Maman Apricot, Peach or Mirabelle Plum Conserve
  • 200 g ripe apricots, plums or peaches (stoned and thickly sliced)

For the ricotta and vanilla frosting:

  • 250 g marscarpone cheese
  • 1 tbsp icing sugar
  • 75 g ricotta cheese

To decorate:

  • Frosted yellow rose petals, primroses, fresh rosemary.

Instructions

1
Heat the oven to 180C, 160C fan oven, gas mark 4. Grease and line the base and sides of a deep 20cm cake tin.
2
To make the cake, put 175g of the butter into the bowl of an electric mixer with the caster sugar, ½ the vanilla, eggs, flour and bicarbonate of soda. Beat together until very pale, light and fluffy.
3
Fold in the soured cream, orange zest and ground almonds.
4
Spoon half the mixture into the prepared tin. Stir the conserve into the sliced fruit and spread evenly over the cake mixture. Spoon on the remaining cake mixture and level the surface.
5
Bake for 40 minutes, cover loosely with foil and bake for a further 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin.
6
To make the frosting, beat together the remaining 50g butter with the remaining vanilla paste, mascarpone cheese and icing sugar until very smooth. Finally beat in the ricotta cheese. Keep chilled.
7
Cut the cake into three even layers. Put one sponge on a serving platter and spread with a layer of frosting using a palette knife. Top with a second sponge, spread again with frosting then finish with the top layer of sponge. Use about half the frosting to do this stage. Spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides of the cake, scraping here and there with the palette knife to give a mottled effect.
8
Decorate with frosted rose petals, primroses and fresh rosemary. 

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