Lemon sponge with meringue buttercream: The retro cake recipe making a comeback just in time for Mother’s Day

To celebrate Sydney’s biggest cake swap, baking star Katherine Sabbath and Cake Picnic founder Elisa Sunga shared how to make a retro cake using a zesty lemon sponge and silky Swiss meringue buttercream.

Lemon Sponge Cake

Serves: 16

Ingredients

• 150g unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup (220g) caster (superfine) sugar
• 1½ cups (220g) self-raising cake flour or self-raising flour, sifted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
• 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 4 large eggs, lightly whisked, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons hot water

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 160C fan-forced. Grease two 15cm (6-inch) round cake tins, at least 6cm deep (each cake will be sliced into two even layers once cooled). Line the bases and sides with baking paper. Alternatively, you can bake the cakes in four 15cm round single-layer cake tins (in which case reduce the baking time by 5 minutes).
2. Using a hand-held mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed for 3 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Add 2 tablespoons of the flour, then gradually add the vanilla, lemon zest and juice and beat until combined. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
3. Gently fold in the remaining flour and the water all at once. Divide the mixture equally between the cake tins.
4. Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until the centre of each cake springs back when lightly pressed. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before turning out onto a baking rack to cool completely. If using the standard round cake tins (rather than the single-layer tins), use a cake leveller or a long, thin knife to divide the cakes into two even layers (you should have four layers in total). Cover and set aside until needed.

Perfect Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Makes: 10 cups (2.5 litres)

Ingredients

• 550g caster (superfine) sugar
• 10 large egg whites, chilled (pasteurised egg whites are available in cartons at most major supermarkets)
• 900g unsalted butter, softened to a spreadable consistency
• 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste

Method

1. Place the sugar and egg whites in a heatproof glass bowl. Set the bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water, and whisk until the sugar has dissolved and the egg whites are slightly warm to the touch (at least 40C) Tip: You can omit this step entirely if you are using pasteurised egg whites, and instead, simply place the sugar and egg whites directly into the mixer.
2. Transfer the mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk on high speed until the mixture has formed stiff and glossy peaks, around 10–15 minutes.
3. Switch to the paddle attachment. Add the butter in thirds, and beat on high speed after each addition until incorporated. Don’t be alarmed if the buttercream appears curdled — it will become light and fluffy again with continued beating for around 2–3 minutes (we absolutely promise!). Add the vanilla bean paste and beat until just combined.

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