This is an unusual post about my recent experiments in the kitchen. To celebrate the Coronation of our new King Charles III, I wanted to make a cake, and it should be a Special Cake. My attention fell onto the old recipe from my youth, which was popular in the 80’s. It was a layer cake with two or three Victoria sponges and an interesting filling in between them.
Because I’m trying to eat less sponge cake, I decided to replace the sponges with just a one thin bottom layer of digestive biscuits, so less pastry and more filling. The cake requires a minimum number of basic ingredients, no baking and approximately 2 hours to complete. This was my first improvisation of several recipes and gave a cake which was 22cm in diameter and weighed 2kg. The quantity of all ingredients can be easily reduced for a smaller version.
For the filling: add 130g semolina to 750ml milk, bring to boil and while stirring from time to time, cook for 5mins until it thickens. Cover with cling film and let it cool.
For the base: 250g (22st) crushed digestive biscuits mixed with 125g melted butter. I also added 1 tbsp popping candy. Tip the mixture into the tin and press firmly down into the base to create an even layer. Chill in the fridge.
Finish the filling: the original recipe said “grate 2 unwaxed whole lemons“. Next time I will grate only the zest and squeeze the juice, because I didn’t like the taste of white under-skin. Mix the lemons with the cooled semolina.
Using a mixer, beat 250g (or less 150-200g) of softened butter and 150g sugar, until it becomes lighter in colour, add a few drops of vanilla essence. Now add lemon semolina mixture to the butter cream in small portions, while beating.
To combine the cake: tip the filling into the cake tin on top of the biscuits bottom, level it and return to the fridge.
For the chocolate ganache: mix 80g sugar with 30g cocoa powder, add 50g sour cream and briefly cook until sugar dissolved. Then mix in 50g butter. Pour over the cake and put in the fridge. Decorate with white and milk chocolate if desired. I chose to make a Crown motif with white chocolate piping… although mine had some inaccuracies, my husband said it looked great!
Assia Brill 