This recipe is based on Nigella Lawson’s vegan lemon tendercake. The cake can be made into a vegan one by substituting the dairy milk for soya or coconut milk. When making the frosting, the butter can be substituted with a vegan ‘butter’ eg Flora Vegan Margarine 60% fat.
The cake itself is soft, moist and very fragrant. It is a delicious cake to be made anytime; not just for dietary constraint purposes.
And the fact that making the cake only requires 2 mixing bowls and a whisk should be an added pleasure.
If you are in a rush and cannot get strawberries, use jam as part of the filling, in between cake layers. The strawberries do provide a mouthwatering taste sensation against the lemony, sweet backdrop of the buttercream. Make the strawberry puree ahead of time.
This recipe will serve 10-12 slices and is ideal for a small birthday party. Layer cakes are especially fantastic when there is a celebration. So try and make this cake into 3 or 4 layers.
Baking pan options
It is not necessary to go out and buy 3 pans. Use the following options:
- 2 x 20 round tins. Once baked, slice each cake into 2 layers.
- 3 x 20 cm round tins.
- 1 x 23 cm round or square tin. Slice cake into 2 or 3 layers. (Tip: slice when fridge-cold)
Tips when decorating
It is definitely not necessary to buy fancy nozzles and piping bags to decorate a cake. A beautiful cake need only some fruit, chocolate or flowers for adornment. However, should you have nozzles and piping bags, have fun using them.
- If you want to slice a cake into layers, do it after the cake has been chilled. Once the cake is baked and cooled, keep in an airtight container or plastic wrap and store in the fridge for half an hour. This process helps so that the firmed-up cake doesn’t come apart when slicing and will hold onto it’s crumbs.
- Decorate the cake while cold. Freshly baked cake layers will move around easily when decorating and you may end up with a lopsided cake. Hold onto a straight cake and your sanity by chilling the cake layers for at least half an hour before decorating.
- Use a spatula and apply frosting in a rustic manner, topping with berries, nuts, flowers or chocolate shavings.
- When using fresh flowers make sure they are not poisonous. Most flowers can be used but do not insert the stems directly into the cake. This could lead to health concerns as well as create an unpleasant taste. Insert straws into the selected areas on the cake and thread the flower stems into the straws. This way no part of the flower directly touches the inside of the cake.
- Make sure the flowers are insect-free before decorating the cake.
- Add fresh fruit and flowers just before the celebration party as these items perish easily and lose their vibrance the longer they sit out.
- Present the cake on a beautiful cake stand or large plate/platter.
- When using a strawberry compote or jam in between cake layers, try and add the filling in the center of the cake and use a small amount. Spread carefully to the outer edges, careful not to push the fruit filling/jam over the edge. These fillings are often looser in texture and could spill out from the sides of the cake.
- If possible pipe or create a thick layer or icing around the circumference of each cake layer to keep the filling within the layers.
Ingredients for Cake
Serves 10 – 12 slices
- 450 g cake flour
- 300 g caster sugar
- 3 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 300 ml vegetable or coconut oil
- 550 ml milk (dairy, coconut, soya or almond)
- 3 lemons, zest
- 1/3 c lemon juice
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Method to make Cake
- Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius
- Grease and line the base of chosen baking pans. (See notes above)
- In a large mixing bowl, measure out flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt and caster sugar and whisk to combine. Add the zest of the lemons.
- In another bowl, measure out oil, milk, lemon juice and vanilla and whisk to combine.
- Add wet ingredients to dry and whisk well till smooth and well combined.
- Use a spatula to scrape down the sides and bottom of mixing bowl.
- Divide mixture evenly into pans.
- Bake for 25-35 minutes till a very light golden colour and the cake is coming away from the sides of the pan.
- Leave to cool for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to completely cool.
- Chill cakes for half an hour before decorating.
Strawberry Compote/Puree
- 1 c of fresh strawberries washed, hulled and cut into small pieces. Can also use frozen strawberries. (Any berry can be used)
- Juice of half a lemon.
- 4-5 TB of sugar.
- Add chopped strawberries and lemon juice to a small saucepan, over medium heat, and cook down.
- Add 4 TB of sugar and test for sweetness before adding more, in order to get the right balance of sweetness and tartness.
- Cook for about 15-20 minutes until fruit is breaking apart and jam-like.
- If a smoother puree is preferred, use a blender and blend till smooth. A chunky compote is also lovely.
- Use puree when cold in between cake layers.
Lemon Buttercream
- 375 g softened butter or vegan butter/margarine
- 4 1/2 c sifted icing sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 – 5 TB lemon juice
- Using a stand mixer or hand-held electric beater, beat butter till smooth, pale and fluffy.
- Scrape down sides of the bowl 2 -3 times in the beating process to eliminate any lumps in the buttercream.
- Add vanilla and beat.
- Add sifted icing sugar in 2 to 3 batches and beat very well in between each addition. Scrape down sides and bottom of the mixing bowl a few times in the mixing process.
- Add enough lemon juice to create a consistency like soft butter.
- Icing will be smooth, pale, fluffy and voluminous when done.
- Tint with gel colours to create pretty colours. (optional)
- Apply icing generoulsy in between and all around cake.
Assemble Cake
- Apply a heaped teaspoon of buttercream to the cake stand or cake board and spread before applying first cake layer, upside down.The buttercream acts as a glue to keep the cake fixed as you decorate.
- Apply 3-4 heaped tablespoons of buttercream onto the surface of the first cake layer. Spread frosting evenly around, keeping a thicker band of icing around the periphery of the cake. Add 2 TB of strawberry puree or jam in the centre of the cake and gently spread keeping within the borders of the frosting dam.
- Add the next layer of cake and repeat frosting and filling process.
- Finally top with the last layer of cake, with the base of the cake facing upwards.
- Gently apply a thin layer of icing all around the cake to catch any crumbs.
- Place cake back into the fridge for 15-20 minutes before applying the rest of the icing.
- Decorate as you wish.
