Mimosa cake

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4 and grease a loose-based 22cm deep round cake tin with a little butter.

2. Sift the flour and 115g of the sugar onto a sheet of greaseproof paper and set aside.

3. In an electric mixer, whisk the egg whites, cream of tartar and salt at high speed, until soft peak stage. Beat in the remaining sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the meringue becomes glossy and stiff.

4. Fold the flour and sugar into the egg whites, one third at a time.

5. Whisk the egg yolks in a small bowl with an electric mixer   until thick and lemon coloured. Stir in the lemon rind and vanilla essence.

6. Fold half of the cake mixture into the beaten egg yolks until no streaks of white remain. Fold in the rest of the cake mixture.

7. Spoon the mix into the cake tin and bake in the oven for 35 minutes, or until the cake is firm to the touch when lightly pressed. Remove from the oven, and cool slightly before turning out onto a wire rack.

8. For the lemon buttercream filling, whip the butter until light and fluffy. Stir in the icing sugar, lemon juice and grated zest.

9. Slice the cake horizontally and spread the bottom layer with the lemon buttercream filling. Place the other cake half on top.
10. Brush the top with marmalade, then roll out a circle of marzipan and lay it over. Using a pre-heated grill, or blow torch, glaze the marzipan top until the surface colours.

11. Tie a red ribbon around the cake and decorate with mimosa flowers and a couple of roses.