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Lemon Sherbet Cake

by Louise 6 Comments


Lemon_Sherbert_Cake_021- MattRussel - John Whaite
This Lemon Sherbet Cake recipe is compliments of John Whaite, the winner of the Great British Bake Off 2012, and can be found in the John Whaite Bakes book published by Headline.

John will be appearing at the Cake and Bake Show in London 2-4 October 2015, alongside fellow Great British Bake Off winner, Jo Wheatley and cooking stars, Rosemary Shrager, Gregg Wallace, Eric Lanlard, Phil Vickery, Lisa Faulkner, Aaron Craze, Brendan Lynch and Wendi Peters. Jo and the baking stars will also be appearing at the Cake and Bake Shows in Edinburgh in October and Manchester in November. For more information and ticket details, visit
www.thecakeandbakeshow.co.uk.

The word ‘sherbet’ evokes memories of youth, but, ironically, I disliked sherbet as a child – I was a kid who needed a more toothsome, chewy sort of jelly sweet. This cake is perfect for baking with children, because the cake batter uses a ‘one mix’ method, so there is no need to go through the stages of making a cake, which can sometimes tire fickle little kids. And though it’s a simple cake to make, with a simple filling, the presentation takes it up a notch. This cake is a nod to all things youthful, but it is also absolutely acceptable at a sophisticated, child-free gathering.

 

Ingredients – serves 10/12

For the candied lemon topping 

  • 2 lemons
  • 600ml (2 1/2 Cups) water (in batches of 200ml (3/4 Cup)
  • 100g (6 tps) sugar
  • 100ml (1/4 Cup) water
  • 75g (1/3 Cup) golden caster sugar

For the cake

  • Zest of 3 lemons
  • 4 eggs
  • 225g (1 1/8 Cups) golden caster sugar
  • 225g (1 1/8 Cups) stork or margarine
  • 225g (1 1/8 Cups) self-raising flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder

For the filling

  • 400ml (1 2/3 Cups) whipping cream
  • 500g (1 1/4 Cups) mascarpone cheese
  • 300g (1 1/3 Cups) icing sugar
  • Zest of 2 lemons
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 packets of lemon Dip Dabs (special candy, sherbet only)
  • Icing sugar, to dust

Essential equipment

  • Two 20cm/8-inch loose- bottomed round cake tins, greased and lined with baking paper
  • Cake stand at least 20cm/ 8 inches across
  • Disposable piping bag fitted with 12mm nozzle

Method

For the lemon topping, use a potato peeler to pare thick strips of peel from the lemons – if you get any white pith, scrape it off with a knife. Chop the lemon peel into thin matchsticks, then place in a small saucepan with 200ml water. Bring to the boil, then drain the water, place the lemon zest back into the pan with another 200ml water and repeat. Drain again then repeat – you should bring the lemon zest to the boil 3 times in total. Set the drained lemon zest matchsticks aside. Place the 100g sugar and 100ml water in the saucepan and bring to the boil until the sugar is dissolved, then return the lemon zest and allow to poach for about 5 minutes. Drain. Place the 75g caster sugar in a bowl and add the lemon matchsticks. Toss in the sugar then arrange on a baking sheet and allow to dry out for a few hours (overnight is better).

Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/Gas 4.

Place the ingredients for the cake into a mixing bowl and beat together until well incorporated and smooth. If you have a freestanding electric mixer, use the paddle attachment. Divide the batter between the two prepared tins, and bake for 20–25 minutes, or until golden brown and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly, before removing from the tins and turning on to a cooling rack until completely cold.

Meanwhile, make the filling by whipping the cream to very soft floppy peaks. Fold this into the mascarpone along with the sifted icing sugar and lemon zest until smooth. Then quickly beat in the lemon juice – though don’t overbeat, as you don’t want the mixture to split.

When the cake is cooled, and the candied lemon is dry, slice each cake in half horizontally so that you have four layers. Place one on the cake stand. Fill the piping bag with the filling and pipe little blobs around the edge of the cake, then a spiral of filling in the centre. Sprinkle over a third of the sherbet, then top with another slice of cake. Repeat this until you have four layers of cake and three layers of cream and sherbet. Sift a layer of icing sugar over the top, then scatter over the candied lemon matchsticks.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kate

    August 16, 2015 at 9:22 PM

    it’s very beautiful !

    Reply
  2. Chhiwat maghribya

    August 15, 2015 at 8:00 PM

    Thanks for sharing the recipe, it looks moist and delicious!

    Reply
  3. Norma

    August 14, 2015 at 7:25 PM

    If I wanted to try this recipe and I’m not in the UK but am in the US and can’t purchase the Dip Dabs, what can be used in place of them? According to Amazon, they don’t ship the Dib Dabs to the US.

    Reply
    • Rose

      August 21, 2015 at 12:45 PM

      Hi Norma

      Stork is a brand of margarine and dib dabs in the US = fun dips. Sherbet is the fizzy powder. If you can buy sherbet you can make the above recipe.
      Google the definition for precise answer. No need to buy overseas!

      Reply
  4. Cristina Hamilton

    August 14, 2015 at 3:21 PM

    Stork? Dip Dabs? What are these mysterious ingredients?

    Reply
    • Rose

      August 21, 2015 at 12:29 PM

      Stork is margarine and dib daps are old fashioned sweets made up of a little bag containing a lolly on a stick and some sherbet powder. If you can buy margarine and sherbet in the US you’re done! Nothing exotic I’m afraid!!

      Reply

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Kristen is the author of Cake Journal and a graduate of the Professional Baking program at Renton Technical College. She has worked as a pastry chef at a top Seattle restaurant and loves sharing her passion for baking amazing cakes on this site.

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