Eton mess cake

This is my homage to warm summer days filled with ripe strawberries, whipped cream,and meringue in cake form!

Nothing says ‘Great British Summertime’ like Eton Mess. This cake would be the perfect centrepiece to any garden party and is best enjoyed at the height of summer with friends.

You will need to make Charlotte's classic Victoria sponge caketo start with

Ingredients:

8” Victoria sponge cake filled with buttercream and strawberry jamMarshmallow meringue frostingFresh strawberriesMeringues (shop bought nests are fine for this)

Method:

• Prepare your Victoria sponge cake with a filling of vanilla buttercream and strawberry jam. I would recommend that you prepare this cake to be eaten on the same day to enjoy it at its best.

• Cover your cake with marshmallow meringue frosting.

• Decorate with beautifully ripe, fresh strawberries. Leave your berries whole for this job as, when cut, they yield quite a lot of water which will dissolve your frosting. Ensure that the strawberries are completely dry from washing before you use them.

• Crumble your meringues into a bowl, gathering a mismatched rubble of larger lumps and finer pieces. Scatter these broken shards of meringue on top of your cake and allow the pieces to distribute themselves organically. Part of the charm of this design comes from its slightly cavalier appearance!

• Serve with lashings of double cream or a cheeky dollop of clotted cream alfresco on a sunny day

From Charlotte White's Deliciously Decorated