Scarlet Berry and Mandarin Cake with Meringue Buttercream

I am now the proud owner of a Kitchenaid! It’s scarlet red, very shiny and lovely to look at. And SO easy to use. A gift from my friends for a special birthday, organized by Mlle X.

So this was Kitchenaid christening weekend. I’m  a devotee of The Great British Bakeoff http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b013pqnm. After watching an episode I just have to bake.

The cake is loosely based on a recipe from that program by Mary Berry. I substituted whole mandarins plus some marmalade for the all-marmalade version.

The cake is not for the fainted hearted, as it is dense and fruity and quite heavy. I think I would make the all-marmalade version next time. The equal quantities of butter to sugar made it a little rich, so maybe a little less butter would lighten it too. But if you want a dense and flavourful cake, you certainly achieve that here.

I filled and iced the cake with meringue buttercream. The Kitchenaid produced a stunning result! Mega rich!

Cakes (2)

Ingredients

200g unsalted butter, softened
200g caster sugar
4 large free range eggs
200g self raising flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 small whole mandarins, chopped and blitzed in a food processor
2 tbsp milk
3 tbsp chunky Seville orange marmalade

Method

Preheat the oven to 170 degrees C. Butter two 20 cm round cake tins and line with baking paper. Butter the paper.
Cream the softened butter with a Kitchenaid or similar mixer until soft and creamy. Beat in the sugar gradually, then continue to beat until it becomes pale and fluffy.
Gradually beat in the eggs, beating well after each addition.Sift the flour and baking powder into the bowl and gently fold into the mixture with a large metal spoon. When thoroughly combined, stir in the blitzed mandarins, marmalade and milk.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared tins and spread evenly. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until golden brown and and a skewer inserted in the cakes comes out clean. Run a round bladed knife around the inside of the tin to loosen and then carefully turn the cakes out onto a wire rack. Flip to right side up. Allow the cakes to cool completely before filling and icing.

Meringue Buttercream 

Ingredients

4 egg whites

2 cups white sugar

2 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Method

Place the egg whites and sugar into a metal bowl and set over a saucepan filled with about 5 cms of simmering water.

Heat, stirring frequently, until the temperature of the egg whites reaches 60 degrees C.  Transfer the heated egg whites and sugar to a large mixing bowl or stand mixer. Mix at high speed until they have reached their maximum volume, 5 to 10 minutes.

Mix on medium or medium-high speed while pinching off small pieces of butter and throwing them in. Mix in vanilla. Continue beating for about 5 minutes until the meringue and butter mixture is completely amalgamated, thick and of frosting consistency.

Filling and Topping

Spread one of the cakes, thickly, with half the buttercream using a palette knife. top with sliced strawberries or other scarlet fruit, and a little fruit from any good marmalade. I used my homemade mandarin marmalade.

Top with the remaining cake, ice with the remaining buttercream, and decorate with berries and marmalade fruit as you fancy!