4 egg whites (I used the 4 yolks in one of the sponges)
125g caster sugar
125g icing sugar
*decoration*
300ml double cream
2 tsp elderflower cordial
1 punnet of fresh strawberries
edible silver balls
125g white chocolate
edible gold glitter spray
Instructions
*for the meringue*
Preheat the oven 110oC / 100C (fan)
Place the 4 egg whites (save the yolks for the cake sponges) into a large clean mixing bowl and beat them on a medium speed with an electric hand whisk until the mixture stands up in stiff peaks when the whisk is lifted.
Turn the speed up and gradually add the sugar slowly, just a spoonful at a time, alternating between caster and icing sugar
Do not over whisk!
When it is ready, the meringue mixture should be thick and glossy
Line 2 baking trays with greaseproof paper, and on one draw round the base of an 8 inch sponge tin *(the same as the ones used for the main cake). Pour on ¾ of the meringue and smooth to for inside the circle you have drawn.
Fill a piping bag with the remaining meringue and pipe some tall peaks - fingers crossed these will work for you!
Bake for approx 1 1⁄2-1 3⁄4 hours until the meringues sound crisp when tapped underneath
Leave to cool on the trays or a cooling rack.
*To make the cakes*
Pre heat the oven to 180oC / 160oC (fan)
Grease and line your 4 x 8 inch baking tins (or, as I did, use my 2 x 8 inch tins twice)
Cream together your butter and sugar until pale and creamy
Add your eggs and the elderflowers cordial and beat well
Add sifted flour and fold until just combined
Pour into your prepared cake tins and bake until cooked - about 20-25 minutes
Leave to cool
*make the buttercream*
beat the butter for a few minutes until it is soft
add the icing sugar, slowly and in smaller quantities , and add the elderflower cordial and beat until smooth .
add the milk - just a little to start with until your buttercream is soft and smooth and a nice consistency.
Once cool, sandwich each sponge with jam and then cover the entire cake, from top to bottom and all over, with the buttercream
Chill in the fridge for about 30 minutes
Melt the white chocolate, and also whip the double cream with the elderflower cordial, until thick but not stiff and leave to one side
Remove your cake from the fridge
Pour over the white chocolate (but leave a small amount about a spoonful) and if it drips down the cake thats fine
Put the meringue base on top of the cake to sit on top of the melted white chocolate
Cover the sides of the cake with some strawberry halves and silver balls.
Top the meringue with the cream
Add the crown peaks and stick to the meringue with the remaining white chocolate, and stick a silver ball to each peak
Then top the cream with strawberry slices and more silver balls
Spray the cake and the meringue with the gold spray for a regal look
Recipe by Mummy Mishaps at http://www.mummymishaps.co.uk/2016/10/strawberries-cream-meringue-crown-cake-gbbobloggers2016-week-10-finals-gbbo.html