Happy baking, happy birthday!
People who know me know how much it makes me happy to make people happy by baking a cake for their birthday. (Now, I challenge you to read this sentence fast at least 3 times, let’s see if you manage! 😉 )
And it’s even better when, besides looking pretty, the cake is also very appreciated for its yummy taste!
It’s time to make the sweet half happy with his special request inspired by the Torta 30, which here is presented in a – I must say – even better version: a super tasty, fresh lemon-flavored Victoria Sandwich (Victoria sponge cake) with lemon cream & strawberries filling. So here we go with the Torta 30 2.0 (which might -or might not!- hide some hints about the special birthday number).
TORTA 30 2.0
Ingredients
For the lemon-flavored Victoria Sandwich (baking tin 20 cm):
50 gr sunflower oil
125 gr milk (or plant-based drink like almond milk)
8 gr vanilla sugar
90 gr sugar
170 gr baking flour
10 gr baking powder
70 gr egg whites (about 2 eggs)
1 lemon zest and 2 tbs of its juice
pinch of salt
For the lemon cream:
2 egg yolks
40 gr corn starch
60 gr sugar
5 gr vanilla sugar
250 ml almond milk (or regular milk)
1 lemon
For the lemon syrup:
1 cup of hot water
1 tbs brown sugar
juice of 1 lemon
In addition, for the final decorations you need:
200 gr whipped cream
300 gr strawberries
nougatine (brown nougat made from caramelized sugar)
almond flakes
1/2 lemon slices
Procedure
Prepare the the Victoria sandwich like I did here. Only thing to remember at the beginning is to add the lemon juice to the oil, sugars and milk mix. This key step will make the Victoria sponge tastes like fresh lemons.
In the meantime, prepare the lemon cream as described in this post. For the lemon syrup, instead, heat 1 cup of water with the sugar. After it is about to boil, remove from the heat and add the lemon juice. Stir and let it cool down completely and rest.
For assembling the cake, start with cutting the cake horizontally in two parts. Brush the lower cake layer with the lemon syrup liquid. Then, spread the 2/3 of lemon cream on top and remember to keep 1/3 for the decoration (see below). Add the diced strawberries (keep 3 nice strawberries for the final decoration). Add the top part of the cake, brush it with the syrup and cover the whole cake with a thin layer of whipped cream. Store the cake in the fridge for the night.
Decoration time! Spread the almond flakes on the side of the cake, while the nougatine goes on the top. With a sac à poche, draw some small roses with the lemon cream leftover. Place some small lemon slices between the roses. Last, cut the strawberries in half and place then at the center of the cake. Place the cake back in the fridge for at least half a day (the more you wait to eat it – if you manage! – the better).
Enjoy!
Aroma di cannella 