Lemon Verbena and Strawberry Layer Cake

Ingredients

• Eggs4
• Caster sugar120g
• Plain flour100g
• Cornstarch20g
• Unsalted butter, melted30g
• Fresh lemon verbena leaves15g
• Heavy cream (35% fat)500g
• Mascarpone150g
• Icing sugar50g
• Fresh strawberries, hulled400g
• Caster sugar (for macerating)30g
• Lemon juice15g
• Lemon verbena simple syrup (water + sugar + verbena, 1:1)80g
• White chocolate, chopped80g
• Heavy cream (for ganache)80g
• Freeze-dried strawberry powder10g

Method

1. 1.Preheat oven to 175°C. Grease and line two 18cm round cake tins.
2. 2.Whip eggs and caster sugar over a bain-marie to 40°C, then beat on high speed until thick, pale, and tripled in volume (ruban stage).
3. 3.Sift flour and cornstarch together. Fold gently into the egg mixture in three additions.
4. 4.Stir a spoonful of batter into the melted butter, then fold back into the batter. Divide evenly between tins.
5. 5.Bake 20–22 min until a skewer comes out clean. Cool in tins 5 min, then turn out onto a wire rack.
6. 6.Steep verbena leaves in warm cream (70°C) for 20 min. Strain, chill completely.
7. 7.Whip verbena-infused cream, mascarpone, and icing sugar together to firm, glossy peaks. Chill until needed.
8. 8.Halve 250g strawberries, toss with caster sugar and lemon juice. Rest 15 min, then drain.
9. 9.Split each sponge horizontally into two layers (four layers total). Brush each with verbena syrup.
10. 10.Place first layer on a cake board. Pipe or spread a generous layer of verbena cream, scatter macerated strawberries.
11. 11.Repeat with remaining layers, finishing with the flattest sponge layer on top.
12. 12.Coat the cake with a thin crumb coat of cream. Chill 20 min, then apply a final smooth layer.
13. 13.Heat cream for ganache until steaming. Pour over white chocolate, rest 1 min, stir until smooth. Cool to 28°C.
14. 14.Drizzle ganache around the top edge to create gentle drips. Spread a thin pool across the top.
15. 15.Dust with freeze-dried strawberry powder. Decorate with fresh halved strawberries and a few verbena leaves.