RASPBERRY AND CUSTARD CAKE

I have been baking longer than I can remember. Descended from a long line of keen bakers, i've learnt from two of the best in the business (I may be biased, but that doesn't make me wrong). My granny and mum are both absolute whizs in the kitchen, and it's taken me a whole lotta practice to meet their standards. While not without our quarrels, us three share a love of baking and a wicked sense of humour. My great-grandad described it as 'custard pie' humour - and this cake encapsulates us perfectly.

While I've just about got the hang of this baking business, I leave jam making to the professionals. Granny's jam is, quite simply, the best jam in the world. I'm never without a few jars of her raspberry and redcurrant, which makes me one very lucky granddaughter. 

With granny's jam, mum's victoria sponge, and creme patissiere courtesy of yours truly, this cake is a little celebration of my brilliant baking family.  

THE INGREDIENTS

CAKE

3 eggs, weighed in their shells

equal weights of

caster sugar

self-raising flour

unsalted butter

2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp custard powder

CREME PATISSIERE

250ml milk

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

50g caster sugar

2 egg yolks

20g cornflour

20g butter

TO FINISH

150g homemade raspberry jam

100g icing sugar

freeze dried raspberries, to decorate

THE RECIPE

Grease and line a 6 inch cake tin, and preheat your oven to 180C. Begin by weighing your eggs in their shells, noting down the exact weight. Set them aside, then weigh out an equal amount of butter and sugar. Cream together until light and pale, then crack in your eggs, adding 1 tbsp of the flour. Beat until fully incorporated (the flour should prevent the mixture curdling). Sieve in the remaining flour, custard powder and baking powder, and fold to mix. Once the mixture is light and pale, pour into the prepared tin. Level the mixture, then baking in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, removing once it is golden and cooked through.

Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then tip onto a wire rack and allow to cool completely. To make the creme patissiere, put the milk in a small pan with the vanilla, and bring to the boil gently.Once it has bubbled a little, remove from the heat and set aside. In a clean bowl, whisk the sugar, egg yolks and cornflour. Pour in a little of the hot milk, whisking continuously. Gradually add all the milk, continuing to whisk as you go. Return to the pan, and cook over a gentle heat, stirring continuously, until the mixture thickens and just begins to bubble. At the point, remove it from the heat and sieve into a clean bowl. Add the butter and stir to melt through. Cover with clingfilm and allow it to cool completely in the fridge. 

Carefully slice the cake into two, then spread with the jam, and dollop on the custard. spread this evenly, then gently add the second cake.  

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