'I owe at least a dozen limes'  Little Women

Here's a fresh summer cake for you, with homemade lime curd and three layers of cake-y goodness to devour. Combine this with pistachio chocolate bark and it makes a gorgeous dessert for a BBQ, which we are finally able to have now the sun is shining again! 

Ingredients

500g caster sugar

610g butter

7 eggs

300g self-raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

120g pistachio nuts

5 limes, juice and zest

200g full-fat cream cheese, chilled

350g icing sugar

100g milk chocolate

Putting it all Together

Heat the oven to 190ºC. Grease and line three cake tins.

Beat 300g of the butter and 300g caster sugar until light and fluffy. Add five of the eggs one at a time, beating well after each one and add 1 tbsp of flour with the final egg.

Sift and fold in the remaining flour and baking powder thoroughly, then add the zest and juice of 2 limes, roughly grind 120g pistachios in a pestle & mortar and stir through. Divide between the tins and bake for 20 minutes or until a knife inserted into the centre comes out clean. Turn out to cool on a wire rack.

Meanwhile, grab a saucepan to make the syrup. Heat the juice of 1 lime and 2 tbsp caster sugar over a low heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to a simmer then remove from the heat to cool. While the sponges are still warm spoon the lime syrup over each. Leave to cool.

For the frosting, beat 250g softened butter until smooth. Add the cream cheese and mix until combined. Sift in the icing sugar and beat until light and fluffy.

Break chocolate and place into a heatproof bowl. Sit over a pan of barely simmering water (a bain marie) and allow the chocolate to melt, stirring occasionally. Once melted pour on to a sheet of baking paper, spread thinly and sprinkle with ground pistachios. Pop in the freezer to harden.

To make the lime curd place 60g butter, 170g caster sugar, 2 eggs and the zest and juice of 2 limes into a small pan and heat gently, stirring with a wooden spoon (don’t let it boil). When it has thickened, sieve into a bowl and allow to cool.

Once all ingredients are cool and you are ready to assemble spread 2 sponges with lime curd and frosting, sprinkle with some pistachios and sandwich all 3 together and cover the top with remaining frosting. Remove chocolate from the freezer and break into shards. Press these around the outside and sprinkle the top with pistachios.

Cara x