Lovers Limoncello Sponge

• By foodie User WildFoodie
  More recipes by this foodie >
• Difficulty: Moderate
• Course: Dessert
• Serves(num of people): 6 - 8

Ingredients

You can tell alot about a person’s ability to love by the way they eat, and prepare food. For some it’s a matter of taste, texture and smell and for others it all comes down to chemistry. Either way you look at it…one thing is agreed…food can be down right sexy!

If you’re in the mood to whip up something special this Valentines Day then beat, bake and whip using only the best fruit of the season- and select the finest ingredients you can find, incorporating love into each mouthful.

the Sponge
150g Butter
200g Castor Sugar
125g Plain Flour double sifted
150g Sour Cream
1 Tsp of Baking Powder
2 large Organic Eggs pre beaten
1 extra Organic Egg Yolk pre beaten
Grated Zest of 2 Meyer Lemons

the Lemon Syrup
Stir these ingredients together on a medium heat until dissolved:
Grated Zest & Juice of 2 Lemons
2 Liberal Splashes of Limoncello Liquer

the Cream Fill
100ml Thickened Cream or 1250ml Mascarpone
1 Tbsp Limoncello Liquer
1 Punnet of Strawberries hulled, dried and sliced in quarters

the Finishing Cream
100ml Thickened Cream or 1250ml Mascarpone
1 Tbsp Limoncello Liquer
1 Punnet of hulled and dried Strawberries sliced in halves

the Dust
1 Tbsp Chelsea Icing Sugar double sifted

Method

to Make
Place the butter in a warmed bowl and beat until smooth. Add the sugar, then the lemon zest and beat the mixture until pale. Combine with the eggs, and then add the flour and baking powder. Gently fold in the sour cream, which should be at room temperature and lightly whisked.

to Bake
Spoon the mixture into a 20cm bottom-lined cake tin and bake for 40 minutes at 180 degrees. Leave your sponge to cool out of the oven, and poke several small holes across the top with a satay stick before adding your final touches.

Drizzle the Lemon Syrup over the sponge while it remains in the tin and
prepare the cream fill.

to Dress
Mix together the delicious Cream Fill, split the sponge in half and and smooth over the creamy fill in generous spoonfuls.

Mix the Finishing Cream ingredients. Evenly spread over the sponge then decorate with the last of the strawberries and dust with icing sugar.....voila!

I like making this cake all year round, so if the juiciest lemons aren’t in season I will make do with Tahitian Limes or my neighbours Tangelos fresh from the tree…use your imagination…Valentines Day is especially for the bold and the beautiful so don’t be shy, this is your chance to impress!