Eton Mess Cake
, Published May 09, 2022
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Eton Mess Cake – classic Eton mess in cake form! Picture a light vanilla sponge cake filled with freshly whipped cream, crushed meringues and fresh berries.
This easy Eton Mess Cake recipe is perfect for summer – may I suggest you bake it for the Jubilee celebrations this year?
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Eton mess is the quintessential British dessert, I always think! Easy to make, perfectly delicious and, yes, a little bit messy in the best possible way.
The combination of freshly whipped cream with crushed meringue and macerated fresh berries is delightful as pudding and even more delicious in cake form!
I have been thinking of a Jubilee cake to make for our street’s Platinum Jubilee party and I think this showstopper Eton Mess Cake is fit for a Queen!
Ingredients and Equipment
- Flour, sugar, softened butter or Stork, eggs, milk and vanilla bean paste for the cake layers.
- Meringue nests – store bought or homemade (take a look at my Perfect Meringue Nests recipe) and meringue kisses (meringue cookies).
- Double cream (heavy cream) and a little icing sugar for the whipped cream filling.
- Fresh berries such as strawberries, raspberries and blueberries or anything that’s seasonal. This combo perfectly replicates the colour of the Union Flag 🙂
- This easy all-in-one cake can be made using an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer.
- You will need three 8 inch cake pans for this recipe or you can use four 6 inch cake pans for a taller cake.
- I prefer to use a cake release spray for most of my baking – easier than greasing and dusting cake tins with flour.
- A cake decorating kit with a turntable, offset spatula, piping bags and tips is useful for assembling this cake (and any layer cakes).
HOW TO MAKE ETON MESS CAKE
Full measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page. Please take a look at the steps and video before attempting this recipe!
Make the cake. Preheat the oven to 180C (350F). Grease and line three 8 inch cake tins – or spray with cake release. Put the flour, sugar, baking powder, soda and salt in a large bowl (or the bowl of your stand mixer). Stir to combine.
Add the softened butter, eggs, milk and vanilla bean paste. Beat together at low speed to combine, then increase the speed once all the ingredients have been incorporated. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl with a spatula, as needed.
Divide the batter between the cake tins (weigh them for accuracy) and bake for 25-28 minutes, or until the sponge is springy to the touch and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.
Make the Eton mess filling
Put cold cream and icing sugar and vanilla in a bowl (a cold metal bowl is ideal). Beat on medium speed until the cream is pillowy and forms stiff peaks. Keep the whipped cream in the fridge until needed. Transfer 1/3 of the whipped cream to another bowl (or piping bag) to use for topping the cake.
Reserve some of the prettiest berries for decorating the top of your Eton mess cake. Combine the rest with the lemon juice and sugar in a bowl. Leave for 15 minutes to soften and release their juices. Drain the juice and use it to brush over the cake layers, reserving some for drizzling.
Lightly crush the meringues. Use a large spoon to gently fold them and the berries into the whipped cream. This filling needs to be used immediately.
Assemble the cake
Brush the cakes with the reserved berry syrup and level the tops if necessary. Generously spread filling over the bottom cake layer a. Drizzle with a little syrup, letting it drip down the sides.
Sandwich with the second layer, pressing down lightly on it. Repeat the filling process and top with the final layer.
Spread or pipe the reserved whipped cream on top and decorate with a few berries and some meringue kisses or crushed meringue. Serve immediately – cake best eaten immediately as it contains fresh cream.
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HAVE YOU MADE MY ETON MESS CAKE RECIPE? Please leave a rating, post a photo on my Facebook page, share it on Instagram, or save it to Pinterest with the tag #supergoldenbakes and make my day!
Eton Mess Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
For the cake
- 350 g (2 ¾ cups) plain flour (all purpose flour)
- 330 g (1 ⅔ cups) sugar
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- ½ tbsp bicarbonate of soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 200 g (¾ cup + 1 heaped tbsp) Stork or softened butter
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 200 ml (¾ cup + 2 tbsp) whole milk room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract
Whipped Cream
- 500 ml (2 cups) double cream (heavy cream)
- 4 tbsp icing sugar (powdered sugar)
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract
Filling and decoration
- 20 mini meringues or 5 large meringue nests
- 360 g ( 2 heaping cups) fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
- 250 (2 cups) fresh raspberries
- 80 g (1/2 cup) fresh blueberries
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp sugar
- extra meringue cookies
- edible flowers
Instructions
Make the cake layers
- Preheat the oven to 180C (350F). Mist your cake tins with a cake release and line the bottoms with baking paper.
- Put the flour, sugar, raising agents and salt in a large bowl (or the bowl of your stand mixer). Stir to combine.
- Add the softened butter, eggs, milk and vanilla extract.Start beating together at the lowest speed setting, gradually increasing the speed to maximum once all the ingredients have been incorporated.
- Divide the batter between the tins and bake for 25-28 minutes, or until the cakes are springy to the touch and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack before assembling the cake.
Make the whipped cream
- Put cold cream and icing sugar and vanilla in a bowl (a cold metal bowl is ideal). Beat on medium speed until the cream is pillowy and forms stiff peaks. Keep the whipped cream in the fridge until needed.
- Transfer 1/3 of the whipped cream to another bowl (or piping bag) to use for topping the cake.
Make the Eton mess filling
- Reserve some of the prettiest berries for decorating the top of your Eton mess cake. Combine the rest with the lemon juice and sugar in a bowl. Leave for 15 minutes to soften and release their juices. Drain the juice and use it to brush over the cake layers reserving some for drizzling.
- Lightly crush the meringues. Use a large spoon to gently fold them and the berries into the whipped cream. This filling needs to be used immediately.
Assemble the cake
- Brush the cakes with the reserved berry syrup and level the tops if necessary.
- Generously spread filling over the bottom cake layer a. Drizzle with a little syrup, letting it drip down the sides.
- Sandwich with the second layer, pressing down lightly on it. Repeat the filling process and top with the final layer.
- Spread or pipe the reserved whipped cream on top and decorate with a few berries and some meringue kisses or crushed meringue. Serve immediately – cake best served immediately as it contains fresh cream.
Notes
- Ingredients should be at room temperature for this recipe.
- Cake layers can be prepared a couple of days in advance and kept wrapped at room temperature until needed.
- Use straws as dowels to stabilise the cake if needed (remember to remove them when serving).
Nutrition
Nutritional information is always approximate, and will depend on quality of ingredients and serving sizes.
Mmmmm…. I love whipped cream with meringue sandwiched in cake. This looks utterly mouthwateringly divine…. Of course people will want a second slice!!!! Photos are stunningly beautiful as always xx
Thanks Kate! This was definitely one of those 'I will have just a tiny slice' situations where everyone without fail came back for seconds!
What a beautiful cake!
What a beautiful cake and so tasty too 🙂 I just love Eton Mess this time of year.
Jennie //
Wow this cake looks amazing! I love the twist on one of my favourite deserts! Also, very interesting that the cake is made with whipped cream. It certainly looks like a beautiful sponge and I'm sure it makes it taste nice and light.
Laura
http://www.agirlandherhome.com
Stunning cake Lucy! Absolutely perfect for this time of year.
Beautiful cake, Lucy! Stunning photos, too.
Oh, that looks amazing!!! I absolutely adore those little meringues on the top 🙂
That looks absolutely stunning. I am terrible at decorating cakes, and they always look like a 5 years old has decorated them haha.
OMG that looks amazing! and so pretty…