Blue Raspberry Lemonade Cake

Your inner child can thank me later!

Done in 3 hours

Serves 8-12

Dish by Chris Cahill

Ingredients

Cake Sponge:

225gButter

255gCaster Sugar

4Eggs

225gSelf Raising Flour

1 TspBaking Powder

75g Natural Yogurt

2Unwaxed Lemons

Blue Raspberry Syrup

2 cupsBlue Raspberry Freezepop

1 cupSugar

Lemonade Syrup

1 BottleFanta Lemon

1 CupSugar

1Juiced Lemon

Buttercream

250gButter

500gIcing Sugar

Blue Food Colouring

Every kid knows of the legend that is Blue Raspberry - back in the day that bright blue concoction was infused with everything in sight - sweets, drinks, and now buttercream! Pairing that with a lemonade drenched cake is a match made in sweet, sweet heaven.

Method

Fanta Lemon syrup -

Pour Fanta Lemon into a saucepan with sugar and lemon juice

Bring to a boil and then turn down the heat to allow the mixture to simmer

When reduced, remove from the heat and allow to cool

Blue Raspberry syrup -

Pour Blue Raspberry Freeze Pop juice into a saucepan with the sugar

Bring to a boil and then turn down the heat to allow the mixture to simmer

When reduced, remove from the heat and allow to cool

To make the cake -

Butter two 20cm cake tins and line the base and sides with baking parchment. Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.

Tip the butter and caster sugar into a bowl and beat until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating between each addition.

Add the flour, baking powder and a pinch of salt and mix again, then the yogurt. Zest the two lemons, add this and mix until everything is fully combined. You may need to scrape the sides of the bowl as you go.

Divide the cake batter between the prepared tins and smooth the surfaces with a spatula. Bake for 30 mins, or until a skewer inserted into the middles comes out clean. Cool in the tins for 10 mins, then transfer to a wire rack to cool fully.

Poke each layer of sponge and coat in the lemon fanta syrup, leave to soak in. (For a stronger taste, reapply a second layer of syrup)

In a mixer or bowl add butter and whip it until it's white and silky, then slowly add your icing sugar until combined. Turn the speed up and mix your buttercream until light and fluffy.

Slowly add some of your Blue Raspberry syrup and then mix in some blue food colouring to boost the colour.

Stack your sponges with buttercream and drizzle over extra syrup if needed, then cover the whole cake in your buttercream.

Decoration is optional, but i went for some swirls using a palette knife and mini syrup dipped lemon slices as 'shark fins' - just for fun!