Confetti cake

Ingredients

For 12 servings

• •butter, for greasing
• •115 g plain flour
• •140 g icing sugar
• •8 large free-range egg whites
• •150 g caster sugar
• •1 c. à café cream of tartar
• •1 c. à café vanilla extract
• •1 lemon
• •200 icing sugar
• •100 g butter, at room temperature
• •1 splash of milk
• •hundred and thousands, to decorate

Method

1. 1.Preheat your oven to 180ºC/gas 4. Grease and line a 4-litre cake tin.
2. 2.Sift the flour and icing sugar into a bowl and set aside.
3. 3.In the bowl of a free-standing mixer, whisk the egg whites to soft peaks.
4. 4.With the mixer still running, add the caster sugar, cream of tartar, vanilla and a tiny pinch of sea salt and whisk to stiff, glossy peaks.
5. 5.Sift the flour and icing sugar again, fold it into the egg whites with a metal spoon, then finely grate and mix in the lemon zest.
6. 6.Spoon the mixture into your tin (it should be about two-thirds full), tap it gently on your work surface to knock out any air pockets and smooth it level.
7. 7.Bake it for 35 to 40 minutes, or until risen and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
8. 8.Leave the cake to cool in the tin for 20 minutes, then carefully turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
9. 9.Make a buttercream icing by beating the icing sugar and butter in a free-standing mixer for 4 to 5 minutes, until pale, then mix in the milk.
10. 10.Use it to cover the cake, then finish with hundreds and thousands.