4 layer lemon sponge with lemon buttercream Easter Cake.

I used the lemon cake recipe from the book 'Cupcakes' from the Primrose Bakery which always achieves excellent results. 

The finished product!

The bow and ribbon are handmade out of sugar paste with a little gum paste mixed in to help it harden.  I also sprinkled a few sugar jelly easter eggs on top.

Lemon Cake Recipe (this makes two 20cm (8 inch) cakes, I doubled this recipe and made a 4 layer cake):

Preheat oven to 170°C(fan)/190°C/375°F/gas mark 5.  Grease and baseline two 20cm cake tins.

You will need:
225g golden caster sugar
225g self-raising flour, sifted
1.5 teaspoons baking powder
25g cornflour
225g unsalted butter at room temperature
4 large eggs (I use free range or organic)
Grated zest and juice of 2 large juicy lemons (or 3 smaller ones)

Cream the butter and sugar in a bowl until the mixture is pale and smooth.  Combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl.  Add the eggs to the creamed mixture, one at a time, mixing for a few minutes after each addition, alternating with the dry ingredients, and finally the grated zest and lemon juice.  Beat well after each addition but do not overbeat.

Divide the mixture evenly between the two tins and bake in the oven for about 25 minutes until raised and golden brown.  You can insert a skewer into the centre of the cakes and it should come out clean.  Remove the cakes from the oven and leave in the tins for about 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool.  Peel off the greaseproof paper from the bases of the cakes.  Once cool sandwich the layers together with lemon buttercream icing and cover the top of the cake also.  The following buttercream icing recipe will not cover the whole cake just the top and the inside.  If you want to cover the whole cake and like a generous amount of buttercream, you could double the recipe.

Lemon buttercream to decorate:
110g unsalted butter at room temperature
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
grated zest of 1 to 2 unwaxed lemons (about 2 tablespoons)
500g icing sugar

In a large mixing bowl beat the butter, lemon juice, lemon zest and half the icing sugar until smooth.  Gradually add the remaining icing sugar and beat again until smooth and creamy.