Strawberry Surprise Dome

Name: Strawberry Surprise Dome
Prep time: 1 h 20 min
Cook time: 50 min
Yield: 18
Ingredients: 300g Pure Valley salted butter, softened, plus extra for lining; 340g White Mill caster sugar; 6 Lodge Farm free range eggs; 1½ tsp White Mill vanilla extract; 340g White Mill self-raising flour; 3 tsp White Mill baking powder; 185ml Farmdale full cream milk; Egg whites from 6 Lodge Farm free range eggs (about 200g); 300g White Mill caster sugar; 3 tbsp Brookdale strawberry ice cream topping; 2 tsp White Mill vanilla extract; 500g Pure Valley salted butter; 250g strawberries, diced; Fresh strawberries; Edible flowers and/or washed strawberry leaves and foliage (if available)

How to make Strawberry Surprise Dome

Prep Time: 1 hour 20 minutes, plus cooling | Cook Time: 50 minutes | Serves: 18

Ingredients

Cake:

300g Pure Valley salted butter, softened, plus extra for lining
340g White Mill caster sugar
6 Lodge Farm free range eggs
1½ tsp White Mill vanilla extract
340g White Mill self-raising flour
3 tsp White Mill baking powder
185ml Farmdale full cream milk

Swiss meringue buttercream:

Egg whites from 6 Lodge Farm free range eggs (about 200g)
300g White Mill caster sugar
3 tbsp Brookdale strawberry ice cream topping
2 tsp White Mill vanilla extract
500g Pure Valley salted butter

Filling:

250g strawberries, diced

To decorate:

Fresh strawberries
Edible flowers and/or washed strawberry leaves and foliage (if available)

Method

Cake:

1. Preheat oven to 170°C.

2. Line and butter 2 x 15cm round cake tins and butter a 15cm hemisphere tin. Balance the hemisphere tin upside down on a small oven-proof bowl or metal ring to keep it level.

3. Cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, followed by the vanilla extract. Stir the self-raising flour and baking powder together and add to the batter, alternating with the milk until everything is fully incorporated. Pour into the prepared tins (roughly a third of the batter for each of the 3 tins). Insert a metal baking rod vertically in the hemisphere tin and place all 3 cakes in the oven, making sure the hemisphere tin is sitting on the bowl or metal ring. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.

4. Turn the cakes out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

Swiss meringue buttercream:

5. Place the egg whites and sugar into the heatproof metal bowl of a stand mixer. Set over a small pan of simmering water. Whisk for a few minutes, or until the sugar dissolves and the mixture warms up. It must be at least 70°C.

6. Place the bowl onto the stand mixer and whisk with a balloon attachment until thick and cooled - this will take about 12 minutes. The mixture should be glossy and fluffy. Whisk in the strawberry topping and vanilla.

7. With the mixer on medium-low, add the butter, about a tablespoon at a time, until evenly incorporated. Switch to the paddle attachment and beat for a few minutes to remove any air pockets. Use a flexible spatula to scrape down the sides every now and then. Set aside.

To assemble:

8. Cut all 3 cakes in half horizontally so you have 6 layers. Place one round on a cake stand or platter. Top with a generous spread of buttercream and about a fifth of the diced strawberries. Repeat with the next 3 layers of the round cakes.

9. Place the bottom of the hemisphere cake on top of the cake stack. Add a little more icing and diced strawberries and finish by placing on the rounded top.

10. Using a small offset spatula, cover the whole cake with buttercream. Smooth the icing out with an icing scraper or clean ruler. Pipe excess icing around the cake in any style you like.

11. Decorate with fresh strawberries, edible flowers and strawberry leaves and foliage, if using.

TIP:

Metal baking rods are small thin rods that you insert vertically in the middle of the raw cake batter when using a very deep or curved pan. They conduct heat efficiently, which ensures an even bake across the whole cake, preventing the outside from burning and the middle from undercooking. They are available online or at cake decorating retailers. For a small cake like this, only one rod is required.

OPTIONAL:

If the icing seizes or gets too cold, warm it a little by placing the bowl over a pan of simmering water and re-whisk. To make sure the sugar has dissolved into the egg whites, rub a bit between your fingers - it should feel smooth with no graininess. Buttercream can be refrigerated for up to 4 days if stored in an airtight container. When ready to use, bring to room temperature and beat with a paddle attachment until smooth.