RECIPE: HOW TO DO ETON MESS TRAYBAKE

We’ve turned the crowdpleasing dessert, Eton mess, into a teatime traybake. A strawberry and almond cake is topped with meringues, strawberries and double cream; the ultimate summer dessert.

RECIPE ETON MESS TRAYBAKE

Dificulty: Easy
Portion: Serves 12-15
Time: Hands-on time 20 min, oven time 25-30 min

Ingredients

200g butter, softened
200g caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
50g ground almonds
4 medium free-range eggs
175g self-raising flour
4 tbsp double cream
250g small, ripe but firm strawberries, hulled and halved
1 tbsp granulated sugar
250ml double cream
50g icing sugar
4 homemade meringues (see Master Recipe), crumbled
200g small strawberries, hulled and thickly sliced
Small handful fresh baby mint leaves
20cm x 30cm shallow cake tin or brownie tin, greased and lined with non-stick baking paper

Step by step preparation

Heat the oven to 190°C/170°C fan/gas 5. To make the sponge, beat the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl using an electric hand mixer for 5 minutes until light and creamy. Beat in the vanilla bean paste, then mix in the ground almonds. Beat in the eggs one at a time, adding a tablespoon of the flour with the last 2 eggs. Sift over the remaining flour and a pinch of salt and, using a large metal spoon, fold in using a figure-of-eight motion, along with the 4 tbsp double cream.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and level the surface. Scatter the 250g prepared strawberries over the top and sprinkle with the granulatedsugar. Bake for 25-30 minutes until a skewer pushed into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
Remove the cake from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack, leaving the baking paper in place, and leave to cool completely.
To assemble, peel off the baking paper, then transfer the sponge to a serving plate. Whip the 250ml cream and icing sugar in a large mixing bowl until the cream forms soft peaks. Thickly spread the whipped cream on top of the sponge and scatter with the crumbled meringues, strawberries and mint leaves. Cut into even portions to serve.

RECIPE: HOW TO DO ETON MESS TRAYBAKE

RECIPE: HOW TO DO BAKED LEMON CHEESECAKE WITH PINEAPPLE FLOWERS

RECIPE: HOW TO DO STRAWBERRY AND ROSE VICTORIA SPONGE SANDWICH

RECIPE: HOW TO DO STICKY TOFFEE PUDDING CAKE

RECIPE: HOW TO DO CARAMELISED WHITE CHOCOLATE, BURNT BUTTER AND TAHINI CAKE

RECIPE: HOW TO DO TOFFEE ICE-CREAM CAKE

RECIPE: HOW TO DO LEMON AND STRAWBERRY MERINGUE CAKE

RECIPE: HOW TO DO EASY BUTTERFLY CAKES

RECIPE: HOW TO DO SUGARPLUM FAIRY CAKES

RECIPE: HOW TO DO CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES

RECIPE: HOW TO DO RASPBERRY AND LEMON SPONGE CAKE

RECIPE: HOW TO DO EASY FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE

RECIPE: HOW TO DO NUT-FREE CARROT CUPCAKES

RECIPE: HOW TO DO CARROT AND CHEESECAKE LAYER CAKE

RECIPE: HOW TO DO SUMMER-CUP BUNDT DRIZZLE CAKE

RECIPE: HOW TO DO SPRING LAMB CUPCAKES

RECIPE: HOW TO DO ST CLEMENT’S SQUARES

RECIPE: HOW TO DO RASPBERRY AND CUSTARD MUFFINS

RECIPE: HOW TO DO CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH CARAMEL POACHED PEARS AND CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM

RECIPE: HOW TO DO WHITE FOREST GATEAU

RECIPE: HOW TO DO FROZEN LEMON AND BLUEBERRY MOUSSE CAKE