INGREDIENTS

For the creme patisserie:

250 ml milk

1 vanilla pod, split in half lengthways and seeded scraped out

2 free-range egg yolks

50 g caster sugar

15 g cornflour

15 g butter

For the sponge:

4 free-range eggs

180 g caster sugar

80 potato starch

60 plain flour

2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp vanilla sugar

For the filling and cover:

250 ml Raspberry jam (feel free to make your own)

300 ml of whipping cream

800 g of marzipan or an Odense Marzipan cover

Food colouring (optional, if you’re making your own marzipan cover and marzipan rose)

Icing sugar, for dusting

HOW TO

For the creme patisserie, pour all the ingredients in a sauce pan and place on a low to medium heat whilst whisking continuously until thickened.  Simmer for one minute, then strain using a sieve and place in the fridge for cooling.  

For the sponge, preheat the oven to 175C/160C(fan)/Gas 4. Grease and line the base of a 23cm/9in springform tin with baking parchment.

Put the eggs and sugar into a large bowl and using an electric mixer, whisk together until the mixture is almost white, at least 6 minutes.

Sift the flours mixed with baking powder and vanilla sugar and carefully fold in.

Pour the mixture into the lined tin and bake for 30 minutes until the sponge is golden brown. Set aside to cool. I always turn mine upside down whilst cooling.  

Whilst it’s cooling, whip your cream firm so that it will hold the marzipan and place in the fridge until you will assemble your cake.

To assemble the cake, cut the cake horizontally into three even layers. Place one of the sponges onto a serving plate. Spread a layer of custard over the base of the first sponge.

Place another layer of your sponge on top and spread the jam on this layer.

Add the final layer and cover this with the whipped cream including the sides. Make a big mountain of the cream at the top of the cake and smooth down to form a dome.

Roll out the marzipan on a surface lightly dusted with cornflour, to a 40cm/16in diameter circle, large enough to cover the cake. Lift the marzipan up over the cake and using your hands, shape the marzipan around the sides of the cake to get a smooth finish. Trim any excess.

Dust the cake with icing sugar and place your rose on top.

Store your Princess cake in the fridge and take it out about 30 min before serving it. Enjoy!

Top tip!

Make a marzipan rose:

For the marzipan rose, colour some of your marzipan with food colouring (if it gets too sticky, add a bit of cornflour). Roll 8-10 little pieces into small balls about the size of a cherry stone, and then press them out into petals. Roll the first petal up like a sausage to form a bud and wrap the remaining petals around the bud to make a rose.