Summer celebration showstopper cake (Printable Format)

Three layers of zesty lemon cake filled with strawberry compote and mascarpone cream, finished with a stunning yellow white chocolate drip and fresh berries.

# What You'll Gather:

→ For the Lemon Cake

01 - 150g unsalted butter, softened (leave it out for about an hour beforehand)
02 - 280g powdered sugar, sifted if it's lumpy
03 - 3 medium eggs at room temperature (this really makes a difference!)
04 - 1 1/2 teaspoons good vanilla extract
05 - 260g all-purpose flour
06 - 10g cornstarch (makes the cake extra tender)
07 - 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
08 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
09 - 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
10 - 210ml buttermilk (shake before measuring)
11 - Juice of 1/2 lemon plus all the zest you can get from it

→ For the Strawberry Filling

12 - 1 batch homemade strawberry compote (roughly 1 cup of fresh strawberries cooked down with 2 tbsp sugar)

→ For the Strawberry Swiss Buttercream

13 - 1 batch Strawberry Swiss Buttercream (about 3 cups)

→ For the Lemon Mascarpone Chantilly

14 - 1 batch Lemon Mascarpone Chantilly cream (about 2 cups)

→ For the Lemon Drizzle

15 - 50g white chocolate, chopped into small pieces
16 - 50g heavy cream
17 - 2 teaspoons lemon curd (store-bought is fine)
18 - A tiny drop of yellow food coloring (gel works best)

# Step-by-Step Instructions:

01 - First things first, preheat your oven to 165°C (325°F) - not too hot or the cakes will dome too much. Line three 15cm (6 inch) cake pans with parchment circles and give the sides a light butter and flour coating. Sift all your dry ingredients together (flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt) to get rid of any lumps. In your mixer bowl, beat the softened butter with powdered sugar and all that fragrant lemon zest until it's light and fluffy - about 3-4 minutes on medium speed. Don't rush this step! Add your eggs one at a time, mixing well after each, then pour in the vanilla. Now, alternate adding your dry ingredients and the buttermilk mixed with lemon juice, starting and ending with dry (so dry-wet-dry-wet-dry). Mix just until combined - overmixing is the enemy of tender cake!
02 - Divide your batter evenly among the prepared pans - a kitchen scale helps get them exactly even if you're fussy like me. Smooth the tops with an offset spatula and tap the pans gently on the counter to pop any big air bubbles. Bake for about 30 minutes or until they're golden on top and a toothpick comes out with just a few moist crumbs (not wet batter). Let the cakes cool in their pans for about 10 minutes - they're fragile when hot! Then carefully flip them onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely. Don't rush this cooling step or your fillings will melt!
03 - While the cakes are cooling, make your strawberry compote if you haven't already. Hull and chop about a cup of fresh strawberries, then cook them in a small saucepan with 2 tablespoons of sugar until they break down and get jammy - about 10 minutes over medium heat. Let this cool completely before using it in your cake. Pop it in the fridge to speed things up if you're in a hurry.
04 - Follow your favorite recipes to make the Strawberry Swiss Buttercream and Lemon Mascarpone Chantilly. The buttercream should be smooth and pipeable, while the chantilly cream should be thick enough to hold its shape but still soft and billowy. Keep them both cool but not cold hard until you're ready to assemble.
05 - Level your cake layers if they've domed at all - you want nice flat surfaces for stacking. Put a dab of buttercream on your cake board or serving plate and place the first cake layer on top. Pipe a thick ring of strawberry buttercream around the edge to create a dam (this prevents fillings from oozing out). Inside that ring, spread a layer of strawberry compote, then pipe or spread some lemon mascarpone chantilly on top. Don't fill it too full or it'll squish out! Add your second cake layer and repeat the filling process. Top with the final cake layer, placed bottom-side up for a nice flat top.
06 - Cover the whole cake with a thin layer of the strawberry buttercream - this is your crumb coat, which seals in all those pesky loose crumbs. Pop the whole cake in the fridge for at least 2 hours (or 30 minutes in the freezer if you're in a hurry) until the buttercream is firm to the touch. This step is crucial for getting a drip that behaves properly, so don't skip it!
07 - Create a simple double boiler by placing a heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water. Add the white chocolate and heavy cream, stirring gently until completely melted and smooth. Take it off the heat and stir in the lemon curd and just enough yellow food coloring to give it a soft lemon hue. Let the mixture cool until it reaches about 30°C (86°F) - warm enough to flow but not so hot it'll melt your buttercream. Test a drip on the inside of your bowl - it should flow slowly but not be runny.
08 - Take your chilled cake from the fridge and pour the lemon drip over the top, using an offset spatula to gently nudge it toward the edges so it creates those beautiful drips down the sides. Work quickly but don't panic! Pipe any remaining buttercream in decorative swirls on top of the cake, and add fresh lemon slices for a pretty garnish if you like. Let the cake sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes before serving so the flavors and textures can soften slightly.

# Important Tips:

01 - This showstopper cake combines zesty lemon layers with sweet strawberry fillings for the perfect summer celebration cake.
02 - The different components can be made ahead of time and assembled the day before your event for less stress and better flavor development.

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