Eton Mess Cake
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A three layer Eton mess cake with a fresh strawberry sponge, fresh whipped cream, crushed meringue and more!
So today is the start of Wimbledon 2018, and I thought I would make a recipe to go along with it. I know the World Cup is also going on right now, but love the combination of strawberries and cream. I’ve posted my Wimbledon strawberry cupcakes before, so I thought a cake version would do nicely!
I have my Eton mess traybake on here, and its a classic. I love the traybake cake, but I thought a layer cake version would be much more showstopper like!
Summer bakes
My no-bake Eton mess cheesecake is one of my favourite summer cheesecake recipes, and this is definitely up there with one of my favourite summer cake recipes. I like how its similar to my lemon & blueberry cake, because that style of cake is my favourite as you might have guessed! Three layers = the more per slice. ALL THE CAKE PLEASE.
I know in reality this cake has absolutely nothing to do with Wimbledon or tennis, but strawberries and cream are a massive thing there… so is Eton mess in a way?! I’m making links here where I can because I need it.
Cake
The recipe for the cake in this is basically just a basic sponge, but is why I love the recipe. It keeps things simple. A simple mixture of the butter, sugar, eggs and flour together to a thick cake mixture, topped with the strawberries before baking. I wouldn’t normally recommend keeping a basic sponge itself in the fridge because it dries it out, but with the fresh strawberries inside, it’s not nearly as dry.
Because of the hot weather that we have been having I did wonder whether doing this recipe was the best idea because of the weather just being able to melt anything it likes, but you can’t do an Eton mess cake without a fresh cream filling. Honestly, you just can’t.
It isn’t the strongest of cakes, but you can expect that with a fresh strawberry sponge, and then a fresh cream filling, so I have warned you! Refrigerating it does firm it up somewhat, so its best to keep it in there till serving, or till its cool. You don’t want the cake to collapse, or the cream to go manky in the heat!
Filling
I decided to use some homemade strawberry jam in the cake as this will also help keep the sponges moist, and because I had made so much recently from going strawberry picking, I needed to use some up. You can switch this to any other flavour jam you fancy, but I really was going with the strawberry theme.
You can alternatively mix the double cream, meringue, and some fresh strawberries together and whack that in-between the sponges, but I wanted to do things a little differently. I decided to lightly whip the cream with the sugar and spread that over, and then top with the meringue in-between the sponges
Decoration
The decoration is basically the same as the filling in the sense that it’s lightly whipped cream, and meringue, but on top I use some whole strawberries and some freeze dried strawberries for decoration. I didn’t use any strawberry with the cream in the middle of the layers as it’s also in the sponge, but the topping was slightly different.
This cake is so light and fluffy and moist, and always a crowd pleaser – you can pipe the cream on top as well, and that does make it even more beautiful, but I found slathering it on just as nice.
Tips & Tricks
- This cake lasts 2-3 days in the fridge, but is best of the day of baking
- You can freeze the sponges for 3+ months if they have been wrapped well
- I use these cake tins in my recipe
- If you don’t fancy strawberries you an use any other berry
But anyway, I hope you all love this Eton mess cake as much as I did, and all my trusty taste testers did as well! Enjoy! X
Eton Mess Cake!
Ingredients
Cake Ingredients
- 300 g unsalted butter
- 300 g caster sugar
- 300 g self raising flour
- 6 medium eggs
- 300 g strawberries (quartered/halved)
Decoration
- 450 ml double cream
- 75 g icing sugar
- 2-4 tbsp strawberry jam
- 6 meringue nests
- Fresh strawberries
- Freeze dried strawberries
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180ºc/160ºc fan, and line three 20 cm/8" cake tins with parchment paper.
- Add the butter, sugar, self raising flour, and eggs into a bowl, and beat together until smooth.
- Once smooth, split between your three tins evenly.
- Add your strawberries to the tops of the cakes. If they're smaller strawberries I halve them, if they're larger I quarter them. Simply plop them on top.
- Once ready, put the cakes into the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes. The strawberries create more moisture, and make it take a little longer to bake, so keep an eye on it after 20 minutes.
- Once baked, leave to cool in the tin for about 30 minutes, then remove carefully and finish cooling on a wire rack.
- Once cool, whip up your double cream with the icing sugar.
- Spread a tablespoon or two of jam onto your first sponge, and crush over some meringue.
- Spoon on 1/3 of the whipped cream, and spread. Add the second sponge and repeat.
- On the third sponge, slather on the cream or pipe it, and add a fresh strawberry for each future slice. Sprinkle over some crushed meringue, and a sprinkle of freeze dried strawberries.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- This cake should really be stored in the fridge because of the fresh cream, but because of the fresh strawberries in the sponge it stays relatively moist.
- Its best on the day of baking.
- Frozen strawberries will produce more liquid when baking so it might take longer to bake.
- You can use homemade meringue if you wish, but I just bought the regular nests you can buy at any supermarket.
- I used some homemade strawberry jam, but any jam will do!
- You can bake a smaller version of the cake by using two 8' tins and:
- 200g butter
- 200g caster sugar
- 200g self raising flour
- 4 medium eggs
- 200g strawberries
- 2/3 of decoration ingredients.
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J x
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Hi Jane. I’d like to bake the sponges the day before I need them and then decorate with cream on the day. Would I still need to refrigerate the sponges or can they be wrapped in cling film and placed in an airtight container until I decorate? Thanks!
Hi!! I made two smaller versions of this on Saturday and they went down a treat! It was quite original too, as we don’t have Eton Mess in Spain, so perfect! The only thing I expected that didn’t happen was the meringue to be “crunchy” once you eat the cake. I guess the cream meant too much moisture, but it hasn’t been a problem with my pavlovas. I assembled the cake the morning of, so I don’t know what I did wrong or if it is just meant to be like that. I think next time I’ll add the top meringue just before serving. Thank-you so much! I’ve baked so many of your recipes so far, both from the blog and the books, and it’s always spot on! ♥️
Hi do you think I could use a cream cheese icing as the filling and covering and the keep everything else the same?
I don’t have a fan oven ,what temperature should I use ?
Hi, I would like to make this using 3, 6inch tins. What ratio on the ingredients do I need to use?
Hi Jane,
Could this be made into a gluten free version? By substituting the flour for GF self raising flour? Or would I have to add another binding agent?
Thanks 😊
Hiya! I personally have not tried this, however it is definitely worth a go! Enjoy! x
Hi Jane,
Could I make this cake on a Friday, assemble it and put it in the fridge overnight for a Saturday garden party? I also need to transport it in the car for 30 mins.
Should I use butter cream instead? And if I bake the night before will the strawberries make the cake soggy?
Hiya! The night before will be fine, try putting it in the fridge an hour or so before your journey and it will be fine! Buttercream would also be slightly better! Hope this helps! x
Amazing recipe made today fresh for a birthday. I’m never confident with cakes over traybakes but this changed my mind! Delicious and light. I added which chocolate shards to the top for decoration. I used two 8 inch tins with the same amount of ingredients. Baked in 35 mins. Thanks 🙏
Yayyy I am so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you xx
Hey Jane! If I make the smaller version with two 8 inch cakes, how much whipping cream and icing sugar should I use? Thankss
I would use two thirds!
Hi Jane
I was thinking of making the cake into 2 9” layers, would this be 150g butter, sugar, flour, for each layer?
Thank you
Anon
Hello, yes so you would just split ht mixture between two 9″ tins rather than three 8″ xx
Hello, how long and what temperature would I need to bake this if I used the 300g recipe but in two 8 inch tins?
Also can the Strawberries in the sponges be swapped for jam? If so how much jam would be needed ?
Thank you 🙂
Hey! Unfortunately I havent baked the recipe as it is before so I am unsure. xx
Hi Jane! I mix this recipe with your Neapolitan recipe – it’s an absolute dream! I was wondering if I could make the whipped cream chocolate? Oils putting either coco powder or melted chocolate into the cream work? I’ve found some recipes online but they’re all American
Thanks 😊
Ahh amazing! And do you mean whipped ganache?
I think so, like double cream and icing sugar but with chocolate, something I can pipe but and that’s light like whipped cream 😀 thanks for your reply x
My all time favorite cake, i have made quite a few of your cakes this one for me is me on a plate thank you xx
Hey Jane 👋 just wondering how long the strawberries In the cake will stay good as I’m wanting to prepare this the day before a birthday as I am covering it in buttercream ?
Thanks 😊
The strawberries in the sponge last fine for about 3-4 days – day before is absolutely fine!!
Hi Jane, hope your well! This cake looks amazing.
I am looking to make this into 7″ 2 layers…would you be able to help me with measurements for this size? Also could I use jam inplace of the fresh strawberries? Strawberries in the colder seasons are not fresh!
Thank you.
Kathryn 🙂
I’m not completely sure, but I imagine half the recipe would be fine! And yes you can use jam xx
Hi Jane, how long do you think this will be ok out of the fridge? I don’t want it to go soggy
The cake shouldn’t be out of the fridge as it’s a fresh product – it should be served immediately due to the fresh elements! x