Passionfruit and peach layer cake

This cake is a helluva babe. If it was a woman, it would be Lady Penelope. It would be Grace Kelly after a few cocktails. Or it would be Marilyn, reclining in front of a fan in Tom Ewell's apartment in The Seven Year Itch. All that aside, this is a very yummy cake that is surprisingly easy to make but looks impressive. It's from a beautiful little book called 'The Crabapple Bakery Cupcake Cookbook'. Catchy, eh? http://www.amazon.co.uk/Crabapple-Bakery-Cupcake-Cookbook/dp/0143004948/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1284396561&sr=8-1

It's an Australian book, which I didn't realise, and thought the author was a bit nuts talking about the passionfruit trees growing in her back garden. Anyway, it's an entirely lovely book with the BEST and most successful recipes I've ever made.

Sponge ingredients

6 eggs

4oz caster sugar

2oz cup plain flour

2oz self-raising flour

1oz cup cornflour

1oz custard powder

1. I'll warn you - this mixture will seem a bit weird. That's because it's a whipped sponge, meaning it's light, butter-free, and just perfect for putting with cream and fruit. Preheat your oven to 170 degrees C. Lightly grease three 20cm round cake tins.

2. Get ready for serious arm ache. I'm not kidding; perhaps you might like to do a few limbering up exercises first? You'll need to beat the eggs for 1 minute on medium speed. Don't get too cocky. Now beat that for 15 minutes on high speed. Gradually add the sugar. Still feeling limber? Good. Because once you've added the sugar, please beat for another 10 minutes. It's really worth it, I absolutely promise.

3. You little star! That's your workout done for the week. Now it's time to combine all your different flours and your custard powder, and sift them together THREE TIMES! Yes! Three please. It's like something out of a fairy tale, isn't it! Three wishes. So sift three times....then use a slotted metal spoon and fold the flour mixture into the egg mixture until just combined.

4. Divide the mixture evenly between three tins. Bake for 20 mins, or until the sponges have just started to come away from the sides. Remove from the tins STRAIGHT AWAY and cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes before filling.

Filling and decoration

2 cups whipped cream

peaches (recipe says strawbs, but choose your fave)

lemon curd (see my recipe: http://diamonddollskitchen.blogspot.com/2010/09/lemon-meringue-cupcakes-part1sponge.html)

50g softened butter

1/2 cup fresh passionfruit pulp

4 cups icing sugar

1. Mix the butter, passionfruit pulp - yes, sounds delicious, doesn't it - and icing sugar together to form the icing.

2. Then pop your first sponge on a plate (we'll start you off easy). Spread with cream then put your peaches/fruit of choice on top of the cream.

3. Take the next sponge, and spread lemon curd on the underside (easier than trying to put it on top of the fruit, see?) Then add that layer on top, and do the cream and fruit thing again.

4. Step back and admire. (Compulsory step, do not miss.)

5. Smooth the passionfruit icing over the top.

6. Then decorate to your heart's content! Being a frivolous, fanciful type, I added a rose. But you may do as you please. Whatever that is, have tremendous fun!