Vanilla, Skyr & Raspberry Layer Cake

📝 Ingredients

• 6 eggs
• 150 g caster sugar (130 for the sponge, 20 for the syrup)
• 150 g plain flour
• 2 tsp vanilla extract (1 for the sponge, 1 for the cream)
• 10 g unsalted butter (for the tin)
• 100 ml water (for the syrup)
• 200 g well-chilled mascarpone
• 500 g plain 0% fat skyr
• 40 g icing sugar
• 250 g fresh raspberries (2 punnets of 125 g)

🍴 Utensils

• Electric hand mixer
• 3 round 18 cm cake tins
• Large mixing bowl
• Flexible spatula
• Offset spatula
• Pastry brush

📖 Steps

1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Brush the 3 cake tins (18 cm) with butter and line the base of each with a disc of baking paper, so the sponges come out without tearing.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the whole eggs with 130 g sugar and 1 tsp vanilla using an electric mixer on maximum speed for 10 min: the mixture should triple in volume, turn very pale and form a thick ribbon that holds on the surface for a few seconds.
3. Sift the flour over the bowl in three batches and gently fold it in with a rubber spatula, lifting the batter from the bottom upwards while turning the bowl. Do not whisk or overmix: it's the trapped air that makes the sponge rise.
4. Divide the batter between the 3 tins (about 200 g each, weigh it) and smooth the top. Bake for 15 to 18 min, until the sponges are golden and spring back when pressed with a finger. Leave to cool for 5 min, run a knife around the edges and turn out onto a wire rack.
5. Leave the sponges to cool completely (about 30 min). Meanwhile, make the syrup: heat the water with 20 g sugar for 1 min in the microwave, stir until the sugar has dissolved, then leave to cool.
6. Make the cream: whisk the well-chilled mascarpone with the icing sugar and 1 tsp vanilla for 1 min until smooth. Add the skyr in two batches and whisk for another 2 min on medium speed, until you have a firm cream that holds on the whisk. Keep in the fridge.
7. Set aside a dozen nice raspberries for decoration. Place one sponge on the serving plate, brush it with syrup, spread over a quarter of the cream and scatter with half the remaining raspberries. Repeat with the second sponge.
8. Place the last sponge on top, smooth side up, and brush with syrup. Cover the top and sides with the rest of the cream using the offset spatula, with even strokes: a thin layer is enough, and it's normal to see a little sponge showing through in places.
9. Decorate with the reserved raspberries and refrigerate for at least 2 h, so the cream firms up and the cake slices cleanly. Cut with a large knife dipped in hot water and wiped between each slice.