Serves 12
Produce a spectacular multi-layered cake. Give it the ‘wow’ factor with spun sugar, or simply decorate with rose petals.
Occasion
Products in this recipe

Lemon Flavour Cheesecake, Vanilla Cake Mix

You will need

250 g butter, at room temperature
3 extra large eggs, at room temperature
1 x 600 g Ina Paarman’s Vanilla Cake Mix
1 cup (250 ml) sour cream
2 T (30 ml) grated lemon rind

¾ cup (180 ml) cold water
3 T (45 ml) fresh lemon juice
1 x 250 g Ina Paarman’s Lemon Flavour Cheesecake Mix
1 tub (250 g) smooth creamed cottage cheese
1 cup (250 ml) fresh cream

¾ cup (180 ml) white sugar
pinch of cream of tartar or 1 t (5 ml) lemon juice or vinegar
3 T (45 ml) water

Method

Cake batter

Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 180°C. Butter 2 x 20 cm cake pans and line the bottoms with baking paper.

Ignore package instructions and follow the method below.

Cream butter until soft. Add 1 egg and 1 T (15 ml) dry Cake Mix at a time, beating after each addition, until you have used all 3 eggs.

Add sour cream and lemon rind and beat it in. Add all remaining Cake Mix and gently fold in by hand with a spatula until evenly mixed.

Divide mixture between the prepared cake pans. Bake for 30 – 35 minutes. Leave to stand for 10 minutes and then turn out on a cooling rack to cool down completely.

Mousse filling

Measure the water and lemon juice into a medium size mixing bowl. Sprinkle the Cheesecake Mix over and beat it in. Add the cottage cheese and beat in. Whip the cream using the same beaters, in a smaller mixing bowl until just firm.

Fold the cream into the cottage cheese mixture and stir until evenly blended, leave in the fridge to firm for about 15 minutes.

To assemble

When ready to assemble the cake, slice each cake layer in half horizontally to make 4 thin layers. Set one layer, cut surface up, on a plate lined with baking paper to facilitate lifting the cake later.

Spread ¼ of the mousse over the cake. Smooth right to the edges with a palette knife. Place next layer on top. Proceed in this way until all the mousse filling and all four cake layers have been used.

The top layer of the cake must be placed rounded side up, before covering it with mousse. To stabilise cake and ensure a neat shape, wrap a double layer of baking paper around the cake. Secure tightly with a bulldog clip or clothes pegs and refrigerate overnight.

Spun sugar

Bring everything to the boil in a smallish saucepan with a long handle. Do not stir, but tilt and swivel the saucepan from time to time.

Line an area on the work surface with baking paper. When the syrup turns golden brown remove it from the heat.

Stand the pot in a container with very hot water to prevent the caramel from hardening too soon.

Using a big fork, dip the prongs into the caramel and lift it up high, keep testing until the syrup starts to pull threads.

Dip the fork into the caramel and wave it in the air above the baking paper to spin off fine threads of caramel.

Lift spun sugar off the paper and mould or break to cover the cake.

Spun sugar is unfortunately temperamental and in coastal conditions or on rainy days it will pick up moisture and ‘wilt’ very quickly. This is a last minute job, unfortunately.