Name: Eton Mess Cake
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 28 min
Total time: 48 min
Yield: 13
Ingredients: 2 ¾ cups (350g) all-purpose flour ((= plain flour)); 1 ⅔ cups (330g) sugar; 1 tbsp baking powder; ½ tbsp baking soda ((= bicarbonate of soda)); ½ tsp salt; ¾ cup + 2 tbsp (200g) Stork or softened butter; 3 large eggs room temperature; ¾ cup + 2 tbsp (200ml) whole milk room temperature; 2 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract; 2 cups (500ml) heavy cream ((= double cream)); 4 tbsp powdered sugar ((= icing sugar)); 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract; 20 mini meringues or 5 large meringue nests; 2 ⅓ cups + 2 tbsp (360g) fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced; 250 (2 cups) fresh raspberries; ½ cup (80g) fresh blueberries; 1 tbsp lemon juice; 2 tbsp sugar; extra meringue cookies; edible flowers

This easy Eton Mess Cake recipe is perfect for summer – may I suggest you bake it for the Jubilee celebrations this year?

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Eton mess is the quintessential British dessert, I always think! Easy to make, perfectly delicious and, yes, a little bit messy in the best possible way.

The combination of freshly whipped cream with crushed meringue and macerated fresh berries is delightful as pudding and even more delicious in cake form!

I have been thinking of a Jubilee cake to make for our street’s Platinum Jubilee party and I think this showstopper Eton Mess Cake is fit for a Queen!

Slice of Eton mess cake with strawberries, raspberries and blueberries on a pretty flower patterned background

Ingredients and Equipment

Flour, sugar, softened butter or Stork, eggs, milk and vanilla bean paste for the cake layers.
Meringue nests – store bought or homemade (take a look at my Perfect Meringue Nests recipe) and meringue kisses (meringue cookies).
Double cream (heavy cream) and a little icing sugar for the whipped cream filling.
Fresh berries such as strawberries, raspberries and blueberries or anything that’s seasonal. This combo perfectly replicates the colour of the Union Flag 🙂
This easy all-in-one cake can be made using an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer.
You will need three 8 inch cake pans for this recipe or you can use four 6 inch cake pans for a taller cake.
I prefer to use a cake release spray for most of my baking – easier than greasing and dusting cake tins with flour.
A cake decorating kit with a turntable, offset spatula, piping bags and tips is useful for assembling this cake (and any layer cakes).

How to Make Eton Mess Cake

↓ For the full ingredients and detailed method, jump to the recipe card.

Make the cake. Preheat the oven to 180C (350F). Grease and line three 8 inch cake tins – or spray with cake release. Put the flour, sugar, baking powder, soda and salt in a large bowl (or the bowl of your stand mixer). Stir to combine.

Add the softened butter, eggs, milk and vanilla bean paste. Beat together at low speed to combine, then increase the speed once all the ingredients have been incorporated. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl with a spatula, as needed.

Beating cake batter with an electric hand mixer

Divide the batter between the cake tins (weigh them for accuracy) and bake for 25-28 minutes, or until the sponge is springy to the touch and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

Make the Eton Mess Filling

Put cold cream and icing sugar and vanilla in a bowl (a cold metal bowl is ideal). Beat on medium speed until the cream is pillowy and forms stiff peaks. Keep the whipped cream in the fridge until needed. Transfer 1/3 of the whipped cream to another bowl (or piping bag) to use for topping the cake.

Reserve some of the prettiest berries for decorating the top of your Eton mess cake. Combine the rest with the lemon juice and sugar in a bowl. Leave for 15 minutes to soften and release their juices. Drain the juice and use it to brush over the cake layers, reserving some for drizzling.

Lightly crush the meringues. Use a large spoon to gently fold them and the berries into the whipped cream. This filling needs to be used immediately.

folding meringue and berries into whipped cream

Assemble the Cake

Brush the cakes with the reserved berry syrup and level the tops if necessary. Generously spread filling over the bottom cake layer a. Drizzle with a little syrup, letting it drip down the sides.

Sandwich with the second layer, pressing down lightly on it. Repeat the filling process and top with the final layer.

Spread or pipe the reserved whipped cream on top and decorate with a few berries and some meringue kisses or crushed meringue. Serve immediately – cake best eaten immediately as it contains fresh cream.

Slice of tall layered mixed berry eton mess cake with strawberries, raspberries and blueberries on a pretty flower patterned background

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