Saffron layer cake

Serves 6 to 8

50g butter, plus extra for greasing 100ml milk small pinch ground saffron 4 eggs 325g caster sugar 300g plain flour 2tsp baking powder 1tsp vanilla sugar or extract ½tsp salt 50g Greek yogurt *Frosted redcurrants, to decorate (optional) MARZIPAN BUTTERCREAM 75g marzipan (at least 50% almonds), grated 300g plus 2tbsp icing sugar 150g butter, softened a few tbsp of milk (optional) Freshly squeezed lemon juice (optional)

Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/gas 4. Grease and line three 18cm-diameter round cake pans. Melt the butter in a saucepan, then add the milk and saffron and set aside to infuse. Whisk the eggs and sugar together until thick and fluffy. Mix the dry ingredients together, then sift into the sugar mixture and fold in. Add the yogurt and the saffron milk to the mixture and fold again until incorporated.

Pour the batter into the prepared pans, dividing it evenly, and bake in the preheated oven for around 12–14 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Saffron is quite drying, so take care not to over-bake.

Leave the layers to cool in the pans while you make the buttercream. Add a few tbsp of boiling water to the marzipan and mix it with a fork to melt it slightly (this avoids lumps of marzipan in the buttercream). Using an electric beater, in a bowl mix the sugar and butter on high speed and add the marzipan. You may need to add a bit of milk, too. Beat and allow to fluff up for several minutes on high speed. If you feel it is too sweet, you can add a few drops of lemon juice.

Remove the cakes from the pans and peel off the paper. Place the first layer of cake on the serving plate, then add a layer of the buttercream.

Repeat until you have used all three layers. You can leave the cake naked and just decorate the top with the remaining buttercream or you can use the buttercream to give a light coating all around the sides, as shown here, for a very frosty-looking cake. Decorate with frosted redcurrants for a festive look.