Sophie Michell's hazelnut meringue layer cake with strawberries

Sophie says: 'I love making this as a celebration cake for special occasions. The layers of meringue with the fruit in between look very pretty and it's super easy to make ahead and assemble last minute.'

• Preparation: 20 mins
• Cooking: 30 mins
• Serves: 12

What you need:

• 250g whole hazelnuts
• 8 egg whites
• 300g caster sugar
• 200ml double cream
• 200g Sweet Eve strawberries, hulled and sliced in half
• 100g BerryJewel raspberries
• Icing sugar to decorate

What you do:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/Gas mark 4.
2. Blitz the hazelnuts in a blender until very fine.
3. Take a clean, grease-free bowl and add the egg whites. Whisk the egg whites until they form soft peaks. Gradually add the caster sugar spoon by spoon, whisk well in between. Continue until all the sugar has been added and the mixture is thick and glossy, then fold in the hazelnuts.
4. Divide the mix between three greased and lined Victoria sandwich tins and then bake it in the preheated oven for about 25-30 minutes, until golden.
5. When done, take out of the oven, cool in the tins and then carefully remove.
6. Whip the cream until it forms soft peaks and spread a third of the mixture onto one of the meringues. Add a layer of Sweet Eve strawberries and BerryJewel raspberries, and then top with the second meringue. Repeat the process with the second and third meringue topping the final meringue with the remaining cream and Sweet Eve strawberries until you end up with a top layer of Sweet Eve strawberries.
7. To finish, sprinkle with icing sugar!
8. Please credit: www.sweetevestrawberry.co.uk

Cook's tip:

Run a knife around the outside of the cake tins to release the meringues and upturn them to get them out of the tin. Carefully peel off the lining paper.

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