Dan Lepard: Saffron clotted cream cake

For the cake

• 75g lemon juice
• 1 large pinch saffron
• 100g unsalted butter
• 50g corn
• 250g caster sugar
• 50g cornflour
• 4 large eggs
• 150g clotted cream
• 275g plain flour
• 3 tsp baking powder

For the icing

• 50g clotted cream
• 225g icing sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Step 1
Line the base and sides of two 20cm, round, deep cake tins with nonstick baking paper.

Step 2
Heat the lemon juice in a pan, add the saffron and leave off the heat to infuse for 10 minutes.

Step 3
Beat the butter, oil, sugar and cornflour until light and fluffy, then beat in the egg yolks one at a time, followed by the saffron liquid and clotted cream.

Step 4
Whisk the egg whites in a clean bowl until stiff, then fold half of them through the butter mix.

Step 5
Sift the flour and baking powder, and gently fold half of this through, too.

Step 6
Repeat with the remaining egg whites and flour, then divide the mixture between the tins and bake at 180C (160C fan-assisted)/350F/gas mark 4 for 35 minutes.

Step 7
For the icing, beat the clotted cream, icing sugar and vanilla with two to three tablespoons of boiling water until thick and smooth.

Step 8
Slice each cake in two horizontally, then fill and stack with lemon curd.

Step 9
Alternately swirl spoonfuls of the icing over the top of the cake with small teaspoonfuls of lemon curd.