4 Layer Cake with Swiss Meringue Buttercream

I've been baking this stunning BBC Food 4 Layer Cake for years now, and it never fails to impress. The combination of light, nutty sponge layers, silky Swiss meringue buttercream, and crunchy candied nuts creates something truly special.

This recipe might look a bit long, but don't let that put you off! I'll walk you through each step, sharing all my tips and tricks for getting it just right. Trust me, the result is well worth the effort.

What Makes This 4 Layer Cake Special

The magic of this cake lies in its balance of flavours and textures. The honey gives the sponge a lovely depth without being overpowering, while the ground almonds keep it beautifully moist. The Swiss meringue buttercream is lighter and less sweet than traditional buttercream, making it the perfect partner for the honey-scented cake layers.

I love making this for birthdays and celebrations, but it works just as well for afternoon tea or when you fancy something a bit special. The candied nuts on top add a lovely bit of crunch and make it look really impressive without hours of fancy decorating.

A Few Tips Before You Start

• Have all your ingredients at room temperature before you begin - particularly the butter and eggs. It makes such a difference to how the cake turns out.
• Don't skip the honey syrup step - it keeps the cake lovely and moist for days.
• The Swiss meringue buttercream might look a bit scary if you haven't made it before, but just take it step by step, and you'll be fine.

Ingredients

Butter:

• Always use unsalted butter - you want to control the salt level
• Must be properly softened but not melted
• Take it out of the fridge 2 hours before starting

Honey:

• Clear honey works best - set honey can be tricky to measure
• Different kinds of honey will give different flavours
• Avoid very strong-flavoured honey unless you want it to dominate

Ground Almonds:

• Sometimes called almond meal
• Keep it in the fridge to prevent them from going bad
• Don't substitute with almond flour - it's too fine

Eggs:

• Medium eggs work best - large eggs will make the batter too wet
• Separate eggs when cold, but use them at room temperature
• Save the spare egg whites for meringues or omelettes

Making the Cake

Start with the sponges. Pop your oven on to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Grease two 15cm cake tins and line the bottoms with baking parchment.

Beat your butter, brown sugar and 140g of honey until it's light and fluffy. Take your time with this step - it makes all the difference to your finished cake.

Add the eggs and yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition. If it starts to look a bit curdled, don't worry - it'll come back together when you add the flour.

Mix your flour, ground almonds, baking powder and a pinch of salt in a separate bowl.

Add half the flour mixture to your butter mixture and beat until just combined. Pour in the vanilla and milk, give it another mix, then add the rest of the flour mixture. Be careful not to overmix at this stage.

Split the mixture between your tins and pop them in the oven for 45-55 minutes. You'll know they're done when a skewer comes out clean.

Let them cool in the tins for 10 minutes before turning them out onto a wire rack.

While your cakes are cooling, you can crack on with the other elements:

For the Honey Syrup:

• Pop 2 tablespoon honey and 2 tablespoon water in a small pan
• Heat until the honey dissolves
• Leave it to cool

For the Candied Nuts:

1. Heat 150ml water and the sugar in a pan with a sugar thermometer
2. When it hits 119C, turn off the heat and stir in your nuts
3. Keep stirring until the syrup turns white and crunchy
4. Tip them out and roughly chop half of them

The Swiss Meringue Buttercream:

1. Beat your butter until it's pale and fluffy
2. Put your egg whites and sugar in a clean bowl over simmering water
3. Whisk with an electric mixer until the sugar dissolves completely
4. Remove from heat and whisk for about 10 minutes until you get stiff peaks
5. Add the butter bit by bit, beating well between each addition
6. Finally, beat in the honey

Putting It All Together

Now for the fun part! Here's how to build your 4 layer cake:

1. Level your sponges by cutting off any domed tops
2. Split each one in half so you have four layers
3. Start with your bottom layer - stick it to your cake board with a bit of buttercream
4. Brush with honey syrup and pipe on a layer of buttercream
5. Add your next layer and repeat until you've used all four
6. Cover the whole cake with a thin layer of buttercream
7. Use a palette knife to scrape the sides clean
8. Pipe blobs around the top (or spread it with a palette knife if you prefer)
9. Finish with your candied nuts

A Few Extra Tips

• You can make the candied nuts a few days ahead - just keep them in an airtight container
• If your buttercream looks a bit runny, pop it in the fridge for 15 minutes
• Don't worry if your first attempt isn't perfect - practice makes perfect!

Storage and Make-Ahead Tips

Storage:

• The finished 4-layer cake can be kept for 3-4 days in an airtight container at room temperature
• Once cut, cover the exposed cake with cling film to keep it fresh
• Don't store it in the fridge as it will dry out the sponge

Make Ahead:

• Sponges can be baked up to 2 days ahead - wrap well in cling film and keep at room temperature
• Candied nuts will last 2 weeks in an airtight container
• Buttercream can be made 3 days ahead - keep it in the fridge and bring it to room temperature before using
• The assembled cake (without nuts) can be frozen for up to 3 months - wrap well in cling film and foil

Dietary Substitutes

Gluten-Free:

• Replace plain flour with gluten-free plain flour blend
• Add 1 teaspoon xanthan gum if your flour blend doesn't include it
• The texture might be slightly different, but still delicious

Nut-Free:

• Replace ground almonds with the same weight of flour
• Skip the candied nuts and decorate with sprinkles or chocolate shavings
• The texture will be less moist but still lovely

Dairy-Free:

• Use dairy-free butter blocks (not spread) - I find Flora Plant works well
• Replace milk with almond or oat milk
• The texture might be slightly different

Equipment Needed

• 2 x 15cm round cake tins
• Electric mixer (stand or hand-held)
• Sugar thermometer
• Piping bag with 1cm nozzle
• Palette knife
• Wire cooling rack

This cake might take a bit of time to make, but it's such a showstopper. The honey gives it a lovely golden colour, and the combination of fluffy sponge, silky buttercream and crunchy nuts is just brilliant. Give it a go - I'd love to hear how you get on with it!

📖 Recipe