Who needs a lime drizzle cake when you can get a mojito one instead? This lime and white chocolate genoise sponge cake is drizzled with a mixture of lime, mint and rum syrup. It’s then finished off with white chocolate and lime icing. It’s divine.
Perhaps I’m a little sad, but I do get quite excited as I await with anticipation to find out what Chele will choose when it’s her turn for We Should Cocoa. This month, she’s come up with a corker: lime. It’s one of my favourite flavours.
So many choices. Should I do lime and dark chocolate tarts, my old favourite cheesecake or any number of other delights? In the end I adapted a recipe from my newest acquisition; I really must stop browsing in book shops. It does my purse and book shelves no good at all.
As we don’t have a television, I don’t get to see many cookery programmes. However, I was lured by Craig of We Grow Our Own and Mark McKellier to watch Lorraine Pascale’s, Baking Made Easy on iPlayer. I watched the whole lot and made a couple of the recipes with excellent results. So, when I happened to see her book on sale, I just couldn’t resist.
Lime and White Chocolate Genoise Sponge Cake
I’d already got my eye on Lorraine’s Mojito Genoise, so when friends invited themselves over for lunch, I knew exactly what I was going to make. And true to form, I managed to get some chocolate in there.
Our mint had just about poked its head above the ground in the garden. I could almost taste that mojito syrup. When I made it, the smell was divine and it scented the whole house for hours.
This genoise sponge cake is not one of my simple bakes. It’s a little on the faffy side to make, but it’s well worth the effort. In addition to making the syrup, you need to bake a cake and make the lime and white chocolate icing to fill, top and coat the sides with. When the cake has cooled, you need to carefully cut it in two. I’m not very patient with this sort of thing, but it’s a great way of getting even layers.
If you bake the cake in two separate tins, you’ll get two domes which won’t fit together very well. Some people cut the domes off to get level tops, but I can never bare the waste so end up with a wobbly cake instead.
The cake rises beautifully and cuts easily without leaving too many crumbs. I love the colour of the green tinged buttercream which, thanks to the lime, is gorgeous. Despite not being fond of overly sweet confections I could quite easily eat the whole bowl. Wisely I restrained myself on this occasion. The cake itself is delicious and the lime syrup is well worth the extra effort. Watch out lemon drizzle cake.
Genoise Sponge Cake – The Recipe
- Grate the zest from 1 large lime
- Simmer 2.5 oz of light muscovado sugar with 1 fl oz water, 1 fl oz rum (I used grapa as I didn’t have any rum) and the juice from the lime for about three minutes until the syrup thickens slightly.
- Take off the heat, add the lime zest and a couple of mint sprigs.
- Put the lid on the pan and leave to infuse whilst making the cake.
- Butter the sides and line the bottom of a 20cm spring form tin.
- Melt 4oz unsalted butter and leave to cool a little.
- Place a mixing bowl over a pan of hot water and beat 6 eggs (2 duck + 4 chicken) and 9oz caster sugar together with electric beaters for a good five minutes.
- Take the bowl off the pan and continue to beat for a few more minutes until the mixture is pale and thick and has at least tripled in volume.
- Pour the butter down the side of the cake bowl so as not to deflate the eggs and fold it in as gently as you can.
- Fold in 9oz sifted flour (6oz white, 3oz wholemeal) again as lightly as you can.
- Pour the mixture into the tin and bake at 180℃ (350℉, Gas 4) for 40 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out more or less clean. Cover the top of the tin with foil for the last 10 minutes so as not to brown the top too much.
- Leave to cool for 10 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Melt 100g white chocolate (I use Green & Black’s) in a bowl suspended over a pan of hot, but not boiling water.
- Cream 3 oz unsalted butter with 4oz icing sugar and the zest from a further lime until all is well incorporated.
- Beat in the juice from half a lime.
- Beat in the melted chocolate.
- Cut the cake in half and brush each cut side liberally with the syrup.
- Spread some of the buttercream over one half and placed the other half on top so that the cut edges are sandwiched back together again.
- Spread the rest of the buttercream over the top of the cake and around the sides.
- Decorate as you wish. I used wafer daisies as spring was in the air.
Other Sandwich Cakes You Might Like
- Chilli chocolate cake with apricot curd buttercream
- Chocolate fudge cake with chocolate cream cheese icing
- Coconut milk layer cake
- Gluten-free sponge cake filled with jam and cream
- Lavender honey cake
- Salted caramel chocolate cake
- Spinach cake with lemon ricotta filling
- Wholemeal Victoria sandwich
Keep in Touch
Thanks for visiting Tin and Thyme. If you try this lime and white chocolate genoise sponge cake, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below. Have you any top tips? Do share photos on social media too and use the hashtag #tinandthyme, so I can spot them.
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If you’d like even more lime recipes, follow the link and you’ll find I have quite a lot of them. All delicious, of course.
Choclette x
Aunt Bee says
This is so pretty! What a wonderful Spring Time dessert!
Maya Russell says
Like the edible wafer daisies.
Choclette says
Sharky – thanks for your comment, it’s reminded me about the syrup. I’ve got loads of limes at the moment, so must try making some more.
sharkyovengloves says
This looks absolutely scrumptious! The mojito syrup in particular sounds yummy and that it could be used in lots of different recipes…
Choclette says
FreeRangeGirl – choccywoccydoodah???
Kath – I don’t do girly very often, but it’s quite fun sometimes.
Baking Addict – thank you. Looking forward to seeing what you’ve come up with – it’s not there yet, I just checked 😉
KitchenMaid – I didn’t really have enough mint to make much of a difference but it’s a great syrup to use and next time hopefully I’ll have plenty of mint. Do try and watch LP if you can.
CityHippy – thank you. I’ll be using that syrup again. In fact would be lovely splashed into a glass of water or fizzy water even.
avillagepantry – you should find loads of ideas in this month’s we should cocoa 😉
Ananda – thank you. I’m shcoked that you haven’t baked with white chocolate yet 😉
Ananda Rajashekar says
oh wat a pretty cake it is! haven’t baked any with white choc! this is IN…Love!
avillagepantry says
I love lime with chocolate, but am always stumped for ideas! This sounds delicious.
cityhippyfarmgirl says
I love the sounds of that syrup. Lime, muscavado and rum (even though you didn’t use it.) Cocktail flavours in a cake!
It turned out beautifully Choclette 🙂
The KitchenMaid says
LOVE the surprise guest ingredient of mint – just perfect. This looks beautiful and reminds me I must look to see if Lorraine Pascal’s show is on iTunes (and then somehow convince my husband that he’d like to watch it!)
Baking Addict says
Looks absolutely divine – love the flowers. I have the same problem with cookbooks. My lime and chocolate creation is in the oven so hopefully it turns out well.
Kath says
Oh my, this sounds delicious and I love those flowers decorating the top. Lovely, lovely.
freerangegirl says
This is so pretty, it reminds me of the white chocolate towers on choccywoccydoodah (i love that programme!) Gorgeous!
Choclette says
Katie – thank you. I think lime combines better with chocolate than lemon so a good one if you want a chocolatey zing.
CC – you must indeed try it, it’s lovely.
Johanna – it is good and I wish we could eat it all over again now 😉
Dom – thank you, glad to know I’m in good company.
Dying for Chocolate – lime and chocolate is a much better combination than lemon I reckon – give it a try and let me know what you think.
Chele – these cookbooks are just too seductive.
ScreenChewer – Come and chew on my cakes, far more satisfying than a screen I hope 😉
CupCakeGirl – thank you. I’m sure you don’t really need an excuse, but I liked the book.
cupcakegirl says
Such a beautiful looking cake! and Ive been after baking made easy book for a while I think I will have to buy it soon
Screenchewer says
There’s a boiled sweet (sort of) called a chocolate lime isn’t there?
I just want your cake Choclette and I want it now. There’s no cake in the house, no cake…. it’s very very sad here…. excuse me while I chew the screen.
Chele says
Such a grand looking cake, so summery too! I bought this book at the weekend and smiled when I came across some familiar flavour combinations lol
DyingforChocolate says
Haven’t made anything with chocolate and lime. This may be the one. I’ve use lemon before, but the white chocolate ganache with lime sounds intriguing.
Dom at Belleau Kitchen says
really nice one choclette… you’re not sad at all as I also can’t wait to find out the next ingredient… it’s such fun!… I suppose because you set the challenge you only get the excitement only every other month…anyhoo… a lovely cake you’ve made there.. x
Johanna GGG says
the wonderful aroma of lime paired with the creamy white chocolate ganache sounds amazing
The Caked Crusader says
Lime and chocolate isn’t a combination I’ve had before…and seeing your lovely cake I’m wondering why!
Katie says
Looks gorgeous. Chocolate and lime is a combo I’ve only had once but it was delicious so I’ll have to try using it more often.