Strawberry Lemonade Layer Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C fan/gas 4). Grease two 20cm loose-bottomed cake tins and line the bases and sides with baking parchment. In a stand mixer or using an electric whisk, beat the butter and caster sugar together until the mixture is pale, light, and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition to ensure a smooth emulsion.

Gently fold in the self-raising flour, baking powder, and a pinch of salt. Add the natural yogurt and the finely grated zest of two lemons. Mix until all ingredients are just combined, being careful not to overwork the batter. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to ensure everything is incorporated.

Divide the cake batter evenly between the two prepared tins and smooth the surfaces with a spatula. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the sponges are golden and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool in their tins for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

While the cakes cool, make the candied lemon peel. Use a vegetable peeler to remove the zest from the remaining lemon in long strips, then slice away any white pith and cut into thin slivers. In a small pan, combine 50g of caster sugar, 100ml of water, and the juice of all three lemons. Bring to a boil, then simmer until the sugar dissolves. Add the lemon strips and simmer for 5 minutes until soft. Remove the peel with a fork, toss in the remaining 25g of sugar to coat, and leave to dry on a plate for 30 minutes. Reserve the remaining syrup.