Strawberry-Rhubarb Layer Cake with White Chocolate-Rosemary Buttercream

Preheat oven to 175°C. Peel and chop the rhubarb. Grease 1 (or up to 4 if you have them—recipe makes 3 to 4 layers) 16 cm baking pan(s).

In the bowl of your stand mixer, mix butter and sugars until fluffy. Add eggs one after one.

Mix flours and baking powder in a small bowl then sift it. After all the eggs are incorporated, add salt, vanilla extract and flour mixture into the creamed mixture until dough is smooth. Fold in rhubarb.

Weigh the dough and divide it into 3 – 4 equal portions. Pour batter into prepared pan(s). Bake each portion one by one if you have only one baking pan or at the same time if you have more baking pans. Bake for 15 – 20 minutes. Remove from oven. Let the cake layers cool down on a wire rack.

For the buttercream: Heat egg whites and sugar over a bain marie (double boiler) with simmering water in the bottom. Stir and heat until sugar is completely dissolved. Once the sugar is dissolved, remove from heat and beat until the mixture is stiff and white. The bowl should be cold now (whipping will take up to 10 minutes).

Meanwhile melt chocolate over a bain marie. Chop rosemary and add it to the melted chocolate.

As soon as the meringue is ready, mix in soft butter, piece by piece. At the end, fold in the white chocolate. Keep in the fridge until you can assemble the cake.

Cake assembly: As soon as the cake layers are cooled you can assemble the cake. Cut strawberries in strips. Put your first cake layer on a cake platter. Add 1/3 of the buttercream over the top of the cake. Note: if you have four cake layers spread only 1/4 of the buttercream between each layer. Spread some strawberry strips over the buttercream and add the second cake layer on top. Spread 1/3 of the buttercream over the top of that layer then add the third cake layer on top. Spread the remaining buttercream over the last layer and decorate with the remaining strawberries and some rosemary sprigs if you like. Keep in the fridge until you eat it.