Renata’s honey layer cake

Pre-heat an oven to 180 degrees/gas 4.

To make the biscuit layers, place the egg, sugars, butter, honey, milk and bread soda in a saucepan and beat together. Cook over a very gentle heat until it becomes foamy in texture and the colour is golden. This will take about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow it to cool, and when cool, add the flour – you will then have a malleable paste. Line four baking trays with baking parchment. Divide the mixture into four equal amounts and spread in 8in circles. Bake for 6-8 minutes until the pastry is hard.

For the filling: Mix the milk and flour in a saucepan and place over heat, mixing well until it becomes like a white sauce consistency. Then allow it to cool, otherwise the mix will separate. Beat the butter and sugar together and add to the cooled milk and flour mixture, along with the vanilla extract, then set aside.

For the chocolate icing: Place the chocolate, butter and oil in a bowl over a pan of boiling water. Stir until you get a nice shiny glaze.

The cake needs to be assembled the day before it is served, as the filling will soften the biscuit layers. Layer the cake as follows: Spread the chocolate glaze over a biscuit layer, followed by the white filling. Spread the apricot jam on the underside of next biscuit layer; do two more layers like this. With the fourth biscuit layer on top, spread the remainder of the chocolate icing over the top of the cake.

FOOD STYLING: Erica Ryan