Queen Mary’s birthday cake recipe

This is a recipe from Gabriel Tschumi, who served as chef to three British monarchs: Queen Victoria and Kings Edward VII and George V.

“The famed cake was also served each year at Queen Mary’s birthday,” says food writer and critic Tom Parker Bowles – and the recipe has proved popular throughout the years.

“This one was served to a young Prince Richard (now Duke of Gloucester) during the 1951 visit,” he adds. “Among her observations, the Queen had heavily underlined the chocolate cake, written Prince Richard’s name and the words ‘great success’.”

Queen Mary’s birthday cake

Ingredients

125g melted butter, plus extra for greasing
8 egg yolks
2 egg whites
200g golden caster sugar
200g self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting

For the chocolate ganache:
600ml double cream
100g caster sugar
450g good-quality dark chocolate, grated

You will need:
Two 20cm round cake tins

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Grease and flour the cake tins.

2. Whip the eggs and sugar in a bain marie (a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water – do not let the base of the bowl touch the water) until thick and you reach the ribbon stage (the beaters when lifted will leave a ribbon trail of batter).

3. Sift in the flour in three stages, gently folding in each time, then add the melted butter and fold in until incorporated.

4. Pour the batter into the prepared cake tins and bake in the oven for 30 minutes, or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. Remove from the oven to a wire rack to cool in the tins, then remove from the tins to cool completely.

5. For the ganache, combine the cream, sugar and chocolate in a heavy saucepan and bring to the boil, then leave for one hour to cool.

6. Cut each cake in half and spread each layer with ganache, building up to a four-layer sandwich. Coat the entire surface of the cake with the remaining ganache.

Cooking And The Crown by Tom Parker Bowles is published by Aster, priced £30. Photography by John Carey. Available September 26.