Method

• 1.
  Preheat the oven to 160°C. Grease and line base and sides of 3 x 20cm round springform cake pans with baking paper.
• 2.
  Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar until thick and pale. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in vanilla.
• 3.
  Reduce speed to low. Sift flour, bicarb soda and a pinch of salt into a bowl. Add one-third our mixture to mixer, then one-third buttermilk. Repeat 2 more times, beating until smooth. Fold in lemon zest, then divide batter evenly among pans.
• 4.
  Bake, swapping pans halfway, for 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool cakes in pans for 1 hour. Using a serrated knife, trim tops of cakes to level.
• 5.
  Combine the condensed milk, evaporated milk and cream in a jug. Drizzle each cake with one-third mixture, spreading with a palette knife. Chill for 3 hours or overnight until cold.
• 6.
  For the cream cheese filling, using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat all ingredients with a few drops of desired food colouring, if using, on high speed until very smooth. Set aside.
• 7.
  For the icing, place caster sugar and eggwhites in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water (don’t let bowl touch water), whisking until sugar dissolves. Transfer to a stand mixer and whisk on high speed for 10 minutes or until cooled, thick and glossy.

• 8.
  Add the butter, 1 piece at a time, whisking until very thick. Add vanilla and desired food colouring, 1 drop at a time, beating well after each addition, to achieve desired colour.
• 9.
  Place 1 cake on a cake stand and spread with half the cream cheese filling. Scatter with half the biscuits, then top with another cake layer. Repeat layer, finishing with a layer of cake. Spread a thin layer of icing around cake to seal in any crumbs, then freeze for 10 minutes. Remove from freezer and spread with remaining icing.
• 10.
  Decorate with flowers and nuts.