Savoury Swedish sandwich cake

Method

• step 1

  Start by preparing the asparagus. Bring a pan of water to the boil, then trim the asparagus and cut off the tips, keeping them to one side for decorating later. Blanch the asparagus very quickly in the boiling water, then remove and cool so it stays bright green and fresh.

• step 2

  Add the cream cheese to a bowl and flavour it with lemon zest, salt and pepper. Mix until smooth and creamy. This will be used to “ice” the outside of the sandwich cake, so you want it to be easy to spread.

• step 3

  Prepare the rest of the fillings. Slice or roughly chop the olives, crumble the feta, and have your hummus ready. Use shop-bought hummus if you want to keep this really simple, or make your own if you prefer.

• step 4

  Choose a pretty serving plate or board. Place two slices of sandwich bread next to each other to create the base. Spread over a layer of hummus, then add some olives and crumbled feta. Top with another layer of bread and repeat, almost as if you are making a lasagne or a giant layered sandwich. Continue until you have three to four layers.

• step 5

  Once the sandwich cake is built, use the lemony cream cheese to cover the outside, just as you would ice a normal cake. Spread it over the top and sides until the cake is fully covered.

• step 6

  Slice the tomatoes and place them in a bowl with a little salt, pepper and olive oil. Give them a gentle mix so they become glossy and seasoned.

• step 7

  Ribbon the cucumber using a vegetable peeler. Decorate the sandwich cake with the cucumber ribbons, asparagus, tomatoes, asparagus tips and plenty of fresh basil.

• step 8

  Keep the sandwich cake in the fridge until you are ready to serve. It slices beautifully and makes such a joyful summer centrepiece.