Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4, butter and line the base of two 20cm spring-form cake tins with baking parchment.

Using an electric whisk beat the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Crack the eggs in one at a time and whisk well, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Add the lemon zest, vanilla, flour, milk and a pinch of salt. Whisk until just combined then divide the mixture between the two tins.

Bake in the centre of the oven for 25-30 mins until a skewer inserted into the middle of each cake comes out clean. After 10 mins remove the cakes from their tins and leave to cool completely on a wire rack. Fill how you like. While layering add good dollop of lemon curd for that extra kick, you can also add sprinkles in the batter before baking so that there will be specks of colour here and there. Use butter cream or chocolate ganache or fondant to decorate the cake.

If you are doing a doll cake cut out small circle in the middle of each cake. Then stack the cakes using the cram and insert the doll in the centre through the hole. Now cut the edges of the cake so that the cake part will resemble a gown and crumb coat it. After cooling it add a second layer of cream, decorate using rolled out fondant or just make flowers with piping cream in circles using the chocolate ganache.