Lemon and Elderflower Drizzle Cake
A classic summer bake, this lemon and elderflower cake makes a beautiful birthday centrepiece or dinner party dessert.
From the book
Stork: The Art of Home Baking
Celebrating the UK's best-loved margarine with a collection of mouthwatering bakes.
With savoury treats, nostalgic cakes, and impressive show-stoppers.
Including classic recipes as well as modern twists on old favourites.
Introduction
This is such a lovely cake to serve to friends and family in the spring or summer. For a final flourish, why not top with edible fresh flowers, such as roses, pansies or honeysuckle?
Ingredients
| 350g (12oz) | Stork® spread, plus extra for brushing |
| 350g (12oz) | self-raising flour |
| 1 tsp | baking powder |
| 350g (12oz) | caster sugar |
| 6 | eggs |
| 2 tbsp | elderflower cordial |
| finely grated zest of 2 lemons | |
| edible flowers, to decorate (optional) | |
| For the syrup: | |
| juice of 1 lemon, strained | |
| 1 tbsp | elderflower cordial |
| 50g (2oz) | caster sugar |
| For the filling: | |
| 100g (4oz) | icing sugar |
| 40g (1½oz) | Stork® spread |
| 1–2 tsp | elderflower cordial |
| 3–4 tbsp | lemon curd |
| For the glacé icing: | |
| 50g (2oz) | icing sugar |
| lemon juice |
Essential kit
You will need two 20cm (8 inch) cake tins.
Method
Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/Gas Mark 4. Brush two 20cm (8 inch) cake tins with melted Stork® and line the bottom with nonstick baking paper.
Sift the flour and baking powder into a large bowl, add the remaining cake ingredients and beat until smooth.
Spoon the batter into the prepared tins and bake for 30–40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Turn the cakes out of the tins and cool on a wire rack.
To make the syrup, put the lemon juice, cordial and sugar in a saucepan and heat gently until the sugar has dissolved.
Whilst the cakes are still warm, peel off the paper and turn them the right way up. Make a few deep holes in them with a skewer and drizzle the syrup over so that it soaks in.
To make the filling, place the icing sugar, Stork® and cordial in a bowl and mix well until smooth.
Slice the cakes in half horizontally. Spread the base half with one-third of the elderflower icing and one-third of the lemon curd. Top with the second layer of cake and repeat the layers of filling. Repeat with the third layer, finishing with the final layer of cake.
To make the glacé icing, mix the sugar with a little lemon juice and drizzle it over the top of the cake. Decorate with edible flowers, if liked.
