Elderflower, Lemon & Mascarpone Cake
I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who left such lovely comments last week, I was overwhelmed by your support and kindness. On a lighter and happier note this week, today is officially Cygnet Kitchen's 1st birthday. I can barely believe it, I've been blogging for a year. I say officially because although I launched the blog in July last year, I had been busy developing the website since March. Creating the blog has been a huge learning curve, hard work, often frustrating but incredibly rewarding. If someone had told me a year ago that photography would be one of the main aspects of the blog that I would most enjoy, I wouldn't have believed them. It has definitely been an interesting journey. There are a lot of people to thank, but none more so than Steve, husband and editor, who has had to put up with a lot this past year, including many lost weekends when I was busy working on posts. I also feel blessed to have such lovely readers who follow my blog and take the time to leave comments that make my day, thank you.
A birthday is not a birthday without cake. Ordinarily, my perfect celebration cake would involve chocolate, but I really wanted to create something different, light and more summery. A few weeks ago, just as the elderflower tree at the back of my garden had almost finished flowering, I managed to salvage enough flowers to make my first batch of cordial. Like most things homemade, the result was far superior to the shop bought variety. The batch made two precious bottles and although I wanted to make them last, the temptation to experiment was too great. I decided to create an elderflower infused cake with subtle layers of flavour. The result, I can honestly say, is one of the nicest cakes I have ever made. Elderflower flavoured sponge, buttery and moist, each layer brushed with a lemon & elderflower syrup, topped with an elderflower & mascarpone frosting so beautifully light it's almost mousse like and not overly sweet. You could use any (non toxic) flowers to decorate such as roses, I love the idea of fresh white Freesias and mauve Limonium. The perfect cake for a blog's first birthday...or any summer celebration.
Elderflower, Lemon & Mascarpone Cake
Recipe Type: Baking
Author: Louise Robinson
Prep time: 45 mins
Cook time: 45 mins
Total time: 1 hour 30 mins
Serves: 8
Ingredients
220g butter, softened, plus a little extra to grease the pans
220g white caster sugar
zest of 1 unwaxed lemon
4 free range eggs (weighing a total of 220g in their shells), lightly beaten
220g self raising four, sifted.
pinch of salt
3-4 tablespoons undiluted elderflower cordial
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Lemon & Elderflower Syrup
freshly squeezed juice of 1/2 lemon
100ml undiluted elderflower cordial
2 tablespoons caster sugar (preferably golden but you can use white)
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Icing
500g mascapone
200ml double cream
3 tablespoons undiluted elderflower cordial
250g icing sugar sifted.
Instructions
Heat the oven to 180c/fan 160c/gas 4.
Grease and line two 6 inch, deep cake tins
Beat the butter,sugar and lemon zest together until light and fluffy.
Gradually add the beaten egg, a little at a time, beating well in between each addition.
Gently fold in the sifted flour and salt, adding enough undiluted cordial (3-4 tablespoons) to create a dropping consistency ( the mixture should drop off a spoon when lightly tapped)
Divide the mixture between the two tins (weigh each tin to easily judge roughly the same amount of mix)
Put in both tins on the middle shelf of the pre-heated oven and cook for 45 minutes.
Remove the cakes from the oven, they should have shrunk slightly away from the tin and a skewer inserted in the middle should come out clean.
Leave in the tins to cool for 10 minutes, then remove and leave to cool completely on a wire rack.
While the cakes are cooling make the lemon & elderflower syrup by combining the (100ml) undiluted elderflower cordial, lemon juice and sugar in a bowl.
Then make the icing by whisking the mascarpone, (3 tablespoons) undiluted elderflower cordial, double cream and icing sugar together until thick and smooth.
When cakes are cool, wrap in clingfilm and place in the freezer for 10 minutes. This will make them easier to cut.
Using a cake divider or bread knife level the tops of the cakes if necessary and cut each cake in half evenly.
Using a pastry brush, bush the elderflower and lemon syrup on the cut side of each cake layer.
Place the base of one of the cakes on a plate or cake stand and spread with mascarpone icing.
add the next layer cut side down. Repeat with remaining layers, ensuring that the top layer is placed cut side down.
If you like the 'naked' look thinly spread the rest of the icing on sides of the cake and then add on the top making a thicker layer.
Top with fresh freesias or roses, making sure that you remove them before cutting and eating the cake!