Elderflower cake

I love the scent and taste of Elderflower and it's a sure sign that 

Summer is potentially on its way.  I made this cake for the Knitting and Crochet Club this weekend, I combined various recipes to produce the end result, the cake was from a 'Gaurdian' supplement while the buttercream was from a 'Primrose Bakery' book.  I didnt do the Gaurdian buttercream as its involved caramelising sugar and I'm always a bit nervous of it so I opted for the Primrose buttercream putting it inside the cake and on the top with the star nozzle.  I trimmed it up with edible decorative daisies and elderflowers and it looked really pretty.

Elderflowers should be out where you are as they have just come out in our village with the sunshine, we are pretty high up here and generally late with flowers and buds in comparison with other gardens 'down the valley'.

So, here comes Summer!

Elderflower Cake

6 eggs
170gms Caster Sugar
1tspn Vanilla Extract
170gms Plain Flour - sifted twice
75gms Unsalted Butter 
Fresh Elderflower 1 large head, flowers removed from stalks


for the buttercream

170gms unsalted butter at room temp
435gms icing sugar
75ml elderflower cordial
elderflowers to decorate

Heat oven to 180c - 150 for fan oven
Grease 2 deep 20cm cake tins and line the bases with a circle of baking parchment.
Melt the butter gently and leave to cool.
Break the eggs into a large mixing bowl and add the sugar.  Whisk with an electric mixer - or a balloon whisk with plenty of elbow grease - until the mixture is pale and mousse like,it should be thick enough to leave a ribbon trail on the surface when the whisk is lifted.  Add the vanilla and then carefully fold in half of the flour with a large metal spoon.  Pour the cooled butter over the surface and fold it in followed by the remaining flour and elderflowers.  Do this quickly and lightly as possible to not lose too much air.
Divide the mixture between prepped tins and bake for 20 - 25mins till golden and shrinking from the side of the tins. Leave in the tins for 5 mins and then turn out on to a wire rack to cool.
To make the buttercream place the butter in a bowl and sift the icing sugar over it.  Pour in the elderflower cordial and beat well with an electric hand beater until combined - the longer it is beaten the lighter it will become and fluffier.
To assemble the cake, put one layer on a serving plate and ice with half of the buttercream.  Place the other layer on top and ice the top of the cake - I chose to use a large star nozzle and produce star clusters, then topped with edible daisies and fresh elderflowers.
Think of Summer and enjoy!