Lemon & elderflower celebration cake

Decorate this simple elderflower and lemon cake with edible flowers for a showstopping celebration dessert. It's perfect for a wedding or birthday

Prep:45 mins
Cook:40 mins

More effort

Nutrition per serving

kcal 715
fat 38g
saturates 24g
carbs 86g
sugars 67g
fibre 1g
protein 6g
salt 1.13g

Ingredients

oil, for greasing
6 medium eggs
100g natural yoghurt
50ml milk
450g butter, softened
450g golden caster sugar
450g self-raising flour
finely grated zest of 1 lemon, plus juice
3 tbsp elderflower cordial
250g butter, softened
300g full fat cream cheese
700g icing sugar
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
fresh flowersto decorate

Tip

Choosing your flowers

Make sure the flowers you use for decoration are an edible or non-poisonous variety. Elderflowers are perfect (and free) when they're in season, and roses always look beautiful.

Method

Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Grease and line the base and sides of 3 x 20cm cake tins with baking parchment. In a jug, whisk the eggs, yogurt and milk. Beat the butter and sugar together in a large bowl, using an electric hand whisk. When you have a light and fluffy mixture, add the flour, the liquid in the jug and the lemon zest. Mix again until smooth. Divide the cake mixture between the tins, level the surfaces and bake for 40 mins.
Mix the lemon juice and elderflower cordial. When the cakes are cooked, poke all over the surface with a cocktail stick then spoon the lemon and elderflower syrup over the cakes. Leave to cool in the tins. Once cool, you can wrap in cling film and keep for 3 days before icing.
To make the icing, beat the butter until smooth with an electric hand whisk. Add half the icing sugar, use a spatula to mash the mixture together (this will help to prevent an icing sugar cloud) then whisk again. Add the remaining icing sugar, cream cheese and lemon zest, mash again, then whisk again until smooth.
Stack the cakes on a cake stand with plenty of icing between each layer. Pile most of the remaining icing on top, then use a palette knife to spread it across the top and down the sides, covering the cake in swirls (don’t worry about it looking too perfect). Add the final bit of icing to the top and use it to cover any patches where the cake is poking through. Decorate with fresh flowers.