Juliet Sear recreates Harry and Meghan's lemon elderflower wedding cake
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex chose a lemon elderflower cake instead of a traditional wedding cake, which is now setting wedding trends around the globe. Baker Juliet Sear has been busy baking one at home, we’ll be trying it out and showing you how to ice the cake!
Juliet's royal elderflower and lemon cake
Ingredients
For the cake:
200g self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
200g softened unsalted butter
200g golden unrefined caster sugar
2 tbsp elderflower cordial
Zest of 2 medium lemons
4 medium free-range eggs
For the drizzle:
Juice of 1 lemon, strained
30ml water
2 tbsp elderflower cordial
70g golden unrefined caster sugar
For the Buttercream and filling:
200g unrefined icing sugar
80g soft unsalted butter
3 tbsp elderflower cordial
2-3 tbsp good quality lemon curd
Edible flowers to decorate if desired
Method
Preheat the oven to gas 4, 180°C, 160°C fan
Mix the flour and baking powder into a large bowl
Cream together the butter, sugar, cordial and lemon zest until light and fluffy, then gradually add in the eggs until incorporated
Gently mix in the flour and baking powder until just lightly mixed.
Spoon the mixture into 2 greased, side and base lined 20cm cake tins
Bake for 25-35 minutes or until cooked and then turn out onto a wire rack
While the cakes are baking, make the drizzle by placing the lemon juice, water, elderflower cordial and sugar in a saucepan and heat gently until the sugar has dissolved completel
Whilst the cakes are warm, spear the cake sponges with a skewer to make lots of holes and drizzle the elderflower syrup (with a pastry brush to ensure it’s all even) over both cakes so that it soaks in
Make the buttercream by beating the icing sugar, butter, and cordial together until very pale, fluffy and creamy
Layer the sponge by spreading over some buttercream and then adding some lashings of lemon curd. Sandwich together and chill for 20-30 minutes.
To decorate this, in a pretty rough iced way, it is simple, no need to crumb coat the outside. Just generously palette all over with a palette knife, then top with edible flowers if you wish or simply with additional lemon zest.
Meringue butter cream with elderflower
Ingredients
350g icing sugar
300g unsalted butter at room temp cut into cubes
170g egg white
3 tsp elderflower cordial
Method
Heat up the sugar and egg white gently on hob, whisk until sugar is dissolved. Consistency should be silky smooth.
Whisk with whisk attachment in large mixer on HIGH SPEED or with an electric hand whisk or by hand until it reaches a stiff meringue consistency.
Then slowly beat in room temperature butter until all combined
Add the cordial and mix on slow
Finally TURN UP SPEED and whisk until light and fluffy