This is one showstopper cake, with fresh flowers adorning the cake. Lemon and Elderflower Cake, a copycat royal wedding cake of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, baked by Claire Ptak for the occasion.
Since this is a copycat royal wedding cake, I took the liberty to decorate my Lemon and Elderflower Cake with fresh white roses.
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE ICING
- fresh flowers to decorate
- finely grated zest of 1 lemon
- 700g icing sugar
- 300g full fat cream cheese
- 250g butter, softened
FOR THE CAKE
- 3 tbsp elderflower cordial
- finely grated zest of 1 lemon, plus juice
- 450g self-raising flour
- 450g golden caster sugar
- 450g butter, softened
- 50ml milk
- 100g natural yoghurt
- 6 medium eggs
- oil, for greasing
INSTRUCTIONS
MIX THE CAKE BATTER
- 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.
BAKE THE CAKE
- 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.
MAKE THE 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.
- Whisk again until smooth.
ASSEMBLE THE CAKE
- Stack the cakes on a cake stand with plenty of icing between each layer.
- Pile most of the remaining icing on top.
- 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.
