We have been very remiss with our blog lately. No posts at all in June! Sincere apologies to all. If you have missed us, thank you so much for noticing our absence! In our defense, it has been a very manic time. Not all good, not all bad - just life I suppose! A persistently leaking roof in the shop, a banking fiasco [not my fault - this time], ageing parents, a very busy workshop, a quick trip to Scotland, another banking crisis [still not caused by me - I am getting good at this], a couple of photo shoots and a bad back!
In an attempt to redeem myself, I thought I would bribe you with cake. Well, it always work with me and mine!
Elderflower & Lemon Cake
Every year I promise myself that I will make our own Elderflower cordial using the masses of flowers we have on bushes all over the farm. Yet again, this year, we were too busy so I have cheated and used the bottled variety for this recipe.
Ingredients
225g Unsalted Butter - softened
225g Unrefined Golden Caster Sugar
4 Large Free Range Eggs
Zest of 2 Organic Lemons [2 tbsp]
225g Self Raising Flour
70ml Elderflower Cordial [undiluted]
Juice of 1/2 Organic Lemon
Preheat oven to 180C. Grease and line a standard loaf tin.
Cream together the softened butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Mix in the lemon zest. In a small bowl, whisk the 4 eggs together and gradually add to the butter/sugar mixture, a teaspoon at a time, beating well after each addition. Sift 1/4 of the flour into the bowl and lightly fold in with a spatula. Repeat until all the flour is incorporated.
Pour the cake mixture carefully into the loaf tin. Place in the centre of a pre-heated oven and bake until a tester/skewer comes out clean - around 50 minutes.
While the cake is baking, mix together the elderflower cordial and the lemon juice in a small bowl. Place the cake, still in the pan, on a wire rack and prick all over with a skewer. Drizzle the elderflower and lemon syrup over the cake so that it seeps into the holes. Leave to cool completely then remove from the tin to serve.
I made this cake on Saturday and we took it to the beach with us, as part of our picnic, on Sunday. It went down really well, so I think it will become a family favourite!
Elderflower & Lemon Cake
Every year I promise myself that I will make our own Elderflower cordial using the masses of flowers we have on bushes all over the farm. Yet again, this year, we were too busy so I have cheated and used the bottled variety for this recipe.
225g Unsalted Butter - softened
225g Unrefined Golden Caster Sugar
4 Large Free Range Eggs
Zest of 2 Organic Lemons [2 tbsp]
225g Self Raising Flour
70ml Elderflower Cordial [undiluted]
Juice of 1/2 Organic Lemon
Preheat oven to 180C. Grease and line a standard loaf tin.
Cream together the softened butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Mix in the lemon zest. In a small bowl, whisk the 4 eggs together and gradually add to the butter/sugar mixture, a teaspoon at a time, beating well after each addition. Sift 1/4 of the flour into the bowl and lightly fold in with a spatula. Repeat until all the flour is incorporated.
Pour the cake mixture carefully into the loaf tin. Place in the centre of a pre-heated oven and bake until a tester/skewer comes out clean - around 50 minutes.
While the cake is baking, mix together the elderflower cordial and the lemon juice in a small bowl. Place the cake, still in the pan, on a wire rack and prick all over with a skewer. Drizzle the elderflower and lemon syrup over the cake so that it seeps into the holes. Leave to cool completely then remove from the tin to serve.
I made this cake on Saturday and we took it to the beach with us, as part of our picnic, on Sunday. It went down really well, so I think it will become a family favourite!
You can also serve this with some Elderflower Cream as an extra special afternoon tea dish or a wonderful pudding. Simply whisk together double cream with elderflower cordial [to taste] until thick and then spoon onto slices of the cake to serve. Garnish each with a slice of lemon.
I am hoping that my recipe/cake offering will see me forgiven for my neglect?!
Angel x
