How To Make Lemon Elderflower Cake
While "lemon elderflower" is an untraditional cake flavor for a royal wedding, it incorporates fresh, seasonal ingredients and according to Kensington Palace, highlights the "bright flavors of spring." While you may not be able to get a taste of Harry and Meghan's regal confection, you can try re-creating your own version at home thanks to the help of Sweet Laurel Bakery. The Los Angeles sweet shop created their own coconut lemon version, and shared the recipe exclusively with BAZAAR.com.
However, if you're not the best baker, you can also have Sweet Laurel take the reigns and get it delivered right to your home.
Ingredients
Makes three 6-inch layers, or two 8-inch layers
1?4 cup coconut oil, melted, plus more for greasing the pans
21?2 cups almond flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1?2 teaspoon Himalayan pink salt
2 large eggs
1?2 cup maple syrup
1?4 cup fresh lemon juice
Grated zest of 1 lemon
1?4 cup unsweetened flaked coconut
2 cups Coconut Whipped Cream (see recipe below)
1 cup Lemon Spread (see recipe below)
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line three 6-inch cake pans or two 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper rounds, then grease the sides of the pans with coconut oil.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, coconut oil, maple syrup, lemon juice, and zest. A little at a time, add the dry ingredients to the wet, stirring until a batter forms.
3. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and bake for about 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Invert the cakes onto racks and allow to cool completely.
4. Spread the coconut flakes over the lined baking sheet and put in the still-hot oven for about 10 minutes, or until fragrant and just golden brown. Remove and set aside to cool.
5. Place one layer on a cake plate and top with 2 tablespoons of the lemon spread and 1?2 cup of the coconut whipped cream, smoothing each evenly over the entire surface. Add another cake layer, and repeat. Continue until all layers have been used, and top the cake with the remaining whipped cream and lemon spread. Finish with a sprinkling of toasted coconut. For two 8-inch layers, do the same build of coconut whipped cream and lemon spread, with the lemon spread and toasted coconut sprinkled on top. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Lemon Spread Recipe
Makes 1 cup
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons grated lemon zest
1?3 cup maple syrup
1?2 cup fresh lemon juice
1?4 cup plus 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, lemon zest, and maple syrup. In a small bowl, stir together the lemon juice and coconut oil.
2. Pour the egg mixture into a medium saucepan and cook over low heat, whisking constantly, until it begins to thicken, 10 to 15 minutes. Do not overcook, as the eggs will become lumpy. Slowly stir in the lemon juice and coconut oil and cook, constantly whisking, until the mixture thickens further, another 10 to 15 minutes. If you’re not sure if it’s thick enough, stop stirring for a few seconds and see if large, slow bubbles form on the surface. It should have the texture of loose pudding. Do not boil.
3. Remove the pan from the heat and pour the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a glass jar. Let cool, then seal and refrigerate until ready to use, up to 1 week.
NOTES: Because you want this spread to be a pretty, bright yellow, be sure to use A-grade maple syrup that is light in color.
This recipe is quite tart, and is meant to pair with sweet baked goods. But if you prefer a sweeter lemon spread, feel free to add an extra tablespoon of maple syrup.
This recipe is delicious when made with lime or grapefruit juice and zest as well!
Coconut Whip Cream Recipe
Two 13.5-ounce cans full-fat coconut milk, refrigerated overnight
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1. Remove the solid coconut cream that has risen to the top of the can, and spoon it into a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat the coconut cream on high speed until it begins to thicken and peaks form. The remaining coconut water can be added, a teaspoon at a time, if the whipped cream is too thick. Otherwise, discard it.
2. Using a rubber spatula, slowly fold in the maple syrup and vanilla. Transfer the whipped cream to a metal or glass bowl, cover, and refrigerate until ready to use.
NOTES: For filling cakes, we like to chill the coconut whipped cream in the fridge overnight, covered. This will stiffen the cream and make it stronger for holding layers of cake together. However, it becomes more difficult to style the cream on top of the cake, so we tend to do this only for the filling between cake layers.
The brand of coconut milk you purchase (see page 249) is not the only thing that can affect the final outcome. If coconut milk has accidentally been frozen or overheated, it can struggle to separate properly. For this reason, we recommend your not ordering coconut milk online, but buying it from a store familiar with storing the product properly, like Whole Foods.
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