Lemon, Elderflower and White Chocolate Cake

My lemon, elderflower and white Chocolate cake, is a cake of dreams. A zesty lemon sponge with an elderflower syrup coupled with lemon and elderflower curd, then coated in a smooth and creamy white chocolate buttercream. It's super moist, super fresh and perfect for spring and summer. 
A lemon and elderflower cake was the cake of choice for our latest married royal couple (Good choice Harry & Megs!) and it definitely makes the list of our potential wedding cake flavours, even if Harry and Meg's got there first (If it's good enough for HRH, it's good enough for me). The elderflower cordial for the royal couple's cake was sourced from the Queen's Elderflowers at the Sandringham Estate, however unless you have VIP elderflower access I recommend buying a strong cordial from the supermarket(My preference is the Belvoir Elderflower Cordial). 

I've made this cake twice recently and even recommended it to a friend hosting a hen party as an alternative to a traditional viccy sponge. The buttercream coating is a versatile finish; this cake can be fully covered, semi-naked or if you fancy it, completely naked!

As in previous posts, I like to use two deep 7" tins so the each cake can be sliced into two thinner layers. 

Sponges

281g Plain Flour
281g Unsalted Butter
281g Caster Sugar
5 Medium Eggs
Zest of 1 large lemon
2.5 tsp baking powder
5tbsp elderflower cordial

Lemon & Elderflower Syrup

50g Sugar

75ml Elderflower Cordial

25ml Lemon Juice 

Curd Filling

5 Tbsp Lemon Curd
1.25tsp Elderflower Cordial

White Chocolate Buttercream
200g Melted and cooled white chocolate
250g Icing Sugar
250g Unsalted Butter

How to:

1. Pre-heat your oven to 160 degrees fan (The secret to flat cakes is to bake low and slow, you could drop the temp lower if you wish - just bake for longer!) and line both tins
2. Combine butter and sugar. Beating until fully combined and light and fluffy in texture.
3. Meanwhile mix your dry ingredients into a separate bowl.
4. Alternate adding your dry ingredients and whisked eggs into your butter and sugar mix. Starting and ending with the dry ingredients. 
5. Lastly, add the elderflower cordial. (Be careful not to over mix!)
6. Weigh your cake mixture into your two prepared tins, ensuring they hold equal amounts (Remember flat tops, even layers!)
7. Place your tins in the oven, baking for 25-30 minutes or until your cake skewer comes out clean. 
8. Meanwhile melt your white chocolate in a bowl of boiling water and combine your sugar, elderflower cordial and lemon juice in a small pan, simmering until the sugar has dissolved and bubbles are forming.  
9. Remove cakes from the oven and allow to cool. Once cooled enough to touch, remove from the tin and level the top of both cakes so they have a flat, even surface.
10. Use a cake leveller to split your cakes into two layers (your assembled cake will have four layers). 
11. Leave your cake layers cut side up, and use a pastry brush to brush over your sugar syrup. 
12. You can now finish making your buttercream, by beating butter until light and fluffy, adding the icing sugar until combined and then the cooled white chocolate. 
13.  Assemble your cake starting with a layer that is cut side up, pipe your buttercream and spread evenly with a spatula ensuring you leave a "dam" around the outside to prevent the curd from leaking in to your crumb coating. Place a tbsp of the curd mixture on to the centre of your cake and spread evenly.
14. Repeat with the remainder of the cake layers - finishing with a layer that is cut side down (This finishes the cake so that it is bottom side up - making it easier to get sharp edges if you're completely covering your cake with buttercream!). 

Decorate your cake however you fancy - candied lemon peel, elderflower blossoms or fresh flowers (Edible flower blossoms can be purchased in the herb section of Sainsbury's!)