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    Eat Love Eat » Baking

    Strawberry and Elderflower Curd Layer Cake

    Published: Jun 24, 2016, Last Modified: April 5, 2017, By Sasha Hooper · This post may contain affiliate links.

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    A triple layer sponge cake with cream and strawberry curd on a cake stand.

    I couldn't help myself, I just had to make another cake. This time, a celebration of the summery fragrance of those frothy elderflower blossoms that are so characteristic of June. If you're lucky, you still have access to these precious flowers. They're still around here, but we've had a ton of rain lately and so they're on their way out. But even if the flowers have disappeared, fear not - you can use bought elderflower cordial. I wanted to imbue a cake with that heavenly floral scent and could think of no better pairing than the pure simplicity of ripe strawberries. This Strawberry and Elderflower Curd Layer Cake is delicately flavoured and perfectly captures the essence of early summer. It sure looks a treat, too! Imagine bringing this out at the end of your summer picnic or barbecue.

    overhead of the top of cake topped with cream, strawberries and elderflowers.

    Side on shot of strawberry elderflower curd cake on a cake plate.

    It's hasn't been feeling too summery around here lately though! We've had so much rain over the past two weeks and the sun has been a distant memory. Although as I write, it appears we have been graced with blue skies so I'm hopeful that the weather is changing. My husband and I have some time off work at the moment and we're off for a short break in a couple of days to celebrate our wedding anniversary. I can't believe we've been married a year! The time has flown by. I'm looking forward to spending a few days together in the beautiful English countryside. Perhaps the sun will come out for us! Either way, I'm just excited to enjoy some different scenery and to seek out some delicious food along the way.

    A jar of strawberry elderflower curd with a spoon to the side.

    The star of this cake is the strawberry and elderflower curd which is slathered between the layers. I adore making lemon curd but I wanted to make something different and strawberry curd just sounded so delicious! I wondered if I could infuse it with the delicate perfume of elderflower and it actually worked really well! The flavour is subtle, yet undeniable. The recipe makes two jars of curd so you're set for not only this cake, but plenty of summer desserts - this would be perfect on scones, in eton mess, basically anywhere you would use lemon curd!

    A side on of cake on a cake showing the layers with cream, curd and strawberries.

    This cake is really easy to make. A simple vanilla sponge is drenched with elderflower cordial and filled with strawberry and elderflower curd, lightly sweetened whipped cream and fresh sliced strawberries. What's not to love? The curd can be made ahead of time and is a lovely relaxing afternoon task - the recipe requires you to strain the curd multiple times as you make it but it's not that much of a hardship and is really worth it for the silky smooth texture which results. However, feel free to skip these steps if you don't have time, the recipe will still work! Go on, give this Strawberry and Elderflower Curd Layer Cake a try and let's see if we can get the sun to shine!

    A triple layer sponge cake with cream and strawberry curd on a cake stand.

    Strawberry and Elderflower Curd Layer Cake

    A summery strawberry elderflower layer cake the perfect cake for a gathering or celebration.
    4.50 from 2 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe ⭐️ Rate Recipe
    Prep Time: 1 hour
    Cook Time: 40 minutes
    Cooling time: 1 hour
    Total Time: 2 hours 40 minutes
    Servings: 8 slices
    Author: Sasha Hooper

    Equipment

    • 6 inch cake tins
    • Mixing bowls
    • Sauce pan

    Ingredients 

    For the strawberry and elderflower curd

    • 250 g strawberries, (2 cups) hulled
    • 200 g caster sugar, (scant 1 cup)
    • zest and juice of 1 lemon, (1 teaspoon zest, 3 tablespoons juice)
    • 100 g unsalted butter, (scant ½ cup)
    • 3-4 elderflower heads
    • 4 large eggs

    For the cake

    • 225 g unsalted butter, (1 cup)
    • 225 g golden caster sugar, (1 cup)
    • 4 large eggs
    • 225 g plain flour, (1 ½ cups)
    • 4 teaspoons baking powder
    • 3 tablespoons milk
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

    To assemble

    • 60 ml elderflower cordial, (¼ cup)
    • 250 ml double cream, (1 cup)
    • 1 tablespoon icing sugar
    • 6 tablespoons strawberry and elderflower curd
    • strawberries, to decorate

    Instructions

    For the strawberry and elderflower curd

    • Begin by making the curd. Place the strawberries into the bowl of a food processor and blitz until smooth. Strain into a heatproof bowl.
      250 g strawberries
    • Add the sugar, lemon zest, juice and butter. Set over a pan of simmering water and stir occasionally until the butter has melted. Remove from the heat.
      200 g caster sugar, zest and juice of 1 lemon, 100 g unsalted butter
    • Shake any unwanted friends from the elderflowers and dunk the heads into the mixture. Leave to infuse for 5 minutes or so. Whilst this is infusing, lightly beat the eggs and strain to remove any lumps.
      3-4 elderflower heads
    • Remove the elderflowers from the strawberry mixture - you'll have to give them a good squeeze. Strain again to remove any stray flower heads. Whisk in the eggs and return the bowl to the pan of simmering water. Cook over a low heat, whisking frequently, until thickened. This took me about 20 minutes.
      4 large eggs

    For the cake

    • Preheat oven to 160°C fan/180°C/350°F. Grease and line 2 6" cake tins (4 if you have them). Place the butter into the bowl of a stand mixer (or use a regular bowl and an electric whisk). Add the caster sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one by one, adding a spoonful of flour between each one.
      225 g unsalted butter, 225 g golden caster sugar, 4 large eggs
    • Mix in the flour and baking powder until just combined - be careful not to overmix! Finish by mixing in the vanilla extract and milk.
      225 g plain flour, 4 teaspoons baking powder, 3 tablespoons milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • Divide half of the mixture between the two tins and bake for 20 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Leave to cool for 5 minutes before removing the cakes from the tins and transferring to a cooling rack. Get the tins ready to bake the next two cakes. Pour in the remaining mixture and bake as above.

    To assemble

    • As the cakes cool, prepare the cream filling. Place the double cream and the sugar into the bowl of your stand mixer (or a regular bowl). Whisk until the cream holds its shape in peaks but is still soft and yielding.
      250 ml double cream, 1 tablespoon icing sugar
    • Once the cakes are cooled, gently prick the tops with a cake tester and drizzle with the elderflower cordial and allow it to soak in.
      60 ml elderflower cordial
    • Place one of the cakes onto a cake stand. Spread with a couple of tablespoons of the strawberry curd but make sure you don't spread it right to the edges - it will spread more when you add the cream. Dollop on some cream and spread it out - go easy, you want the cakes to stand up straight! Repeat until you reach the top layer. Top with cream and decorate with halved strawberries and some elderflower blossoms if you're feeling fancy.
      6 tablespoons strawberry and elderflower curd, strawberries
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Notes

    The recipe for the cake layers is barely adapted from Primrose Bakery.
    Nutrition is estimated based on all of the ingredients above - you will not be using all the curd made in the cake.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 637kcal | Carbohydrates: 70.6g | Protein: 8.9g | Fat: 37.1g | Saturated Fat: 21.9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10.8g | Cholesterol: 230.1mg | Sodium: 70.1mg | Potassium: 700.1mg | Fiber: 1.6g | Sugar: 43.8g | Vitamin A: 356.4IU | Vitamin C: 30.4mg | Calcium: 30.4mg | Iron: 2.6mg
    Course Cake, Dessert
    Cuisine British
    Did you make this recipe?Leave a comment below with how you got on and don't forget to give the recipe a rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. You can also tag @eatloveeats on Instagram - we love to see your creations!

    Close up of cream strawberries and elderflower on top of a cake.

     

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    Comments

    1. Chloe says

      September 13, 2018 at 7:38 am

      Beautiful cake! Can't wait to try this, this summer!

      Reply
      • Sasha says

        September 14, 2018 at 7:47 pm

        Thank you Chloe! I hope you love it!

        Reply
    2. mehul says

      July 12, 2018 at 1:09 pm

      4 stars
      Oooh, this looks gorgeous!

      Reply
      • Sasha says

        July 13, 2018 at 7:52 pm

        Thanks!

        Reply
    3. Jenia Ruth Johnson says

      April 19, 2018 at 9:04 am

      5 stars
      Oh goodness gracious!! Looks absolutely delicious! My family loves my Strawberry layer cake with strawberry whipped cream icing & this looks like another winner to me! I am envying you as I speak! I have dreamed along with my daughter to live in England or Ireland. The American southern states can be beautiful but extremely humid and I adore rain because of it! U continue to have that upbeat spirit & sharing these wonderful recipes!

      Reply
      • Sasha says

        April 22, 2018 at 4:25 pm

        Oh Jenia you are so sweet! Your comment has made my day 🙂 I hope you get to visit the UK or even live here one day! I would love to visit the southern US - I guess the grass always looks greener! It is beautiful here though, I just get fed up of the changeable, often cold, weather!

        I'm now dreaming of your strawberry cake, yum 🙂

        Reply
    4. cheryl pasquier says

      July 13, 2016 at 6:12 am

      Wow that's a real showstopper of a cake ! #recipeoftheweek

      Reply
      • Sasha says

        July 14, 2016 at 4:20 pm

        Thank you Cheryl! 🙂

        Reply
    5. Julie says

      July 02, 2016 at 12:11 am

      Sasha,
      This cake looks absolutely delicious and beautiful too! Great photos!! I wish I could dive right it and take a bite! Great job 😀

      Reply
      • Sasha says

        July 02, 2016 at 10:23 pm

        Hey Julie! I'm glad you like the look of the cake, I really had fun making/photographing it! 🙂

        Reply
    6. Nicoletta @sugarlovespices says

      June 30, 2016 at 10:48 pm

      That is a gorgeous cake Sasha! Love it! And the flavors...fantastic! Amazing job! And happy wedding anniversary ?.

      Reply
      • Sasha says

        July 02, 2016 at 10:22 pm

        Thank you for the sweet comment, Nicoletta 🙂

        Reply
    7. Leslie @ flora foodie says

      June 27, 2016 at 10:28 pm

      Oooh, this looks gorgeous! I sure love elderflower liqueur, I'll bet I'd like the flowers themselves! 😉 I've never seen them before! So beautiful.

      Reply
      • Sasha says

        June 28, 2016 at 7:31 am

        Thank you Leslie! I'm not sure where you live, but here in England the flowers are everywhere! It's so fun to use something that you've foraged yourself! Hope you find some 🙂

        Reply
    8. Akhila@Pepper Delight says

      June 25, 2016 at 5:01 pm

      WOW!! That looks amazing, Strawberry and elderflower, Gorgeous !!!!

      Reply
      • Sasha says

        June 25, 2016 at 9:00 pm

        Thanks so much, Akhila! It's a wonderful combination 🙂

        Reply
    9. Michelle @ The Last Food Blog says

      June 25, 2016 at 8:51 am

      What a beautiful cake Sasha! Perfect for summer and that curd sounds amazing x

      Reply
      • Sasha says

        June 25, 2016 at 9:02 am

        Thanks Michelle! x

        Reply
    10. Hana | Nirvana Cakery says

      June 24, 2016 at 7:10 pm

      How gorgeous is this cake! The strawberry and elderflower curd sounds divine:) xx

      Reply
      • Sasha says

        June 24, 2016 at 9:29 pm

        Thanks Hana! The curd is so delicious! x

        Reply

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