This lemon and elderflower cake is my take on a traditional British lemon drizzle cake. The texture is a bit lighter than a traditional lemon drizzle (think a lighter version of a pound cake), but the flavor is very strong. You see lemon and elderflower paired in a ton of British bakes and it is delicious.
Can’t get enough lemon? Also check out these Lemon Cut Out Sugar Cookies, Lemon Poke Cake, or Lemon Shortbread Cookies.
What is an elderflower?
We recently went to England on vacation and when we were at the Tower of London I had a Lemon and Elderflower drizzle cake. I had heard of elderberry or elderflower but had never tasted it and it might now be one of my favorite flavors to bake with. It lifts the flavors of your cake and adds a nice (but not overpowering) floral, aromatic flavor. You can learn more about the elderflower and all its benefits here.
I’ve used Belvoir’s Elderflower Cordial in this recipe. You can find it on Amazon or at World Market (I think it’s cheaper at World Market). It also makes a lovely addition to lemonade or other fun adult beverages.
Why You’ll Love this Lemon and Elderflower Cake
- Simple to make. Most of the time it takes to make this cake is in the oven. The ingredients come together very easily and (outside the elderflower syrup), you should have everything in your pantry.
- Unique flavor. We typically don’t bake with elderflower cordial here in the US so it this makes a great treat to bring to a brunch or luncheon.
- Light & moist. Sometimes pound cakes or loaf cakes can be too dense for me. I like my cakes lighter and fluffy and this recipe gives this cake the structure of a pound cake but is still light and moist.
How to make this Lemon and Elderflower Drizzle Cake
The method for this cake is fairly simple, but there are a couple of things you’ll want to watch out for.
First, be sure to check the size of your loaf pan. This recipe is for a 9×5 loaf pan. If yours is an 8×4 you’ll want to adjust the baking time as the cake will be a bit thicker.
To make the cake, beat the room temperature butter and sugar until light and fluffy. This typically takes about 2 minutes. I typically forget to set out my butter beforehand to get it to room temperature so a quick trick I use is to microwave an empty 4 cup measuring cup for 1 minute. Then place that cup over top of my butter for about 2-3 minutes while I get out the rest of the ingredients. Then the butter is ready to go when I need it.
Add the eggs one at a time, mixing in between. If you’re eggs aren’t room temperature they tend to curdle the mixture, but that’s okay. When you add the flour it will smooth back out. Then add the milk and vanilla.
Whisk together the dry ingredients and add to the wet ingredients. You’ll want to add the lemon zest, juice, and elderflower cordial last as to not hurt the consistency of the batter as the lemon juice is very acidic.
Try not to over mix the batter. You want to make sure all the ingredients are incorporated, but if you over mix it can make that light and fluffy texture we’re going for turn into dense a chewy.
Bake at 350 for 45-55 minutes. You’ll know it’s done when a toothpick comes out completely clean. The top tends to take the longest to bake so be sure you don’t see any wetness at the top.
Once the cake is cool to the touch you can add the glaze. I’ve used powdered sugar in this glaze because I like the color it provides and that it sits on top. You can also use granulated sugar to make it more of a true drizzle cake. If you use granulated sugar, be sure to apply warm so you get the sugar crust at the top.
Pro tip: If your cake is too dry for some reason, take the recipe for the glaze and swap the icing sugar for granulated sugar. Then take a brush and use the glaze to soak each slice you cut.
Serve and enjoy!
Looking for other delicious recipes?
Lemon and Elderflower Cake
Equipment
- 1 loaf pan 9×5
Ingredients
- 2 sticks butter, softened to room temperature (1/2 cup)
- 3 eggs (large)
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/3 cup milk (regular or non-dairy)
- 1 3/4 cup flour
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp elderflower syrup
Glaze
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp elderflower syrup
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F and grease the loaf pan.
- In a large bowl, blend the room temperature butter until light and fluffy. Add the sugar and mix until combined.
- Add the eggs to the mixture one at a time, mixing in between. Add the milk and vanilla.
- In a separate, medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined.
- Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, and elderflower syrup. Mix until just combined. Batter will be thick.
- Pour the batter into the greased loaf pan. Bake for 45-55 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean in the middle.
- Combine the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and elderflower syrup in a small bowl.
- Once cake is cool to the touch, pour the glaze over the cake. Slice and enjoy!
Last Updated on December 10, 2022 by Kari Bakes
