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Gooseberry and elderflower cake

Make this stunning, delicate and tangy Victoria sandwich cake with gooseberries and elderflower.

What a wonderful time of year it is when the elderflower comes into bloom and the goosberries are ready to harvest. And how clever of them to be ready for the picking at the same time, when they suit one another so well.

This sponge cake is the perfect seasonal early summer treat. It has a secret icing that will blow your socks off.

Ingredients

For the cake
225g butter
225g self-raising flour
225g golden caster sugar
4 large eggs
Zest of one lemon
1 tbsp elderflower cordial

For the filling
Gooseberry jam, or freshly stewed gooseberries

For the icing
100g gooseberries, cut in half
1 tbsp caster sugar
175g butter
450g icing sugar
2 tbsp elderflower cordial

1. Heat the oven to 180 degrees and grease two cake tins lightly with butter and line the bottom with greaseproof paper. Cream together the butter and the sugar until well-mixed.

2. Add the eggs one by one, then add the flour gradually. Beat well until thoroughly mixed, then stir in the elderflower cordial and the zest.

3. Divide the cake mixture equally between the two cake tins and bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown and a skewer stuck in the cake does not return any gooey mixture.

4. Throw the gooseberries and the caster sugar into a saucepan and cover the bottom of the pan with water. Bring to the boil and then allow to simmer until the gooseberries have gone soft. Bring off the heat and leave to cool.

5. Mix the butter with the icing sugar and the elderflower cordial until smooth. You can make this as runny or as stiff as you wish by adding more icing sugar. Pulse the gooseberries quickly in a food processor until they are a smooth paste, and then mix into the icing.

6. Once the sponges have cooled, spread the gooseberry jam on the lower half of the cake, and then place the top half above it. Spread the gooseberry and elderflower icing on top as thickly as you can.

 

2 Responses

  1. The Bridge Cottage Way

    I’ve just picked our gooseberries this week, and elderflower cordial is on my list of jobs for next week, AND the parents in law are coming to stay, so this is a perfectly timed recipe. Thanks - will be amking it for sure

    Reply
    • F&F

      Thanks, The Bridge Cottage Way! There’s another gooseberry and elderflower post going online on Monday: this time involving alcohol, so might be good for the aftermath of your in laws’ visit!

      Reply

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