with
Bramley Apples, Lemon Curd
and
Elderflower Cordial
After a weekend of dizzying high temperatures, with the mercury reaching the high twenties in the South of England, it’s time to pack up my winter recipe file and share some spring and summery treats; and, there can be little more spring-like that the prospect of a light buttery sponge cake which is layered with poached apples and lemon curd with a floral elderflower icing drizzle………and so today, I’m delighted to present my latest recipe for British Bramley Apples, a delectable recipe for Apple, Lemon and Elderflower Drizzle Cake.
Today’s recipe is a real show-stopper, it’s a gateau style cake that will grace any afternoon tea-table, posh picnic or when served as a weekend family treat, but it is extremely easy to make. The basic cake is made with a classic Victoria Sandwich recipe and then poached Bramley apples are added to the layers along with tangy lemon curd, before the cake is decorated with aromatic elderflower cordial drizzle icing and some sweet little edible wafer flowers (daisies).
I created today’s cake recipe as part of my ongoing collaboration with Bramley Apples as a Bramley Apple Blogger! You can see all my other seasonal recipes here: Bramley Apple and Pork Tenderloin in Cream Sauce, Apple Pie Muffins for Bramley Apple Week, Savoury Sausage and Sage Baked Apples and Apple & Dorset Blue Vinny Scone. For the merry month of May, I was asked to create a cake recipe, and as my elderflower tree is in full bloom and I’ve just made a batch of lemon curd, I thought that the combination of gently poached Bramley apples would be a marriage made in heaven for this delectable cake recipe.
The filling of apples with lemon curd makes for a moist cake and it stops it from drying out too quickly…..I also used my own hen’s eggs, which are free-range, and which gives the cake a wonderful golden hue. The cake is best stored in a cool place if it’s not scoffed in one sitting, as the fresh fruit filling needs to be kept away from heat – my pantry was the perfect place, but the fridge is also suitable as long as you take the cake out half an hour before serving. The stewed apples are best made the day before you make the cake, so they have a chance to thicken, and of course the lemon curd can also be made ahead of time too.
The recipe for this delectable cake is shared below and please DO let me know if you attempt to make it and what you thought of my recipe.……hopefully you will all love it as much as me and my family (and friends). That’s all for today, but do keep popping back as I have MORE TRAVEL stories to share, as well as plenty newly created recipes for healthy meals and a few picnic treats too….have a wonderful week ahead, Karen
NB: If you’d like to see who else is baking and cooking with Bramley apples, or just check out some recipes, then why not pop over to the Bramley apple Pinterest Board, their Instagram Account or their Facebook page.
Disclaimer: Commissioned work with Bramley Apples UK
Bramley Apple Cake with Lemon Curd and Elderflower Drizzle Icing
Print recipe
| Serves | 8 to 10 slices |
| Prep time | 30 minutes |
| Cook time | 25 minutes |
| Total time | 55 minutes |
| Allergy | Egg, Wheat |
| Dietary | Vegetarian |
| Meal type | Dessert, Snack |
| Misc | Pre-preparable, Serve Cold |
| Occasion | Birthday Party, Casual Party, Easter, Formal Party, Valentines day |
| Region | British |
| By author | Karen S Burns-Booth |
Ingredients
Cake
- 4 large eggs, weighed in their shells
- butter or soft margarine ~ same weight as the eggs
- caster sugar/super fine sugar ~ same weight as the eggs
- self-rising flour~ same weight as the eggs
Filling
- 1 x 250g jar Lemon curd
- 4 to 5 Bramley apples (peeled, cored and sliced)
- 50g caster sugar
- 1 tablespoon elderflower cordial
Drizzle Icing
- 150g icing sugar
- 5 to 7 tablespoons elderflower cordial
Decoration
- 8 edible wafer daisies (or edible flowers of your choice)
Note
A beautiful spring show-stopper gateau-type cake that uses seasonal elderflower cordial with tart Bramley apples and lemon curd; the base cake mixture is a Victoria Sandwich, a British classic that works well with all of the other British ingredients and preserves.
Directions
| Step 1 | NB: The measurements for this recipe are equal amounts of sugar, flour and fat to the weight of the eggs; therefore, weigh the eggs first – if the eggs weigh 8 ounces (225g), you will use 8 ounces (225g) of sugar, 8 ounces (225g) of butter or margarine and 8 ounces (225g) of flour. If the eggs weigh 6 ounces (170g), all the other ingredients will be 6 ounces (170g) – easy! |
| Step 2 | Cake: Pre-heat oven to Gas 4, 160C (fan oven), 180C or 350F: grease and base line the bottom of 2 x 8” (20cm) sandwich tins – cake tins. |
| Step 3 | Cream margarine or butter together with the sugar, until light and fluffy. Beat the eggs and then add them to the mixture, gradually and beating well after each addition. Sieve the flour and fold into the mixture with a metal spoon. |
| Step 4 | Divide equally between the 2 prepared tins and bake for 25 minutes in the middle of the oven. Remove and allow to cool for 1-2 minutes. |
| Step 5 | Apple filling: Add the apples, sugar and elderflower cordial to a saucepan and simmer gently until the apples are soft and pulpy. Set to one side to cool and thicken. This can be done before baking the cake and they can be kept in the fridge until needed. |
| Step 6 | Assembling the cake: Remove from the tins and allow to cool completely on a wire rack; when cool, carefully slice through each cake with a bread knife to give you 4 x cakes. |
| Step 7 | Place the first cake layer on a cake stand and spoon lemon curd over the cake before adding some of the stewed Bramley apples; continue to layer the cake this way with the remaining lemon curd and stewed Bramley apples leaving the top cake free of lemon curd and apples. |
| Step 8 | Drizzle Icing: Sieve the icing sugar into a bowl and add the elderflower cordial gradually until you have a thick paste - spoon this over the top of the cake and allow it to drizzle down the sides of the cake. |
| Step 9 | Decorate with the edible wafer daisies or edible flowers of your choice. |
Image: David Goodman Graphics
Dom says
what a lovely and charming idea… I love that this cake must have a gloriously tart / sweet edge to it and you know I love anything with that sherbet bite! Stunning and so pretty.
Karen Burns-Booth says
Thanks Dom! It all worked very well together – and the cake disappeared very quickly – Karen
Roberta Conway says
What would you suggest as a substitute for elderflower cordial? Both of my kids are highly allergic to elderflowers. Also it’s not that common in Canada.
Karen Burns-Booth says
Orange blossom water or lemon juice maybe?
annjenny says
What a perfect cake for this time of year. So pretty!
Karen Burns-Booth says
Thanks so much Ann Jenny – it also tasted dreamy too! Karen
Jean says
What a beautiful cake! A lovely combination of flavours.
Karen Burns-Booth says
Thank you Jean – the combination of tart, floral and sweet worked like a dream and the cake went in one sitting, shared between 8 people!
Lulu Stephen says
I shall try this as I have a little bramley apple tree here in Umbria that was covered in blossom again this spring.
I have a wonderful, easy recipe for lemon curd that you make in the microwave using the whole egg…would you like it?
Karen Burns-Booth says
Thanks Lulu – I am interested in your recipe, but I use my mum’s recipe all the time, which is made in a slow cooker! Do share it here though, as I may try that when I have a glut of eggs! Thanks so much, Karen
Stefan Bruin says
Great recipe. Thank you. Tried this recipe last monday and the cake was delicious.
Just one question: if I wanted to use this recipe for a bigger cake. Let say double the amount of eggs and a 30 cm tin. What would the cooking time be then? Thanks
Karen Burns-Booth says
Hi Stefan, thanks for your kind words, I would say lower the temperature by 10 degrees and cook it for about 10 to 15 minutes longer, but keep checking it, and cook it on the middle shelf too. Karen
Stefan Bruin says
Thank you Karen for your reply. I plan to make the large cake for my co-workers next week. I will let you know how it turns out….
Alison says
This is a wonderful cake. Living in the US, of course I couldn’t get Bramley apples, so bought Granny Smiths instead. Then I couldn’t find elderflower cordial at Whole Foods, but did find an amazing (and costly) Austrian elderflower syrup which I used in combination with elderflower liqueur. I also had to pay an exorbitant amount for a jar of (imported) lemon curd. I began to wonder if the cake was worth all the trouble I had getting the ingredients, but I was so pleased with it once it was made. My friends all loved it, and I shall certainly make it again. Thanks for a fantastic recipe..
Karen Burns-Booth says
Hi Alison! Thanks so much for persevering and I’m thrilled that you and all of your friends loved this cake as much as we do here at Chez Lavender
and Lovage! Karen PS: you can make your own lemon curd recipe for just a few $ – I have a recipe on the blog. K xx
Kelly says
This was a lovely cake. I just made it for my mother in laws birthday and was a great success. The blend of light floral elderflower sponge with the apple and lemon curd was divine. Will definitely make this again.
Karen Burns-Booth says
Thanks so much for letting me know Kelly – it has also become a favourite here too! Karen
Elisabeth Grund-Schneider says
Hallo Karen,
just to say, this cake has become a firm favourite esp for spring, ever since I have read your recipe first in 2016!
As I have to live in Germany for now, I have always used your mother’s recipe for lemon curd( there is no decent lemon curd here in the shops if you can find it at all.
Have a Blessed and Happy Easter , also for your family and loving thoughts for your mother.
Elisabeth Grund-Schneider