When I think about my perfect summer, I think of meals shared outside with friends and family that involve, among other things, fruit- and cream-filled cakes. If you’re vegan or have a dairy allergy, however, you’re all too often left eating something entirely different, which can pop a perfect summer bubble in an instant. I wrote this recipe for a celebratory cake so everyone can eat the same pudding (it’s suitable for most allergies except for gluten) and keep the summer dream alive.
Blueberry cake with elderflower cream
This is a very adaptable recipe. Make the cake in a single layer, and it’s breakfast-worthy, but when sandwiched with cream, it becomes a champion of a cake to share with friends. You could try it with other berries, and swap out the elderflower and coriander cream (ground coriander adds a happy floral and citrus note here) for another flavour such as chocolate. The cake is best eaten on the day it’s made (or the following day at the very latest), because the fruit will start to release its juice. You’ll need two 23cm tins.
Prep 15 min
Cook 40 min, plus cooling
Serves 12
For the cake
500g plain flour
350g soft light brown sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
¼ tsp sea salt
160ml olive oil – I like to use extra-virgin here
360ml whole oat milk
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp vanilla paste – I like Nielsen-Massey
200g fresh blueberries
6 tbsp blueberry conserve
For the elderflower cream
200g plant butter, at room temperature – I like Flora
250g icing sugar, plus 1 tsp extra for dusting
3 tbsp elderflower cordial
1 tbsp ground coriander
Grease and line two 23cm cake tins, and heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6.
To make the cake batter, put the flour, sugar, baking powder, bicarb and salt in a large bowl, and whisk to combine. In a second large bowl, combine all the wet ingredients – namely, the oil, milk, vinegar and vanilla paste.
Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients, then pour in the wet bit by bit and mix it in with a spoon until smooth and well combined. Divide the batter between the two tins and push the blueberries delicately into just one of the batters. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. Remove and leave to cool.
To make the elderflower cream, mix the butter, icing sugar, elderflower cordial and ground coriander in a bowl, then whisk until light and fluffy.
When the cakes have cooled completely, unmould from the tins, put the plain sponge on a pretty plate and slather the top with the cream. Stir the conserve to loosen it a little, then spoon it all over the cream. Place the blueberry-studded sponge on top of the cream and conserve layers, dust with icing sugar and serve.
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