It's cake time! Elderflower, coconut and lemon curd cake

This isn't the cake I'm serving today (this one is ;))

It was one of the cakes at our Easter Brunch a few weeks ago, and it was tasty and it's festive and pretty, so I'm sharing the recipe anyway (after all, I do deserve a cake today!) It's a coconut sponge, layered with lemon curd and topped with whipped cream spiked with elderflower extract. Perfect for spring with its light yellow colours.

Hope you'll enjoy it as much as I did!

Elderflower, coconut and lemon curd cake
(Kookose-sidrunitort leedrikreemiga)
Adapted from the Swedish BAKA magazine 1/2010
Serves 10 to 12



Coconut sponge:
4 large eggs
250 g sugar (300 ml)
150 ml water
80 g plain flour (150 ml)
80 g potato starch (150 ml)
100 g flaked unsweetened coconut
2 tsp vanilla sugar
2 tsp baking powder

Separate egg whites and yolks.
Whisk egg yolks with sugar until thick and pale and frothy. Add water and continue whisking for a few more minutes.
Combine flour, coconut flakes, vanilla, baking powder and potato flour, then gently fold into the whisked egg yolks.
Whisk egg whites until stiff peaks form, then slowly fold into the rest of the dough.
Pour the batter into a 26 cm spring form tin that has been buttered and lined with a parchment paper.
Bake in the middle of a preheated 175 C oven for 40-45 minutes, until the cake is golden and fully cooked.
Cool completely, then remove from the tin and cut into two discs.

Between layers:
300 g lemon curd

Either use a good quality shop bought one or make yourself using your favourite recipe (I make my own lemon curd, using the juice and zest of 2 large lemons, 3 large eggs, 150 g caster sugar and 100 g butter).
Spread the lemon curd between the cake layers. (This can be done a day in advance. Wrap the sandwiched cake into clingfilm and keep in a cold room/larder or fridge until ready to decorate).

Cream topping:
400 ml whipping cream
50 ml undiluted elderflower syrup
Whisk the cream until soft peaks form, then add the elderflower syruo and continue whisking until you've got a strong cream. Using a spatula, spread the cream on top and on the sides of the cake.

To decorate:
grated lemon zest
fresh lemon balm leaves

Decorate the cake with long thin lemon zest strips and fresh lemon balm leaves.



To serve, cut into wedges.