Flowers inside the cake! Experience the unique and delicate flavour of this Dairy Free Elderflower Cake.
Easter 2014 we were in Italy and the hubby’s grandfather wished for him, his wife and his three daughters with all their families to go for a big family gathering to visit his cousin, who lives on the Italian side of Lake Lugano.
It was a huge banquet feast under the trees with the sight of the lake!
And at the end, when I thought there was not a single space left in my belly, the cousin’s daughter arrived with the Elderflower Cake.
She had used dry flowers at that time, but she told me that when they are fresh it is even better!
How could I not try? The elderflower cake was something really unique and I was determined to try and bake it myself.
And I did it in June 2014. At the time I was still using every ingredient in the kitchen, as my new diet hadn’t kicked in yet.
This June I tried again, this time without butter and without sugar…unfortunately I couldn’t avoid the eggs!
It took me three attempts to get to the right elderflower cake recipe but I am delighted with it now.
INGREDIENTS FOR THE DAIRY FREE ELDERFLOWER CAKE
- 6 or 7 elderflowers bunches
- 3 eggs
- 75gr maize flour finely ground (in Italy they sell it like that but here in Ireland I buy polenta at the Health Store and I grind it in the food processor!)
- 75 gr whole wheat flour
- 40 gr oil (extra virgin olive oil for me!!!)
- 140 gr maple syrup
- 1 and a half tsp baking powder
HOW TO MAKE THE DAIRY FREE ELDERFLOWER CAKE
Wash the flowers of the elderberry and keep only the little white flowers removing the stems from the bunches(don’t worry if a little bit of green remains, it will be fine).
Mix the flowers with the oil and the maple syrup.
Break the eggs and whisk them with an electric whisker at full power for 15 minutes. It is very important to whisk them this long!
In the meantime mix the two flours with the baking powder.
When the eggs are ready add the syrup, the oil and the flowers and stir gently with a wooden spoon.
Add the flour mixture and stir gently with the wooden spoon.
No folding with the spatula.
You just have to stir gently not for too long.
Lightly grease a cake tin ( I used a 19 cm diameter one) and dust it with dry coconut or flour to avoid the cake to stick.
Pour the cake mixture in the tin and place it in warm oven (180*) for 40 mins.
Enjoy!
I have a couple of questions before I try this!! Is it 6/7 flowers, or 6/7 of the little bunches that they grow in? Is it 40 ml of oil or 40grams, and is it 140ml of maple syrup or 140grams? Thanks!! It could well be the same weight in grams as ml, but I just want to check as it’s easier to measure liquid in ml!! Thanks Maggie! Looking forward to trying this one! Really loved the little taste the other day!! 😀
Hi Carol, it is 6 or 7 flowers( meaning the big ones made by many little ones! So probably the bunches!) depending on the size. I will clarify it better now, thanks.
About the liquids it is all in grams, that’s because I weighted them in grams on my scale. I hope this won’t cause you any problem!
That’s perfect! Thanks! I’ll try it out over the weekend and let you know how it goes! Thanks!! 🙂
Well, I made the cake on Sunday, and we had it in the garden in the lovely sunshine! Delicious! Very easy to make, and really nice delicate flavour. Will definitely make it again. Thank you!! 🙂
Delighted Carol! I am making it very often these days as well! Gotta take advantage of the flowers!!!