Sunday Baking || Elderflower Cake with Rhubarb & Custard Filling

Sunday’s are my fave day of the week. I love that you can just be lazy and chill out before a week starts all over again, I usually have a long breakfast and spend the day pampering myself with a bubble bath and face mask, catching up on blogs and perusing through Pinterest. Where I then get inspired to bake up lots of lovely goods!

This cake is gorgeousssss. I’m obsessed with anything rhubarb and custard flavoured and anything with elderflower in especially during the summertime so thought I have to somehow combine them for a match made in tastebud heaven! We have rhubarb growing in the garden so I will be whipping up lots of glorious rhubarb filled puddings in the next few weeks whilst it’s nearing the end of their peak harvesting time!

The recipe I’ve used here is a mash up of two recipes I found online: this one and this one. But to make it easier I’ll write down my adjusted recipe in full here – enjoy!

Ingredients

For the cake:

200 g butter

200 g caster sugar

200 g self-raising flour

3 eggs

2 tbsp elderflower cordial

For the Rhubarb compote:

3-4 stalks of rhubarb (mine weighed around 120 g)

50 g caster sugar

1 tbsp elderflower cordial

For the buttercream filling:

100 g butter

75 g custard powder

125 g icing sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp milk

Method

1 // Cream together butter and sugar using an electric whisk (saves you hella armache!) until light and creamy. In a jug beat together eggs and cordial lightly, then slowly add (about a 1/3 at a time) to the mixture, whisking after each addition.

2 // Sieve the flour into the mixture and fold in carefully. Pour into two greased and lined tins and bake in a pre-heated oven (170 C fan oven) for 15 – 20 minutes, until cake is golden in colour and a fork stuck in comes out clean. Leave to cool in tins then transfer to a wire rack.

3 // Whilst the cakes are baking, chop the rhubarb into 2 cm pieces and throw all jam ingredients in a heavy based saucepan. On a low heat leave to simmer and thicken for around 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4 // Once the cakes are completely cool you can do the best bit – the filling! Mix all the buttercream ingredients together (make sure butter is softened),  this is easier and less messy in a food processor! Layer as you would a Victoria sponge spreading the jam on your bottom sponge, then the buttercream evenly spread on top, then place your other sponge on top. Finish with a dusting of sugar and some chopped strawberries if you like. I actually tried to make candied rhubarb and failed terribly! Burnt to a crisp! At least I tried to be fancy haha.

Serve slices with a dollap of fresh double cream and you’re good to go! Perfect Summer pudding for an after dinner treat or with tea for an afternoon tea!

🍰🍰🍰

Love, Helen x