Lifestyle
Lilac & Lemon Drizzle Cake Using Fresh Foraged Blooms
By Josie
Spring: 6th May
Delicious, zesty, and full of springtime floral fragrance, this lilac and lemon drizzle cake is a celebration of the season at its peak.
Spring
6th May
Chef’s Notes
Delicious, zesty, and full of springtime floral fragrance, this lilac and lemon drizzle cake is a celebration of the season at its peak. Freshly foraged lilac flowers bring a delicate floral note that pairs beautifully with the zingy sharpness of the lemon, creating a bake that feels both elegant and comforting. As lilacs bloom for only a short window each year, this recipe is a lovely way to capture it’s subtle perfume and transform it into something truly special. Perfect for afternoon tea or a sunny weekend treat, this cake is as beautiful as it is delicious.
If you want some tips on how to forage lilac flowers, check out this blog post about all things foraging.
Ingredients
- /
- Lilac syrup:
- 340g sugar
- 340g water
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 cup lilac flowers
- Cake:
- 1/4 cup lilac flowers
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 300g caster sugar
- 175g unsalted butter, softened
- 3 eggs
- 20g milk
- 175g self-raising flour
- Buttercream icing:
- 15g milk
- 1/4 cup lilac flowers
- 4 blackberries
- 400g icing sugar
- 200g unsalted butter, softened
- 1tsp vanilla extract
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180c and line a loaf tin with baking paper
- Start by making the cake; blitz the caster sugar with the lilac flowers in a food processor or blender then tip into a mixing bowl
- Zest both of the lemons into the mixing bowl, add your butter and eggs, and beat until smooth
- Add the flour and the milk and fold until just combined
- Tip the mixture into the loaf tin and bake for 45-50 minutes, or until an inserted skewer comes out clean
- Leave the cake in the tin to cool for 10 minutes, then tip onto a cooling rack
- Meanwhile, make your buttercream. Add the milk to a small saucepan along with your lilac flowers, and simmer gently for 3 minutes, then remove from the heat and leave to sit for 15 minutes to infuse and cool down, then strain
- Add all of the buttercream ingredients, including the infused milk to a mixing bowl and beat to combine
- Next, make your lilac syrup by adding all of lilac syrup ingredients to a small sauce pan and gently simmering for 5 minutes, then strain
- Prick several deep holes in the top of your cake and pour over the lilac syrup, then spread the buttercream over the cake. Garnish with some extra lilac flowers and serve!
