Elderflower & Roasted Strawberry Layer Cake #TheCakeSliceBakers

Here we are with the July edition of the Cake Slice Bakers. For 2020, we are baking from The New Way to Cake: Simple Recipes with Exceptional Flavor by Benjamina Ebuehi.*

In this group, we are given a selection of three cake recipes. We each choose one cake to bake, and then on the 20th - never before - we all post about our cake on our blogs. There are a few rules that we follow, but the most important ones are to have fun and enjoy baking & eating cakes!

Follow our Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest pages where you can find all of our cakes, as well as inspiration for many other cakes. You can also click on the links below to take you to each of our cakes. If you have a blog and are interested in joining The Cake Slice Bakers and baking along with us, please send an email to thecakeslicebakers at gmail dot com for more details.

The Cake Slice Bakers also have a new Facebook group called The Cake Slice Bakers and Friends. This group is perfect for those who do not have a blog but want to join in the fun and bake through this book. Here is the line-up of the July #TheCakeSliceBakers cakes...

Elderflower & Roasted Strawberry Layer Cake

• Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Amandie Bakes
• Sweet Sensations
• Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Making Miracles

Pineapple & Saffron Syrup Cakes

• All That's Left Are The Crumbs

Fig, Blackberry & Tahini Cake

• Camille Cooks
• My Recipe Reviews

Elderflower & 

Roasted Strawberry Layer Cake

I was fortunate to get a call from a friend in early June, asking if I wanted to come over to her property and pick some elderflowers. Ummm...yes! I never turn down the chance to pick edibles. Ever. And it was doubly serendipitous that one of the cakes for this month required elderflower. Perfect!

Note: I didn't follow the frosting recipe. I used my own, fail-safe buttercream. Why change a family favorite, right?

Ingredients makes one 8" round layer cake

Cake

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter
• 1 cup organic granulated sugar
• zest from one organic lemon
• 4 eggs
• 3 Tablespoons milk (I used whole milk)
• 2 Tablespoons elderflower cordial (I used my elderflower liqueur from last summer!)
• Also needed: two 8" pans, parchment paper

Strawberry Puree

• 1 pound fresh organic strawberries, hulled and halved
• 1/4 cup organic granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons elderflower cordial (I used my elderflower liqueur from last summer!)
  Also needed: baking sheet, parchment paper, blender or food processor

Buttercream

• 5 large egg yolks
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 cup organic granulated sugar
• 1 Tablespoon organic corn syrup
• 2 cups butter, softened
• 1 Tablespoon elderflower cordial (I used my elderflower liqueur from last summer!)

Assembly

• 5 to 6 Tablespoons elderflower cordial (I used my elderflower liqueur from last summer!)
• fresh organic strawberries, hulled and sliced
• fresh elderflowers for garnish

Procedure

Cake
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease the pans and line the bottom with parchment paper. Set aside.

Whisk the flour and baking powder together in a medium mixing bowl. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, sugar, and lemon zest together until lightened and fluffy, approximately 5 to 6 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Then pour in the milk and elderflower cordial. Beat until combined.

Fold in the flour mixture and divide evenly until moistened. Divide the batter between the prepared pans and place in the oven.

Bake for 36 to 38 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cake cool in their pans for 10 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Strawberry Puree
While the cake cools, preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Place strawberries in a mixing bowl and toss with sugar and elderflower cordial. Place the strawberries in the oven and roast until softened and fragrant, approximately 35 to 37 minutes. Let the berries cool for at least 20 minutes before processing to a puree. Refrigerate until read to use.

Buttercream

Place egg yolks in a mixing bowl and beat on high until they are thick, pale, and ribbon off the whisks.

Combine water, sugar, and corn syrup in a small saucepan. You can attach a candy thermometer to the side; I just kept testing until it reached soft-ball stage. If you're using a thermometer, heat until it reaches 238 degrees F. For testing otherwise, dip a spoon into the syrup, then into ice cold water. The syrup should immediately set up into a soft ball. Mine took about 8 minutes to reach the correct consistency.

Once the syrup is ready, remove it from the heat. While one hand hold the mixer, use the other hand to pour the syrup into the yolks. When all of the syrup is added, turn the mixer up to high and beat until the yolks have doubled in size and have reached medium peak stage. The bowl should be cooled and just lukewarm to the touch. Mine took about 9 minutes.

Begin adding butter, one tablespoon at a time, mixing well after each addition. The more butter you add, the more firm the buttercream will be. Once your buttercream resembles what you think of as buttercream, add in the elderflower cordial and 2 Tablespoons of strawberry puree. Beat until well-combined.

Assembly

Once the cake layers have cooled completely, use a serrated knife to cut the layers flat. Swab each layer with elderflower cordial and wait until the liquid soaks into the cake. Place one layer on a serving platter. Spread a layer of buttercream and spread it to the edges. Add 1 Tablespoon of puree and top it with another layer of buttercream. Place the second layer on top, then add buttercream to the top and the sides.

Smooth the buttercream over the top and along the sides. Arrange strawberries and elderflowers on the cake in whatever design you want. I also added some elderflower leaves as garnish. Refrigerate to let the buttercream harden.

That's a wrap for our July Cake Slice Bakers event. Join us next month, again, on the 20th for more baking inspiration!

*This blog currently has a partnership with Amazon.com in their affiliate program, which gives me a small percentage of sales if you buy a product through a link on my blog. It doesn't cost you anything more. If you are uncomfortable with this, feel free to go directly to Amazon.com and search for the item of your choice.