Lemon Elderflower Cake (Copycat Royal Wedding Cake)

Lemon Elderflower Cake (Copycat Royal Wedding Cake)

from livforcake.com
Dessert
165 min
16 servings
832 kcal / serving

This Lemon Elderflower Cake is my copycat version of the royal wedding cake! Elderflower infused lemon cake layers with lemon curd and elderflower buttercream. 

Ingredients

  • 3 cupsall-purpose flour
  • 1 tbspbaking powder
  • ¾ tspsalt
  • 1 cupunsalted butter (room temperature)
  • 1 tbsplemon zest (from one large lemon)
  • 2 cupsgranulated sugar
  • 4 largeeggs (room temperature)
  • 2 tspvanilla extract
  • ⅝ cupmilk (room temperature)
  • ⅓ cuplemon juice (fresh squeezed, from one medium lemon)
  • 4 largeeggs
  • 1 cupgranulated sugar
  • ½ cuplemon juice (fresh squeezed, from one large lemon)
  • 1 tbsplemon zest (from one large lemon)
  • 6 tbspunsalted butter (cubed)
  • 6 largeegg whites
  • 2 cupsgranulated sugar
  • 3 cupsunsalted butter (room temperature)
  • 2 tbspelderflower cordial (to taste)
  • elderflower cordial/syrup

Directions

Lemon cake:

  1. 1

    Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour three 8" cake rounds and line with parchment.

  2. 2

    In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt until well combined. Set aside.

  3. 3

    Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter and lemon zest until smooth. Add sugar and beat on med-high until pale and fluffy (approx 3mins).

  4. 4

    Reduce speed and add eggs one at a time fully incorporating after each addition. Add vanilla.

  5. 5

    Alternate adding flour mixture with milk & lemon juice, beginning and ending with flour (3 additions of flour and 2 of milk & lemon juice). Fully incorporating after each addition.

  6. 6

    Spread batter evenly between the prepared pans and smooth the tops. 

  7. 7

    Bake for approx. 35mins or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean.

  8. 8

    Place cakes on wire rack to cool for 10mins then turn out onto wire rack to cool completely

Lemon curd:

  1. 1

    Place eggs and sugar into a small pot, whisk to combine. Add lemon juice, zest, and butter. Cook over medium-low heat whisking constantly until mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon.

  2. 2

    Transfer to a glass bowl and lay plastic wrap directly on surface to prevent a skin from forming. Chill for 3 hours to set. Makes 2 cups.

Elderflower swiss meringue buttercream:

  1. 1

    Place egg whites and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk until combined.*

  2. 2

    Place bowl over a pot with 1-2" of simmering water and whisk constantly until the mixture is hot and no longer grainy to the touch or reads 160F on a candy thermometer (approx. 3mins)

  3. 3

    Place bowl on your stand mixer and whisk on med-high until the meringue is stiff and cooled (the bowl is no longer warm to the touch (approx. 5-10mins)).

  4. 4

    Switch to paddle attachment. Slowly add cubed butter and mix until smooth.**

  5. 5

    Add 2-4 Tbsp elderflower cordial (to taste) one Tbsp at a time whip until smooth.

Assembly:

  1. 1

    Place one layer of cake on a cake stand or serving plate. Poke holes into the cake using a bamboo skewer. Brush with elderflower cordial.***

  2. 2

    Spread a thin layer of buttercream on top of the layer and pipe a border around the outside to hold the lemon curd in. Fill with approx 3/4 cup of lemon curd. Repeat with next layer.

  3. 3

    Place final layer on top and do a thin crumb coat on the cake. Chill for 20mins.

  4. 4

    Frost the top and sides of the cake with remaining frosting in a rustic manner. I started by spreading a generous amount of buttercream on the top and letting it overhang on the sides. Then I used a flat spatula to add buttercream to the sides of the cake and to smooth the which created a top lip with the overlapping buttercream.

  5. 5

    Top with fresh peonies if desired, but be sure to wrap the stems in floral tape.