I had seen a few recipes around last summer using Elderflowers, but by the time I had located a tree they were just about finishing, so I’ve waited this long to try out this delicious cake recipe. The Flowers are used to make a cordial, so kept in the fridge you could use it for a few weeks long after the flowers have finished. Alternatively you could just buy elderflower cordial, but I feel like that’s cheating.

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Makes 8 slices

175g softened butter
175g caster sugar
3 eggs
140g self-raising flour
85g ground almonds
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
100ml milk

For the elderflower drizzle
4 tablespoons elderflower cordial
4 tablespoons white or golden granulated sugar

For the Elderflower cordial ingredients
30 Elderflower heads
3 pints boiling water
900g caster sugar
50g Juice from lemons
2 oranges, sliced
2 lemons, sliced

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Heat oven to 160°C. Then line a tin with grease proof baking paper.

To make the cake mixture, beat the butter and sugar with a whisk until light and fluffy.

Beat in the eggs, flour, almonds, baking powder and milk until smooth.

Tip into the tin and bake for 45-50 minutes until golden, using a skewer to test it’s cooked.

When the cake has come out of the oven, prick it all over with a cocktail stick.

Stir together the cordial and sugar, then pour all over the cake.

Let it cool in the tin, then carefully lift out to slice.

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To make the cordial

Gently rinse over the elderflowers to remove dirt and bugs.

Pour the boiling water over the sugar in a large mixing bowl.  Then add the lemon juice, the orange and lemon slices, and then the flowers.

Leave in a cool place for 24 hours, stirring occasionally

Strain through some muslin and transfer to a sterilised bottle or two.