Strawberry, elderflower and pistachio cake

Name: Strawberry, elderflower and pistachio cake
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 200g caster sugar; zest of 3 limes or 2 lemons; 190g unsalted butter, cubed, at room temperature; 3 large eggs, at room temperature; 2 tsp vanilla essence; 220g plain flour; 1½ tsp baking powder; ¼ tsp fine sea salt; 60ml elderflower cordial; 300g strawberries, hulled and sliced into ½cm-thick circles; 30g pistachio nuts, slivered, or roughly chopped

Helen Goh

December 1, 2022

This pretty cake is perfect for afternoon tea.William Meppem

easyTime:1-2 hoursServes:6

This is a pretty – and easy – spring cake that's perfect for afternoon tea. I love the whimsy of strawberries sliced into thin circles like pinwheels, but other berries (stirred in whole) would work, too. Rubbing the zest into the sugar, even for just a few seconds, releases its fragrant oils and complements the subtle elderflower. Flaked or slivered almonds, if not as green as the pistachios, would also work well to provide crunch against the delicate berries and sponge.

Ingredients

200g caster sugar
zest of 3 limes or 2 lemons
190g unsalted butter, cubed, at room temperature
3 large eggs, at room temperature
2 tsp vanilla essence
220g plain flour
1½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp fine sea salt
60ml elderflower cordial
300g strawberries, hulled and sliced into ½cm-thick circles
30g pistachio nuts, slivered, or roughly chopped

Method

Step 1
Line the base and sides of a 20cm round cake tin (preferably one with a removable base) with baking paper, then preheat the oven to 170C fan-forced (190C conventional).
Step 2
Place the sugar in the bowl of a cake mixer, add the lime (or lemon) zest and rub into the sugar until fragrant and tinged green (or yellow). Add the butter, then beat with the paddle attachment on medium speed until smooth and creamy (about 2 minutes). Add the eggs, one at a time, beating between each addition, then add the vanilla. The mixture will look curdled at this stage, but it will come together with the addition of the remaining ingredients.
Step 3
Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl, then add about a third of it to the butter mixture. Add half the elderflower cordial to the same mixture, and blend on a low speed for a few seconds, then add another third of the flour mix, followed by the remaining elderflower cordial. Remove the bowl from the cake mixer and use a rubber spatula to fold in the remaining dry ingredients for just a few seconds: you don't want it to be fully mixed yet. Reserve 15 strawberry slices, then fold the rest gently through the cake batter until combined.
Step 4
Scrape the batter into the prepared cake tin, smooth the surface with a small spatula, then lie the reserved strawberry slices on the top. Sprinkle with the pistachio nuts before placing in the oven.
Step 5
Bake for 55-60 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool for about 30 minutes, then remove from the tin and transfer to a serving plate. This cake is best eaten on the day it's made, since the strawberries can "weep" and discolour over time.