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Lemon and Elderflower Pudding Cake

by . Featured in COOK EAT REPEAT
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Introduction

Although this started off life as a variant of the Lemon & Elderflower Drizzle Cake in Cook, Eat, Repeat, it is this iteration which I’ve chosen to share with you here. I cannot urge you towards it too strongly: zingily uplifting as well as gorgeously comforting — and relaxingly easy to make into the bargain — it is the perfect Sunday lunch pud. Though having said that, there’s not a day I wouldn’t be ecstatic to eat it.

Should you want to make the drizzle cake version, proceed as below, only leave out the Greek yogurt altogether and bake the batter in a 20cm square tin, lining the bottom and sides with baking parchment first. (You could use a 20cm round Springform tin, in which case, just line the base and butter the sides.) Oven temperature and baking time are the same for both pudding and cake. As soon as the cake has come out of the oven and is sitting in its tin on a wire rack, prick the cake all over and pour over the lemon & elderflower drizzle as per step 5 below but, unlike with the warm pudding version, leave to get cold and then sprinkle a tablespoon of granulated sugar over the top before cutting into slabs.

Whichever way you choose to go, this is a profound joy.

I have just a couple more things to tell you before I leave you to it. I use rice flour for this, not primarily because it makes it gluten-free, but because I marginally prefer it this way. However, if you don’t need it to be gluten-free and would have to go to the shops to get the rice flour, just use the plain flour you have in your cupboard. Finally: although this happily feeds 4-6 (depending on age and appetite) please don’t be put off making it should there be fewer of you; any leftovers can be microwaved most satisfactorily….

For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.

Although this started off life as a variant of the Lemon & Elderflower Drizzle Cake in Cook, Eat, Repeat, it is this iteration which I’ve chosen to share with you here. I cannot urge you towards it too strongly: zingily uplifting as well as gorgeously comforting — and relaxingly easy to make into the bargain — it is the perfect Sunday lunch pud. Though having said that, there’s not a day I wouldn’t be ecstatic to eat it.

Should you want to make the drizzle cake version, proceed as below, only leave out the Greek yogurt altogether and bake the batter in a 20cm square tin, lining the bottom and sides with baking parchment first. (You could use a 20cm round Springform tin, in which case, just line the base and butter the sides.) Oven temperature and baking time are the same for both pudding and cake. As soon as the cake has come out of the oven and is sitting in its tin on a wire rack, prick the cake all over and pour over the lemon & elderflower drizzle as per step 5 below but, unlike with the warm pudding version, leave to get cold and then sprinkle a tablespoon of granulated sugar over the top before cutting into slabs.

Whichever way you choose to go, this is a profound joy.

I have just a couple more things to tell you before I leave you to it. I use rice flour for this, not primarily because it makes it gluten-free, but because I marginally prefer it this way. However, if you don’t need it to be gluten-free and would have to go to the shops to get the rice flour, just use the plain flour you have in your cupboard. Finally: although this happily feeds 4-6 (depending on age and appetite) please don’t be put off making it should there be fewer of you; any leftovers can be microwaved most satisfactorily….

For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.

Image of Nigella's Lemon and Elderflower Pudding Cake
Photo by Jonathan Lovekin

Ingredients

Serves: 4-6 lucky people

Metric Cups

For the pudding cake

  • 175 grams soft unsalted butter
  • 150 grams caster sugar
  • 100 grams rice flour (or plain flour / all-purpose flour if you don't need this to be gluten-free)
  • 75 grams ground almonds
  • 50 grams full-fat Greek yogurt (at room temperature)
  • A pinch of fine sea salt
  • 1½ teaspoons baking powder (gluten-free if necessary)
  • 3 large eggs (at room temperature)
  • 1 large unwaxed lemon
  • 2 x 15ml tablespoons undiluted elderflower cordial

For the drizzle

  • 3 x 15ml tablespoons of fresh lemon juice (from the lemon above)
  • 100 millilitres undiluted elderflower cordial

For the pudding cake

  • 1½ sticks soft unsalted butter
  • ¾ cup superfine sugar
  • ¾ cup rice flour (or plain flour / all-purpose flour if you don't need this to be gluten-free)
  • ¾ cup almond meal
  • ¼ cup whole Greek yogurt (at room temperature)
  • A pinch of fine sea salt
  • 1½ teaspoons baking powder (gluten-free if necessary)
  • 3 large eggs (at room temperature)
  • 1 large unwaxed lemon
  • 2 tablespoons undiluted elderflower syrup

For the drizzle

  • 3 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice (from the lemon above)
  • 7 tablespoons undiluted elderflower syrup

Method

  1. Heat the oven to 180℃/160℃ Fan/350°F. Butter an ovenproof dish (mine measures 26 x 17 x 5cm / 10 x 7 x 2 inches, though any ovenproof dish of the same depth, with a 1.5 litre / 6-cup capacity would be fine).
  2. Put the butter, sugar, rice flour, ground almonds, Greek yogurt, salt, baking powder and eggs into a processor. Finely grate over the zest of the lemon and blitz until you have a thick batter. Pour the 2 tablespoons of elderflower cordial through the funnel of the processor, with the motor still going, until combined.
  3. If you don't have a processor, cream the butter, sugar and lemon zest together until smooth, light and aerated. In another bowl, mix the flour, ground almonds and salt together, add just 1 teaspoon of baking powder; you don't need as much for the non-processor variant, as you're whipping more air into the batter. Beat 1 egg into the butter mixture, and when that's combined, beat in a third of your dry ingredients, and carry on in like manner until eggs and dry ingredients are used up. Finally, beat in the Greek yogurt and the 2 tablespoons of elderflower cordial.
  4. Pour and scrape this fragrant, slightly nubbly and quite delicious batter into your prepared dish and bake for approx. 25 minutes, covering loosely with foil at 20 if the top is browning too much.
  5. While the pudding cake is in the oven, prepare the drizzle. Mix 3 tablespoons of juice from the zested lemon and 100ml / 7 tablespoons of elderflower cordial in a jug.
  6. When the pudding cake is out of the oven, prick the sponge and drizzle with the elderflower lemon syrup. Eat warm with double cream. This is an order!
  1. Heat the oven to 180℃/160℃ Fan/350°F. Butter an ovenproof dish (mine measures 26 x 17 x 5cm / 10 x 7 x 2 inches, though any ovenproof dish of the same depth, with a 1.5 litre / 6-cup capacity would be fine).
  2. Put the butter, sugar, rice flour, almond meal, Greek yogurt, salt, baking powder and eggs into a processor. Finely grate over the zest of the lemon and blitz until you have a thick batter. Pour the 2 tablespoons of elderflower syrup through the funnel of the processor, with the motor still going, until combined.
  3. If you don't have a processor, cream the butter, sugar and lemon zest together until smooth, light and aerated. In another bowl, mix the flour, almond meal and salt together, add just 1 teaspoon of baking powder; you don't need as much for the non-processor variant, as you're whipping more air into the batter. Beat 1 egg into the butter mixture, and when that's combined, beat in a third of your dry ingredients, and carry on in like manner until eggs and dry ingredients are used up. Finally, beat in the Greek yogurt and the 2 tablespoons of elderflower syrup.
  4. Pour and scrape this fragrant, slightly nubbly and quite delicious batter into your prepared dish and bake for approx. 25 minutes, covering loosely with foil at 20 if the top is browning too much.
  5. While the pudding cake is in the oven, prepare the drizzle. Mix 3 tablespoons of juice from the zested lemon and 100ml / 7 tablespoons of elderflower syrup in a jug.
  6. When the pudding cake is out of the oven, prick the sponge and drizzle with the elderflower lemon syrup. Eat warm with double cream. This is an order!

Additional Information

MAKE AHEAD / STORE:
Leftovers can be stored, covered, in the fridge for up to 5 days and reheated in individual portions in a microwave.

MAKE AHEAD / STORE:
Leftovers can be stored, covered, in the fridge for up to 5 days and reheated in individual portions in a microwave.

Tell us what you think

What 5 Others have said

  • I had never tried elderflower cordial before making this recipe. The combination with the lemon is just fantastic. The pudding cake has a beautifully light texture and it was perfection with some cold heavy cream poured over. Easily one of the best desserts I have ever made!

    Posted by jtv0310 on 10th August 2023
  • Delicious lemon and elderflower pudding cake tastes fantastic served warm with homemade custard or plenty of fresh double cream poured over it delicious enjoy!

    Posted by Odelle on 15th November 2022
  • This is absolutely gorgeous and dead easy to make. I only had a slightly larger dish, so did 11/2 times the ingredients and it was spot on.

    Posted by Rattyb on 30th October 2022
  • Just made this as a pud, silky and luxurious. Thank you.

    Posted by annabrown on 12th March 2022
  • I accidentally bought low fat Greek yoghurt, but reluctantly gave it a go anyway… And it is magnificent, I imagine it would be even more perfect with the recommended ingredient! I had it with a luscious spoonful of mascarpone.

    Posted by RuthieJrt on 6th October 2021
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