Make your own version of royal wedding cake
No dessert has received more attention lately than the cake that will be on display at the May 19 wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. All we know is American expat Claire Ptak, owner of Violet bakery in London, is making a lemon elderflower cake that will be decorated with buttercream and fresh flowers.
I smelled a challenge. Could I come up with my own version of the royal wedding cake for us commoners? Using recipes that I adapted from Ptak’s 2015 cookbook, the answer was a resounding yes.
ROYAL WEDDING CAKE
16 servings
If you abstain from alcohol or don’t want to buy the St-Germain called for here, you can leave it out or use more of the elderflower cordial in its place.
FOR THE CAKE:
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for the pans
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest (from 1 lemon; reserve the juice for the frosting)
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon St-Germain or other elderflower liqueur (optional)
2/3 cup whole milk
½ cup elderflower cordial, plus more as needed
FOR THE FILLING:
1 cup chilled heavy whipping cream
½ cup homemade or store-bought lemon curd, at room temperature
FOR THE FROSTING:
14 tablespoons (1 ¾ sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 to 5 cups confectioners’ sugar, or more as needed
7 tablespoons whole milk
½ teaspoon finely grated lemon zest and 2 tablespoons juice (from 1 lemon)
1 tablespoon St-Germain or other elderflower liqueur (optional)
FOR ASSEMBLY:
Fresh or crystallized flowers, or a mix (optional; see related recipe)
For the cake: Preheat the oven to 300 F. Butter or grease three 8-inch cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper rounds. Place the granulated sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer or handheld electric mixer. Use your clean fingers to rub the lemon zest into the sugar until the sugar is aromatic and moist.
Add the butter; beat on medium-high speed for about 3 minutes, or until the mixture is fluffy and light. Meanwhile, lightly whisk together the eggs, vanilla extract and salt in a liquid measuring cup. Reduce the mixer speed to low; gradually add to the butter-sugar mixture until fully incorporated. Stop to scrape down the bowl.
Whisk together the flour and baking powder in a separate bowl, then add half of it to the butter mixture. Beat on low speed until just combined, then add the milk and the elderflower liqueur, if using. Beat on low speed, until well incorporated.
Add the remaining flour; beat on low speed until no trace of dry flour remains. Divide equally among the cake pans and smooth the tops with an offset or flexible spatula. Bake (middle rack) for 15 to 20 minutes, until the top of each cake layer springs back to the touch. The edges will be very lightly browned and starting to pull away from the sides of the pans. Cool in the pans for 15 minutes, then run a round-edged knife or offset spatula around the inside of the pans to release the layers. Invert onto a wire rack and peel off the parchment paper. Use a pastry brush or silicone brush to apply the elderflower cordial a total of four times, allowing a few minutes in between so the liquid is absorbed.
For the filling: Pour the heavy whipping cream into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with balloon-whisk attachment or use a handheld electric mixer. Beat on high speed until it can hold a firm peak.
Use a flexible spatula to gently fold in half of the lemon curd, lifting cream from the bottom of the bowl over the top of the cream, rotating the bowl as you work. Be careful not to deflate the cream too much. Fold in the remaining lemon curd. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator until you’re ready to fill the cake.
For the frosting: Combine the butter and 2 cups of the confectioners’ sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer or handheld electric mixer. Beat on low speed and then increase to medium-high. Stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl. On medium-low speed, gradually add the milk, beating until combined.
Add 2 more cups of confectioners’ sugar and beat on low speed for at least 3 minutes. The mixture should be smooth. Add the lemon zest and juice and the St-Germain, if using; beat on low speed until incorporated. Continue adding more confectioners’ sugar until you get the right consistency; the frosting needs to be thin enough to spread but thick enough to not run off the cake.
To assemble the cake, place a dab of frosting in the middle of a 9- or 10-inch cardboard cake round. Place one cake layer in the center, with the cordial-soaked side facing up. Use a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip or zip-top bag with one corner cut off to squeeze a border of frosting around the top of the cake, just inside the edge.
Use an offset spatula or spoon to spread half the filling inside the ring of frosting. Place the next cake layer on top, also cordialbrushed side up. Repeat with another ring of frosting and the rest of the filling.
Lay the final cake layer on top. Place a small amount of frosting in a separate bowl for the crumb coat. Use an offset spatula or table knife to apply the thin crumb coat all over the top and sides of the cake. Transfer the cake to the refrigerator for 20 to 30 minutes, to let the crumb coat set.
Apply the remaining frosting to the cake, and decorate the top with crystallized and/or fresh flowers, if using. Return the cake to the refrigerator to the let the frosting firm back up, another 20 or 30 minutes.
Because of the soft filling and frosting, the cake is easier to cut when it’s still cool — just out of the refrigerator. Let the cake sit at room temperature for just a few minutes before cutting into slices and serving.
Nutritional information per serving: Calories: 490; Total Fat: 24 g; Saturated Fat: 15 g; Cholesterol: 115 mg; Sodium: 110 mg; Total Carbohydrates: 66 g; Dietary Fiber: 0 g; Sugars: 50 g; Protein: 4 g.