Daffodil Cake For Afternoon Tea

With daffodils blooming right outside our windows at Elmwood Inn and fresh blossoms on the cake plate, this has to be the most eye-catching cake we served for afternoon tea. You'll find the recipe in the recipe section of A Year of Teas at the Elmwood Inn by Shelley Richardson, available in our book section.

White Batter

½ cup sifted cake flour

½ cup sifted powdered sugar

6 egg whites at room temperature

½ teaspoon cream of tartar

½ teaspoon vanilla

1/8 teaspoon salt

½ cup granulated sugar

Directions:

Sift cake flour and powdered sugar together six times. Beat egg whites until frothy. Add cream of tartar, vanilla, and salt. Beat until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in the granulated sugar. Sift a fourth of the flour mixture at a time over the egg mixture; fold in.

Yellow Batter

¾ cups sifted cake flour

¾ teaspoon baking powder

6 egg yolks

2 ½ tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon cold water

½ cup granulated sugar

Powdered sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375° F. Sift cake flour and baking powder together six times. Beat the egg yolks with lemon juice and water until thick, about 5 minutes. Gradually beat in the granulated sugar. Sift a fourth of the flour mixture at a time over the egg mixture; fold in. 

Alternately spoon yellow and white mixtures into an ungreased 9 or 10-inch tube pan. Bake at 375° F for 30 to 40 minutes. Invert and cool. Dust the cake with powdered sugar and serve with lemon sauce.

Lemon Sauce

½ cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon corn starch

½ cup fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon lemon zest

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup boiling water

Few grains salt

In a medium saucepan, mix together sugar and corn starch. Gradually add boiling water. Boil five minutes. Remove from heat and add fresh lemon juice, zest, butter, and salt. Garnish with daffodil blossoms. 

See more free recipes from Shelley Richardson's tea recipe books.