Who doesn’t love a slice of cucumber a slice of cheese and a bit of mayo in between two cut up slices of whole grain bread on a lovely Saturday afternoon? If you are a serious vegetarian who would love an inventive dessert, here is your ideal recipe — Cucumber and Lemon Cake with Elderflower Icing
Imagine a summery cold drink, except that it’s in a yummilicious cake form. This is exclusively a lemon sponge with a refreshing hint of cucumber. And it is perfect for a casual summer evening with a glass of chilled lemonade.
If you are wondering where to get the elderflower cordial from, you can just go to a supermarket. If you are ready, let’s go ahead with this incredible recipe!
Ingredients
200g cucumber (about half a cucumber)
Zest and juice of half a lemon
115g (1/2 cup) butter, softened
150g (3/4) granulated sugar
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
2 eggs
150g (1 ½ cups) self raising flour
For the Elderflower Icing
75g (1/3 cup) butter, softened
150g (1⅛ cups) powdered icing sugar
1 tablespoon elderflower cordial (or lemon juice if elderflower isn’t available)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 170C/325F. Grease a few 2 x 7inch sandwich tins or a 9inch round cake tin if you wish.
Let’s leave the skin on the cucumber and only remove the seed it by cutting it in horizontally and scraping out seeds out with a teaspoon or a knife. Cut the cucumber into chunks and puree it until smooth and “chunk-less”. Then stir in the lemon juice.
Cream the butter with the lemon zest, sugar and vanilla together for a few minutes until light the mixture is light and fluffy.
Add the eggs, one at a time, beating each one in well.
Stir in ⅓ of the flour, then add ⅓ of the cucumber and continue until it is all combined.
Fill up the tin with the batter and pop it in the oven.
Bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes. Allow to cool slightly in the tin and turn out on a wire rack to cool completely before icing.
Making the Elderflower Icing:
Beat the butter, icing sugar and cordial together until smooth and fluffy. Keep in the fridge until ready to ice the cake.