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Perfect Lemon Elderflower Naked Cake with Honey Mascarpone Filling

lemon elderflower naked cake - featured image
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A light and elegant naked cake featuring tart lemon, delicate elderflower, and a creamy honey-sweetened mascarpone filling. Perfect for special occasions and easy to make with simple ingredients.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 ½ cups (315g) all-purpose flour
  • 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (227g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 ¾ cups (350g) granulated sugar
  • 4 large eggs, room temperature
  • ½ cup (120g) full-fat Greek yogurt
  • Zest of 2 lemons
  • ½ cup (120ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • ¼ cup (60ml) elderflower cordial or syrup
  • ½ cup (120ml) whole milk, room temperature
  • 16 oz (450g) mascarpone cheese, cold
  • ⅓ cup (113g) honey, preferably mild-flavored like clover honey
  • ½ cup (120ml) heavy cream, cold
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Powdered sugar, for dusting (optional)
  • Edible flowers or lemon zest curls, for decoration

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease two 8-inch round cake pans and line bottoms with parchment paper.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  3. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
  4. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
  5. Stir in Greek yogurt, lemon zest, lemon juice, and elderflower syrup gently.
  6. Alternate adding dry ingredients and milk to the wet mixture, starting and ending with dry ingredients. Mix on low speed just until combined.
  7. Divide batter evenly between prepared pans and smooth tops.
  8. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
  9. Cool cakes in pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto cooling racks to cool completely (at least 1 hour).
  10. Whip cold heavy cream to soft peaks. In another bowl, beat mascarpone, honey, and vanilla until smooth. Fold whipped cream into mascarpone mixture gently. Chill until ready to use.
  11. Place one cake layer on serving plate. Spread a generous amount of honey mascarpone filling evenly over the top.
  12. Place second cake layer on top and spread a thin layer of filling around the sides for a naked cake look.
  13. Dust with powdered sugar and decorate with edible flowers or lemon zest curls. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready.

Notes

Use room temperature ingredients for best texture. Do not overmix batter to avoid toughness. Keep mascarpone and cream cold when whipping to prevent graininess. Chill filling if too soft before spreading. Level cake layers if domed. For extra lemon flavor, brush layers with lemon syrup before filling. Gluten-free and vegan substitutions are possible as noted.

Nutrition

Keywords: lemon cake, elderflower cake, naked cake, honey mascarpone filling, easy cake recipe, spring dessert, floral cake

Find it online: https://milacook.com/perfect-lemon-elderflower-naked-cake-recipe-with-honey-mascarpone-filling-easy-and-best/