Fragrant and floral, this delicate meadowsweet cream cake is an elegant ending to an elven spring feast. If you enjoy summer cakes and ethereal desserts inspired by the realms of Middle Earth, you may also love our Strawberry Mascarpone Cream Cake and our White Cake of Gondor, both filled with delicate flavours and old-world charm.
At a Glance: Meadowsweet Cream Cake
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Steeping Time: 8 hours to overnight
- Baking Time: 40-45 minutes
- Total Time: ~8 hours 50 minutes
- Servings: 8 servings
- Flavour: Floral aroma, honey sweetened, tangy berries
- Skill Level: Easy
- Why this Works: This Elven-inspired dessert is the perfect finish for your Lord of the Rings inspired feast.
A Feast in Lothlórien – The Golden Wood
Travel east over the Misty Mountains and enter the golden woods of Lothlórien for an enchanting elven feast. With hair as golden as the flowers of the Mallorn trees that adorn her realm, Galadriel rules over Lothlórien with her husband Celeborn. Aided by the power of Nenya, one of the three elvish rings of power, the woodland realm is kept beautiful and pure, free from evil and where the trees themselves do not die. Gather beneath the golden boughs of the Mallorn trees for an enchanting elven feast worthy of the woodland realm of Lothlórien – the heart of elvendom on Earth.
A floral spring dessert
Fragrant and floral, this delicate meadowsweet cream cake is an elegant ending to an elven spring feast. Infused with delicate meadowsweet flowers, this golden sponge cake is brushed with a sweet honey syrup and topped with a whipped mascarpone cream. The whipped cream is steeped with meadowsweet to impart a delicate floral aroma. Alongside our golden chamomile twist buns and honey lavender roast chicken, this meadowsweet cream cake brings a delicate sweetness to our elven woodland feast. As this elven feast comes to an end, bid farewell to the enchanting lady of Lórien and her golden realm.
Ingredients for Meadowsweet Cream Cake
Meadowsweet: Native to Europe and Asia, meadowsweet is a ground cover plant that thrives in damp meadows. Its small white flowers have a sweet aroma making it a popular addition to potpourri. In small doses, meadowsweet is safe to consume. It does have similar properties to aspirin and should be avoided by people who are sensitive to aspirin. Dried meadowsweet flowers can be ordered online from herbal suppliers. For other ways to use meadowsweet, try our Summer Pudding with Meadowsweet Cream or our Apple Bread Pudding with Meadowsweet Custard.
Cream: Whipping cream is gently warmed and then steeped with the dried meadowsweet flowers to infuse the cream with a floral aroma. After chilling, the cream will be very thick – this is normal.
Mascarpone: I like to add Italian masarpone cheese to the whipped cream topping to help stabilize the cream and provide enough body to support the cake layers. With its mild flavour, mascarpone is a great addition to cream cakes such as our strawberry mascarpone cream cake and cranberry mulled pear pavlova.
Berries: I like to use blackberries for this cake, however, you could use any blend of fresh berries you prefer.
Other Floral Options
Meadowsweet is a unique and fragrant flower that might take some work to track down. If you aren’t able to source it, there are a few other options you can use.
- Lavender – Dried lavender is obviously a favourite of ours and can be easily substituted for the meadowsweet. We use this popular floral in several of our recipes such as our floral honey posset and raspberries with lavender cream.
- Chamomile – Golden dried chamomile flowers are probably the easiest floral ingredient to source. You can use either the dried blossoms or chamomile herbal tea bags instead of the meadowsweet. Our golden chamomile twist buns and chamomile honey gin sour highlight this versatile flower.
- Rose – Fragrant rosewater is a great way to add a delicate floral aroma to this recipe. If you are using rosewater, you won’t need to steep the cream. Add 2 tsp of rosewater to the heavy cream before whipping and 2 tsp to the honey syrup instead of the dried meadowsweet. Rosewater is an easy way to add rose flavour to desserts and cocktails, such as our raspberry rose cocktail.
How to Make Meadowsweet Cream Cake
1. Steep the cream
Fill two empty tea bags each with 1 tablespoon of the dried meadowsweet flowers. Alternatively, use several layers of cheesecloth to tie the flowers up into a bundle. In a saucepan over medium heat, warm the heavy cream. Heat the cream just until warm. Add the tea bags or bundle and allow to cool. Transfer the cream along with the tea bags to a container. Cover and chill for at least 8 hours or up to overnight. The cream needs to be well chilled before whipping.
2. Steep the milk
Fill another empty tea bag or cheesecloth bundle with 1 tablespoon of the meadowsweet. Add the tea bag and milk to a saucepan and place over medium heat. Heat the milk just until hot, but before it simmers. You don’t want the milk to simmer or boil which could result in reducing the amount of milk. When the milk is hot, remove from the heat, cover, and let steep for 30 minutes.
3. Make the batter
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line the bottom of an 8″ spring form cake pan with a piece of parchment paper. Spray the inside liberally with non-stick spray. Set aside.
In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the eggs, sugar, and honey. Whip on high speed for about 5 minutes until the egg mixture is pale yellow and very thick. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the mixer and beat on low just until combined.
Rewarm the milk before adding to the batter. Remove and discard the tea bag, gently squeezing out the excess milk. Cut the butter into small pieces and add to the milk. Heat just until the milk is hot and the butter melts. Do not let it boil or simmer.
With the mixer running on low speed, slowly drizzle in the hot milk, stopping a few times to scrape down the sides of the mixer. Continue mixing until all of the milk has been added. Scrape down the inside of the mixer to make sure the batter is smooth and completely combined.
4. Bake the cake
Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until done. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean and the top springs back when touched. Let the cake cool on a rack for 5 to 10 minutes and remove from the pan. Cool the cake completely.
5. Make the honey syrup
Place the remaining tablespoon of meadowsweet into an empty tea bag or cheesecloth bundle. In a small saucepan combine the honey, water, and meadowsweet tea bag. Place over medium high heat and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally until the honey is dissolved. Remove from the heat, cover, and let steep for 15 to 20 minutes. After steeping, remove the tea bag, squeezing gently to remove as much liquid as possible.
6. Whip the cream
Remove the tea bags from the cream. The cream will be thick and look slightly clotted – this is normal. Transfer the infused cream to a mixer and beat with a whip attachment. Add the icing sugar and whip the cream until it forms stiff peaks. Add the mascarpone cheese and beat just until combined.
7. Assemble the cake
To assemble, split the cake in half. Arrange both halves with the cut sides facing up. Brush the honey syrup liberally over the cut side of each cake layer. Place the bottom layer on a serving platter. Top with a thick layer of the whipped cream topping and the remaining cake layer. Spread the remaining whipped cream topping over the cake. Chill until ready to serve.
8. Serve the Meadowsweet Cream Cake with Blackberries
Top the meadowsweet cream cake with a pile of fresh berries and fresh flowers to garnish. Enjoy!
Make Ahead Tips
- Infused whipped cream – the whipped cream would certainly benefit from steeping overnight in the fridge to ensure it is as cold as possible before whipping.
- Cake – the cake can be made ahead of time, wrapped in cling film, and stored at room temperature for 1 to 2 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw before cutting and topping with the cream.
Recipes from our Feast in Lothlórien
- Golden Chamomile Twist Buns with Honey Chamomile Butter
- Garden Herb Pikelets with Lemon Chive Cream
- Honey Spruce Tip Cocktail
- Golden Tomato Zucchini Galette
- Honey Lavender Roast Chicken
- Warm Potato, Asparagus, and Pea Salad
