3/4 lb Sm. tart green gooseberries
5 Elderflower blossoms*
1/2 lb Plain wholemeal flour
2 ts Baking powder
2 lg Eggs
6 oz Butter
6 oz Pale muscovado sugar
Demerara sugar
Flowers & leaves to garnish
*Note: A handful of sweet geranium or lemon balm leaves may be
substitued for elderflower blossoms if desired.
Top and tail the gooseberries into a mixing bowl. Add the finely
chopped leaves or the florets of elderflower carefully stripped from
the stalk, and stir to mix with the fruit. Sift the flour and baking
powder into a separate bowl. Cut then rub in the butter. Stir in the
muscovado sugar then the lightly beaten eggs. Finally, stir in the
gooseberries and their flavourings.
Grease the base of an 8-inch spring-clip cake tin, line and grease
again. Turn the cake mixture into it and mound it up in the middle.
Bake at 350 F (180 C) gas mark 4 for about 1 1/2 hours. Unlike most
cakes, this one does not come away from the sides of the tin when it
is cooked.
Cool for a few minutes before unmoulding. Sprinkle with demerara
sugar and decorate with fresh elder blossom or sweet geranium or
melissa leaves, and serve the deliciously moist cake while it is
still warm – as a pudding, with plenty of cream.
Yields
8 Servings