Nettle and Lemon cake

Name: Nettle and Lemon cake
Cuisine: British, European
Ingredients: INGREDIENTS; 100 g raw young nettle leaves; 200 g unsalted butter, softened; 150 g granulated sugar; 3 medium eggs; 2 tsp vanilla extract (optional); The juice and zest of one lemon; 250 g plain flour; 2 tsp baking powder; 1/2 tsp salt; Icing; Option 1 - glaze icing (as seen in the loaf cake pictures) 125g icing sugar mixed with lemon juice from above; Option 2 - buttercream (as seen in round sandwich cake pictures) 600g icing sugar mixed with 300g softened butter plus lemon juice from above; To decorate edible flowers from the garden (I used daisies, dandelion petals and ground ivy flowers); METHOD

12 steps

Updated at: Thu, 17 Aug 2023 00:08:43 GMT

Ingredients

0 servings

100gnettle leaves

raw, young

200gunsalted butter

softened

150ggranulated sugar

3eggs

medium

2 tspvanilla extract

optional

1lemon

the juice and zest of

250gplain flour

2 tspbaking powder

½ tspsalt

icing

125gglaze icing

as seen in the loaf cake pictures cing sugar mixed with lemon juice from above

600gbuttercream

as seen in round sandwich cake pictures cing ed with 300 soft butter plus lemon juice from above

edible flowers

To decorate, from the garden, I used daisies, dandelion petals and ground ivy flowers

Instructions

Step 1

Makes 1 2lb loaf or 20cm round cake

Step 2

NOTE for the sandwiched cake in the picture above, double the cake quantities and make two 20cm round cakes.

Step 3

Preparation Time 30 mins

Step 4

1. Preheat oven to 170C fan. Grease and line a 2lb (900g) loaf tin (I used a handy loaf tin liner, like or a 20cm round cake tin.

Step 5

2. Carefully wash the nettles and blanch them in simmering water for 5 minutes. Drain, refresh in cold water, then squeeze as much water out as possible (don't worry - the sting is gone once they are cooked).

Step 6

3. In a food processor, bullet blender or with a hand blender, whizz together the eggs with the cooked nettles. Set aside.

Step 7

4. Cream together the butter and sugar. Then, gradually beat in the egg and nettle mixture, the vanilla essence (if using) and half of the lemon juice and zest.

Step 8

5. Sift in the flour, baking powder and salt, stir to combine the finished mixture.

Step 9

6. Spoon into the lined loaf tin and bake in the centre of the pre-heated oven for at least 35 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean. Ovens will vary - my oven takes closer to 45-50 minutes to fully bake this cake.

Step 10

7. Cool in the tin, meanwhile make the icing.

Step 11

For the simple glaze icing, sift 125g icing sugar into a bowl, add the remaining half of lemon juice and enough water til you have a thick double cream consistency. Smear onto the top of the cool cake, and decorate with edible flowers (avoiding members of the allium or mustard family as these really only work in savoury dishes) and the remaining lemon zest.

Step 12

For the buttercream option, sift 600g icing sugar and blend with 300g softened butter. Add the remaining half of lemon juice and and a tbsp or so of water if needed for a soft smooth consistency. Using a buttercream icing tool or similar (I use a dough cutter) smear icing over the cake (if doing the double recipe for a sandwich cake, first sandwich the cakes together using buttercream and some jam - blaeberry is nice, then coat the overall sandwiched cake with buttercream). Decorate with edible flowers (avoiding members of the allium or mustard family as these really only work in savoury dishes) and the remaining lemon zest.

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