Spring forward with Daffodil Cake

Daffodil Cake

I love the month of March when Spring arrives in all its golden yellow glory. This delicate recipe for Daffodil Cake is the perfect harbinger of Spring with swirls of yellow and white in every slice. Decorate with Spring flowers for a perfect seasonal cake for Mothering Sunday or as an Easter Cake.

What you need

Oil and flour (to line/cover the inside of the tin)

4 large eggs (separated)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp cream of tartar

10g/4 oz caster sugar 

1 orange (zest and juice)

50g/2 oz plain flour, sifted

1 tsp baking powder

Lemon Curd for filling 

Icing sugar to decorate

How to Bake

Preheat the oven to 190C/ Gas 5 /375F. 

Lightly oil a 20cm/8 inch cake ring tin (you can use a round or square cake tin and line with baking paper) and dust with flour. Separate the eggs into 2 large bowls.

Beat the egg whites, vanilla extract and cream of tartar in one bowl until stiff. Gradually add in 50g/2oz of the caster sugar and continue beating until soft peaks form. 

In the other bowl, beat the egg yolks with orange zest, juice, and remaining sugar until thick and light. Sift the flour and baking powder together and add to the egg yolk mixture. Spoon the egg yolk mixture and egg white mixture alternately into the cake tin. Stir the mixture with a fork to give a marbled effect. Bake for about 30 minutes (allow 5-10 minutes more if using a round cake tin). Remove the cake from the oven. Invert the cake tin over a cooling rack and let it cool for 30 minutes. 

Remove the cake from the tin carefully and allow to cool. Once cool, cut the cake in half and spread  Lemon curd in the centre. Place the other half on top and dust with icing sugar.

A slice of this and you’ll have a spring in your step

Daffodils blooming in my garden