I recently made a small batch of hawthorn syrup and I am obsessed. If you’ve never tried hawthorn blossom syrup before (and most people haven’t), it tastes nutty and rich just like almonds.
If you have a glut of hawthorn blossoms or want to make an almond-flavoured cake without using almond extract, my Hawthorn, Lemon & Cardamom Cake recipe is for you.
The lemon adds freshness, the cardamom adds a soft floral note, and the hawthorn syrup makes the entire cake rich and sticky for days after baking. It’s a real crowd pleaser.
To make hawthorn blossom syrup from scratch, start the day before you want to bake this cake. Find my recipe for hawthorn blossom syrup here.
Ingredients
Makes 1 small hawthorn cake, serves 4-6
- 115g salted butter, softened
- 115g golden caster sugar
- 1 large lemon, zest only
- 1 tsp ground cardamom (or 8-10 pods, seeds ground)
- 2 eggs
- 115g self-raising flour
- ¾ tsp baking powder
- 75ml hawthorn blossom syrup
- Optional: handful of hawthorn blossoms and/or flaked almonds
Method
- Preheat your oven to 180°C (or 160°C fan). Grease a small 7×5 inch dish or baking tray and set aside.
- Add the butter, sugar, lemon zest and cardamom to a large bowl and mix until soft and fluffy.
- Beat in the eggs one at a time, then fold in the flour and baking powder.
- Pour into your greased dish and level the top with a spoon. Bake for 40 minutes, but check at 30 minutes.
- Once golden on top and a skewer comes out clean, remove from the oven. While the cake is still piping hot, use the skewer to poke holes all over the cake and pour over the hawthorn blossom syrup.
- Decorate with flaked almonds or hawthorn blossoms so they stick to the syrup, then leave the cake to cool completely in the dish.
- Serve with tea.
Tips and FAQs
Is this recipe suitable for people with nut allergies?
Hawthorn blossoms contain a natural compound called benzaldehyde which gives the syrup that almond flavour. They don’t contain the same proteins as almonds that trigger allergies. If you leave off the flaked almonds at the end, this cake could be prepared for someone with an allergy, however you should definitely consult a physician if you have any doubts.
Using a ceramic tray
I use my 7×5 inch ceramic baking tray for making this cake, which means it takes longer to heat up in the oven. If you are using a metal baking tray, check the cake after 20 minutes.
If the cake is brown on top but still undercooked in the middle, cover it loosely with foil to stop it burning while the insides continue cooking.
It’s better to use your senses and check when the cake is done, rather than sticking to a strict time.
Substituting ingredients
There are some easy swaps that can be made:
- No lemons? Try an orange instead, as it works well with both cardamom and almond flavours.
- No cardamom? Try nutmeg or a pinch of cloves.
- No self-raising flour? Use plain flour and an additional teaspoon of baking powder.
- No golden caster sugar? Use normal caster sugar or a mix of light brown soft sugar and caster sugar.
- No hawthorn blossom syrup? Make a simple syrup by simmering equal parts water and sugar on the stove, then stir in a few drops of almond extract.
The flaked almonds and fresh hawthorn blossoms can be skipped entirely if they aren’t available.
Using cardamom pods
You’ll always get the best flavour and aroma from grinding your own whole spices – you can buy green cardamom pods on Amazon for a much better deal than the supermarket. To use green cardamom pods, I bash them lightly in a pestle and mortar until the outer pod starts to come apart, remove the pods, and grind the seeds.
Approximately ½ tsp of preground cardamom seeds will suffice, but if you’re grinding pods yourself, you can use a little less as the flavour is more intense.
Keeping the cake light and soft
The trick to this recipe is to keep the cake light and airy with both self-raising flour and baking powder.
Adding the syrup to the batter makes it thick and gummy, so it’s best used as a soak – just like a lemon drizzle cake. Keeping the cake in the tray when you pour over the syrup ensures it can soak it all up like a sponge.
You might be tempted to use a mix of ground almonds and flour in this recipe, but that would be a mistake. The ground almonds would create a much denser texture, and the lemon and cardamom flavours would be totally overwhelmed.
If you’ve never made hawthorn blossom syrup before, you’ll be surprised at just how strong the almond flavour is.
What to serve with hawthorn, lemon and cardamom cake
This hawthorn cake is sweet and sticky, so you want something refreshing to go with it. Any good breakfast tea or strong coffee will be perfect. I recommend something simple and perhaps even quite bitter – like this Mlesna Loolecondera BOP Tea – to balance nicely with the cake.
