Mrs Beeton's Rose & Lime Saucer Cake!

The perfect afternoon tea sweet treat - Mrs Beeton's Rose & Lime Saucer Cake!

Hello, darlings!
 
 Hip, hip, hurray! it’s National Tea Day (Sunday 21st April 2019)
 
Darlings, now before I proceed any further, I must admit, I haven’t foggiest idea how or why this recipe commenced its culinary journey as a “saucer cake” – so, if you possess an inkling of a clue please do let me know!
 
Okey dokey, in celebration of this totally “tea-tastic” day, may I present Mrs Beeton’s Rose & Lime Saucer Cake – How spiffing. Yes, that’s right darlings, this bloomin’ marvellous floral creation oozes the delightful fragrance of an English country garden, well, in this case the delicate aroma of pink dainty roses that grow in a wreath-like fashion, tightly gripped around the grand stone entrance of one of those quaint countryside abodes – a picture postcard image, springs to mind! 

Mrs Beeton's Saucer Cake For Tea recipe - 1906 edition of Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management!

I Say, this terribly British recipe, which I discovered in my 1906 edition of Mrs Beeton’s Book of Household Management, has been recreated with a bit of a Miss Windsor twist, of course! You see, before I got my creative hands on this recipe, I must divulge that it was quite bland and boring – only flour, sugar, butter, eggs, with a bit of candid peel thrown in!

Oh, and by the way, Mrs Beeton’s original saucer cake recipe calls for plain flour along with cornflour, but I found the latter made my version extremely delicate and crumbly, so if you require it to be less so, then please just use plain flour – there’s a good, darling! 

Enjoy each slice with a cup of Miles Lavender Limeflower & Rose Tea!

So, in keeping with my rose and lime theme for National Tea Day, I revived Mrs Beeton’s recipe with the added extras of rose water, crushed dried rose petals, and lime zest – please note: on the day of creation Miss Windsor was clean out of limes, so one had to use lemon zest instead! ​

​Darlings, I must say, this cake is also exceedingly light and spongy, accompanied by a pleasant hint of zingy lime – I say, the perfect sweet treat for those who wish to indulge in a luxurious, aromatic, and tangy spot of afternoon tea.

Miles Lavender Limeflower & Rose Tea must be supped from a Royal Albert English bone china cup n' saucer!

Darlings, if you haven’t already twigged, today is all about TEA, “You don’t say, Miss Windsor!” Therefore, in the spirit of this splendid celebration, and to accompany this delightfully flavoursome cake, I sampled and reviewed an exquisite blend of fragrant tea – Miles Lavender Limeflower & Rose Tea.

​Darlings, for those who have not stumbled across this superior brand until now, “Miles” is a highly acclaimed purveyor of fine tea and coffee from Porlock, Somerset, and is known by the grand title of Miles Tea & Coffee – well, I never! 

Fancy a slice of Mrs Beeton's Rose & Lime Saucer Cake - How scrumptious!

By the way, it would’ve pleased me greatly, including all my fellow food history fanatics, if one could verify that one's version of Mrs Beeton’s Saucer Cake was based on a Victorian recipe – from Mrs Beeton’s Book of Household Management, first published in 1861.

​But regrettably my dears, I failed to find any reference to this at all when I scoured the pages of my modern-day mentor: the jolly old internet, therefore, I believe this recipe may have only been added to the later editions. However, if you’re privy to such information, or maybe you own a copy of the 1861 edition, then please do get in touch if you just so happen to come across Mrs Beeton’s Saucer Cake recipe - Ta very muchly! 

The perfect combination - Mrs Beeton's Saucer Cake and a cup of Miles Lavender Limeflower & Rose Tea!

​Darlings, now there’s very little more to say about this divine baked goodie! Except it’s exceedingly scrumptious, bursting with a rather feminine combination of flavours – hence the ever so slight sniff of English rose perfume by Yardley – the finest old-fashioned British perfumer.
 
So, without further ado, please dash off to your kitchen, mixing bowl and wooden spoon at the ready, and have a blimmin’ good go at recreating another slice of food history!

​Oh, and don’t forget to enjoy each slice with a sup of Miles Lavender Limeflower & Rose Tea, or any fine blend of rose tea will do – to be, of course, supped from an English bone china cup and saucer. 
​

Darlings, please do take a quick peek at my review of MILES LAVENDER LIMEFLOWER & ROSE TEA KITES. 

Miles Lavender Limeflower & Rose Tea Kites!

ALL PHOTOGRAPHY BY MISS WINDSOR 

Mrs Beeton’s Rose & Lime Saucer Cake!

Preparation time: 30 mins
Cooking time: 20-22 minutes
Serves 6 rather spiffing guests!

Ingredients

• 120g (1 cup) plain flour
• 120g (1 cup) cornflour
• 4 teaspoons of baking powder
• 120g (1/2 cup) caster sugar
• 120g (3/4 cup) unsalted butter – room temperature
• zest of 2 limes
• 2 well-whisked eggs
• 2 tablespoons of rose water
• a generous handful of crushed dried rose petals
• 125ml (4 US fl oz.) milk
• a generous handful of crushed dried rose petals - for decoration

Rose Buttercream Icing

• 125 g (1/2 cup) unsalted butter – room temperature
• 300g (3 cups) icing sugar
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 & 1/2 teaspoons of rose water (add a trifle more if you desire)
• a tiny drop of pink food colouring
• a generous handful of crushed dried rose petals

Equipage

• 2 x sandwich tins (18cm / 7 inch) and electric hand whisk.

Method

1. Squeaky clean hands at the ready – Ta very muchly!
2. Pre-heat oven to 170*C / 150* Fan / 325 F / gas mark 3.
3. First off, prepare your cake tins. Lightly grease with butter and line with greaseproof paper, then dust the sides with flour.
4. In a large mixing bowl cream together the butter and sugar.
5. Sieve the flour, cornflour, and baking powder over the creamed mixture, then add the lime zest, well-whisked eggs, and rose water.
6. Combine the ingredients together with a wooden spoon, then add the milk (drop at a time) and bring to a cake batter consistency. Darlings, please refrain from over mixing, as too much air beaten into the batter will certainly cause a culinary catastrophe!
7. Now, sprinkle the crushed dried rose petals into the batter and gently combine together. 
8. Run a pallet knife through the batter, as this will prevent air bubbles from creating unsightly holes in your baked beauty!
9. Pour your silky-smooth batter into the prepared tins. Then give the tins a light tap on the kitchen counter, again this will hopefully avoid those dreaded air bubbles from forming!
10. Bake on the middle shelf for approximately 20 to 22 minutes.
11. Your culinary triumph is ready when risen, golden brown, and a skewer when inserted comes out clean.
12. Allow your cakes to cool completely before you sandwich them together with rose buttercream icing.

Rose Buttercream Icing

1. In a large mixing bowl cream together the butter and rose water.
2. Add the icing sugar, milk, and tiny drop of pink food colouring, then using the back of a wooden spoon whip everything together and finish off with a manual whisk until light and fluffy. Or one may call upon the aid of modern technology and create this heavenly pink concoction with an electric hand whisk.
3. Gently stir in a generous handful of crushed dried rose petals – voila!

 
The Finishing Touch

1. Once your cakes have completely cooled, pop one of them onto a pretty vintage plate and cover with a thick slather of rose buttercream icing. Gently place the other cake on top and festoon with some crushed dried rose petals.
2. Serve each slice with a steaming hot cup of the finest blend of rose tea – to be supped from an English bone china cup and saucer, of course!