Homemade Elderflower Cordial

This homemade elderflower cordial is simple to make at home. Use it to make cocktails, or just pour into sparkling water and you have yourself a refreshing summertime drink. The cordial can be used to make cakes, cheesecakes, or why not drizzle it over your pancakes?

This homemade elderflower cordial is the first in a series of recipes featuring elderflower.

I am really excited because this is the first drink recipe ever to appear on my blog. Yes, I am that easily pleased. Although I have never posted a drink recipe, I am very fond of using nature’s bounties. Not only are they delicious, but stunning to look at, too. Berries, especially, play a massive part on my blog. Check out that deep pink hue in the frosting for my blackberry iced buns and blackberry and raspberry cupcakes.

What is elderflower?

Unsurprisingly, elderflower comes from the elder tree, a common sight in woodlands in Sweden (and many other places). In late May and June, the tree produces tiny, white flowers that exude the scent of summer. The Woodland trust offers more information on how to identify elderflower, if you’d like to find some yourself.

Elderflower cordial

Elderflower cordial (fläderblomssaft in Swedish) is a popular drink in Sweden. However, it is a relatively new addition to Sweden, with its first appearance made in the 1970s. Before that, elderflower tea was the way the summer flowers were used. The cordial is used as the base to make many drinks, such as cocktails, and is particularly enjoyed during Midsummer festivities.

Since moving to Sweden, I’ve wanted to not only create some cordial but to use it in a number of recipes. Every summer, without fail, for several years, I thought about doing it, but always left it too late and the blooms had disappeared almost as quickly as they’d arrived.

This year, I was in luck. Not because I’d managed to get myself outside and collect some, but because someone gave us a bunch from their own garden. Truth is, I had left it too late because when I went out to find some for my pictures, there was literally only one bloom left. So, by the time I got round to taking photos for this recipe, I had to make do with a couple of sprigs of mint to garnish my homemade elderflower cordial instead.

If you’ve never tasted elderflower cordial or juice before, it has a very distinct flavour. This homemade elderflower cordial is so simple to make; there is nothing more difficult than washing the blooms and then straining. My recipe is sweet, so all you need is a little sparkling water to create a refreshing summer beverage.

Baking with elderflower

Elderflower cake became all the rage when Meghan and Harry chose an elderflower and lemon cake for their wedding. Boy, did people jump on the bandwagon after that, with various versions popping up all over the place. However, infusing cake with elderflower is no new craze. The first documented use of a dessert made with elderflower was something called sambocade, and it is was a medieval cheesecake. It was featured in a book called Forme of Cury, which is said to have been written somewhere around 1390. Now, that’s impressive.

All kinds of cakes and sweet treats can be made with elderflower cordial, so, even more of an incentive to make a batch of this gorgeous, summery liquid. In Sweden, it is sometimes drizzled over pancakes (in place of syrup) or mixed into cream.

I went full out with this batch of elderberry cordial and put it to good use. First came a beautiful summery lemon and elderflower curd, which I used to make a frosting to top the cutest lemon cupcakes. I also made a simple, one-layer lime and elderflower drizzle cake.

picture of a glass filled with elderflower cordial garnished with mint and lemons

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