Spring Flower Cake

 

Martha Stewart Living

Ingredients

For the cake

•     Vegetable oil, cooking spray
•     3 cups all-purpose flour
•     1 teaspoon baking powder
•     1/2 teaspoon salt
•     2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
•     2 cups granulated sugar
•     1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, seeds scraped and reserved
•     4 large eggs
•     1 cup heavy cream
•     2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the honey mousse

•     2large egg yolks
•     1/4 cup honey (preferably orange blossom)
•     1 cup heavy cream

[post_ads_2]
For the sugared pansies

•     1 large egg white
•     1 tablespoon water
•     20 to 30 pansies or other edible flowers, plus leaves if desired (see the Guide)
•     1 cup superfine sugar

For the syrup

•     1 cup fresh orange juice, strained (from about 2 oranges)
•     1/4 cup granulated sugar
•     1 1/4 teaspoons orange-flower water (see the Guide)

Directions

1. For the cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 10-cup Bundt or other similar-size deep, fluted pan with cooking spray. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.
2. Beat butter, granulated sugar, and vanilla seeds with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
3. Combine cream and vanilla extract in a small bowl. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture to butter mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the cream mixture. Scrape batter into prepared pan.
4. Bake until a wooden skewer inserted into center of cake comes out clean, 60 to 75 minutes.
5. For the syrup: While cake is baking, bring orange juice and granulated sugar to a boil in a saucepan, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in orange-flower water. Let cool.
6. As soon as cake has finished baking, transfer pan to a wire rack. Prick exposed surface all over with a skewer, and brush with 1/2 of the syrup. Let cool in pan for 15 minutes. Invert onto rack, and unmold. Prick top and sides of cake all over with skewer. Brush with remaining syrup.
7. For the honey mousse: Fill a medium bowl halfway with ice water, and set aside. Whisk together egg yolks, honey, and 1/2 cup cream in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Cook, whisking occasionally, until mixture coats the back of a spoon, about 15 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve into a medium bowl, and set in ice water until thoroughly chilled.
8. Beat remaining 1/2 cup cream until stiff peaks form. Whisk 1/3 of the whipped cream into the honey mixture. Gently fold in remaining whipped cream until just combined. Cover, and refrigerate until ready to serve, at least 30 minutes. (Mousse is best the day you make it but can be refrigerated overnight.)
9. For the sugared pansies: Whisk egg white with water. Place flowers on a wire rack. Using a small brush, barely moisten top and bottom of each petal with egg wash. Using tongs to hold flower by the stem, sift superfine sugar over entire flower, turning to coat. Let dry on rack. Repeat with remaining flowers, leaving about 1/4 of them unsugared. (Sugared flowers are best the day you make them but can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.) Just before serving, arrange sugared and unsugared flowers over the top of the cake. Serve with mousse on the side.

More:

• Risotto Cakes
• Birthday Cakes
• Marble Cake