Spring Cake Pressed Flowers (Printable Version)

Light vanilla cake layered with whipped cream and decorated with pressed edible flowers for elegant spring servings.

# What You Need:

→ Cake

01 - 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
03 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
04 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
05 - 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
06 - 4 large eggs, at room temperature
07 - 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
08 - 1 cup whole milk, at room temperature

→ Whipped Cream Frosting

09 - 2 cups heavy whipping cream, cold
10 - 1/2 cup powdered sugar
11 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

→ Decoration

12 - 1/2 to 1 cup pressed edible flowers such as violets, pansies, nasturtiums, rose petals, or chamomile
13 - Fresh mint leaves, optional

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line two 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, cream the softened butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, approximately 3 to 4 minutes.
04 - Add eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract.
05 - Add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with milk and beginning and ending with flour. Mix until just combined without overmixing.
06 - Divide batter evenly between prepared pans and smooth the tops.
07 - Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
08 - Cool cakes in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.
09 - In a chilled bowl, beat heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla until stiff peaks form.
10 - Once cakes are fully cooled, place one layer on a serving plate. Spread with a generous layer of whipped cream. Top with the second cake layer and frost the top and sides with remaining whipped cream.
11 - Gently press edible flowers onto the sides and top of the cake. Add mint leaves if desired.
12 - Refrigerate the cake for at least 30 minutes to set the frosting and flowers.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It looks like something from a fancy bakery but honestly comes together in your own kitchen with no fuss or fancy techniques.
  • The contrast between the light, tender cake and billowy cream makes every bite feel like a little celebration.
  • Edible flowers do all the heavy lifting on the decorating front, so you can skip the piping bags and just press them on.
02 -
  • Room temperature ingredients are not a suggestion—cold eggs and milk will cause your batter to look curdled and separated, even though it usually comes back together as you mix, it's demoralizing to watch and affects the final texture.
  • The alternating flour and milk method is what keeps this cake tender; adding all the flour at once or skipping the milk creates a dry, crumbly result that no amount of frosting can fix.
  • Edible flowers must be completely pesticide-free and organically grown, so source them from a specialty grocer, farmer's market, or online purveyor that specializes in them—don't pick them from a florist.
03 -
  • If your whipped cream starts to look grainy or separated while you're frosting, you've beaten it too long and it's beginning to turn to butter; start fresh with a new batch rather than trying to save it.
  • A bench scraper or offset spatula dipped briefly in warm water helps you smooth the frosting on the sides without dragging it, creating clean, elegant lines instead of torn edges.
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