I love pansies.
They were one of my grandma's favorite flowers and she would plant them every spring. And so, it became somewhat of a tradition for my mother and I to plant them in our garden as I was growing up. The beautiful colors and delicate nature of pansies inspired me to make this cake. It's very moist, light and chocolate-y. The purple frosting just seemed fitting for the pansies! And I definitely had to incorporate some edible dirt in there by crushing up Oreos and chocolate chunks.
Edible flower care:
-Eat only flowers that are grown naturally without pesticides or other chemicals.
-To keep flowers fresh, place them on a moist paper towel. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 10 days.
-Placing the flowers in ice water can revitalize them as you are assembling your cake.
For the cake:
2 sticks margarine/butter/or substitute
3 heaping Tablespoons cocoa powder
1 cup water
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ cup buttermilk
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
In a medium saucepan, melt margarine, cocoa and water and bring to a rapid boil, then
pour boiled mixture over sugar, flour, and baking powder. Mix together.
In a separate bowl add the baking soda to the buttermilk.
Add beaten eggs, vanilla and buttermilk/soda mixture to the flour-cocoa mixture.
Pour in two greased 8-inch round cake pans.
Bake 25 minutes at 350 degrees F or until done when tested with a toothpick.
For the frosting:
4 cups confectioner's sugar
4 Tablespoons butter, softened
4 Tablespoons whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
red and blue food coloring
In a mixing bowl combine all ingredients and beat until smooth and fluffy. Combine red and blue coloring to create desired purple color.
Top cake with crushed Oreos and edible pansies.
Happy Spring!
