I started the month developing various recipes for the two teas under Nature Therapy – Calming Brew and Plum + Roses Brew. The Calming Brew is a special one for me – it’s a delicate caffeine free floral bouquet with no caffeine, that works as a floral brew for all times of day, and particularly at nights to help release tension in the mind and body and thereby induce sleep.
But you know me – just to brew into tea isn’t where I would stop – and the first place I go to is, obviously cake! This is perhaps, if I may say so, one of the best ones I’ve created so far – an olive oil and honey base with a cup of Calming Brew which gives light scents of chamomile and lavender, and the perfect moist crumb. This cake needs no frosting, but for the sake of pleasing and calming the eye, I made a dairy-free frosting out of cashews with another swirl of honey.
My father ate a bite, and stated it could be served at Richoux – one of the most elegant patisseries that we frequented in our London days – and this is a true compliment from a person who rarely gives me any!
To make this cake vegan: replace honey with castor sugar in the cake and icing sugar in the frosting
The Recipe
Serves
Ingredients
- Cake:
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1 cup strongly brewed + strained cold Calming Brew
- ½ cup Eucalyptus Honey
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp vinegar
- 1 ½ cup all purpose flour
- ½ tsp baking soda (soda bicarbonate)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- Cashew Frosting:
- ¾ cup raw cashews, soaked for 30 minutes and rinsed
- 1-2 tbsp water
- 3 tablespoons Eucalyptus Honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C
- Prepare an 8” cake tin by greasing and lignin with parchment paper
- In a bowl, whisk the dry ingredients together and set aside
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the olive oil and brew until emulsified and white in colour
- Then add the honey and vanilla extract and whisk for another few minutes
- Add the vinegar, give a few stirs, and then add the dry ingredients, combining to mix, without over-mixing
- Pour the batter into the cake tin
- Pat the cake tin on the surface a few times, to remove any air bubbles
- Bake the cake for 25 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean, with just a few crumbs
- Allow the cake to cool completely before frosting
- Frosting:
- Soak the cashews in water for 30 minutes and then drain
- Place them in a blender with 1 tbsp water first and pulse to make a butter
- Then add the remaining ingredients and if needed, more water to reach your desired consistency
- Place the frosting in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to use
- Once the cake has cooled completely, spread the frosting over the cake with a spatula
- Garnish with sprinkles, edible flowers and rose petals
