Welcome to the new look of Kitchen Therapy!
I am so excited for this new change. To be honest, I had become so used to my old template, that when I was told it needed an upgrade, I spent weeks in silent mourning.
But like Jennifer Smith says, “There’s no such thing as a completely fresh start. Everything new arrives on the heels of something old, and every beginning comes at the cost of an ending.”
So today, we’re being literal: revamping the lemon + rose cake to make it brand new!
I am murdering out the dried rose petals from here, but leaving the base of the cake as is, but injected with real vanilla bean and lots of fresh lemon zest.
I top it with this luscious white frosting, which is so sneakily easy to make, with a refreshing lemon zest and vanilla bean to really spruce up the flavours.
And the best part of this beauty – sugared rose petals! I spent a few days mulling over them, and decided I just had to give them a shot. I am not very artistic or delicate when it comes to cake styling. Truthfully, cakes tend to be eaten as soon as they are out of the oven in my house, so the question of fancy-ing up doesn’t arise! These were made so easily and impressed people tremendously: win-win! Only thing, you need to make them a day before so they can dry properly.
This is a cake that you want to spend time making, peacefully, with some music on and surrounded by fragrant lemons, real vanilla pods and pretty roses. And best served with a cup of coffee!
The Recipe
Serves 8
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups Flour
- 2 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/2 cup Butter, soft
- 3/4 cup Caster sugar
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1/2 Vanilla Pod
- 2 Eggs
- 1 tsp Lemon zest
- 1/3 cup Lemon juice
- 1 tsp Oil for greasing
- 1/2 tbsp Flour for dusting
- 1/3 cup Lemon juice
- 1/4 cup Caster sugar
- 1 Egg white
- 1/4 cup Caster sugar
- 10-15 Rose petals
- 2 1/2 cups Icing sugar
- 2 tsp Lemon zest
- 1/2 Vanilla pod
- 3-4 tbsp Milk
- Lemon slices
- Sprinkles
Instructions
- Sugar the rose petals first.
- Wash the rose petals thoroughly and dry well with a cloth.
- Whisk the egg whites gently to ensure smoothness.
- Keep a dish of caster sugar ready and a tray to place the final petals.
- Brush the petals with egg white wash and dip the petal into the sugar.
- Gently place the petals on a tray.
- Allow at least 20-24 hours for the petals to dry.
- You can store them in an airtight container afterwards for a few days.
- Heat the oven to 200°C.
- Brush the cake tin’s surface area with the 1 tsp oil, using a silicone brush.
- Cover the oiled surface with the ½ tbsp flour, turning the cake tin over to remove excess.
- Rub the vanilla bean pod and lemon zest into the sugar. (You can do this step hours beforehand).
- Sift the flour with the baking powder.
- Cream the soft butter and sugar together.
- Add the eggs and vanilla extract. Beat well.
- Alternate adding the flour mixture and lemon juice, 3 times.
- Scrape the sides of the bowl and pour into the cake tin.
- Bake for 25 minutes.
- Remove from the oven, and allow to cool within the tin.
- While cake is cooling, prepare the syrup. On low heat, dissolve the sugar in the lemon juice and let the syrup come to a simmer before switching the heat off.
- Remove the cake from its tin, cool on a rack and then place on the serving plate.
- Prick the cake with a toothpick all over.
- Pour the warm syrup over the cake and soak.
- Stir the vanilla pod and lemon zest in a bowl with milk.
- Sift the icing sugar into the bowl, whisking continuously.
- Add more milk or sugar depending on consistency required. The ideal glaze should be thick enough to set on the cake.
- Once the cake has completely cooled, pour the glaze icing over the cake and spread with a wet spatula if required. Let some of the glaze drip down the edges if you like.
- Place the rose petals, some lemon slices and sprinkles as garnish immediately before the glaze hardens.
- Store the cake in an airtight container.
- Cake stays well for 4-5 days (if it even lasts that long!)
