Rose Wilde's Sonora Vegetable Confetti Cake
I first made this cake for a vegetable series while working as the pastry chef at Rustic Canyon under Jeremy Fox. I wanted to call to mind the confetti cakes of childhood, using the rainbow of vegetables available at the Santa Monica Farmers Market in Los Angeles. Many herbs are sweet and vegetables are actually all fruit, both begging for use in dessert! If you can’t find rainbow carrots, sub in some beets to keep the rainbow effect. This cake is based on a vintage silver cake batter, and its white bake really lets the colors of the vegetable pop. The smoked honey buttercream is a personal favorite that I pair with loads of flavors throughout the year. It is lovely here alongside whipped cheesecake and greengage plum jam whose flavor is like eating an emerald—bright, juicy, tannic, sweet. If you can’t find these beauties, use any plum for the jam. The key to a perfect dome is to chill it often and to add the final layer of buttercream slowly. Gently heating your offset spatula in hot water and drying it off before you run it across the buttercream will create a very smooth finish. The cake layers can be made a day ahead. Keep the assembled cake in the fridge for up to 3 days. Pull from the fridge an hour before serving.
Makes two 8-inch cake layers and one 6-inch cake layer
Photo by Rebecca Stumpf
Ingredients
187 grams unsalted butter, at room temperature
375 grams sugar
125 grams sonora flour
231 grams all-purpose flour
10 grams baking powder
6 grams salt
300 grams cold water
5 large egg whites
63 grams minced parsley sprigs, leaves removed
100 grams minced carrot (5 or 6 carrots), different colors
Peel from 2 lemons, minced
Greengage Jam (recipe in Bread & Roses)
Whipped Cheesecake (recipe in Bread & Roses)
Smoky Honey Buttercream (recipe in Bread & Roses)
Rainbow edible florals
Method
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line cake pans with parchment paper and spray with baking spray. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on medium speed till light and fluffy.
In a separate bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, and salt. Add one-third of the flour mixture to the butter mixture while on low speed. Add one-third (100 grams) of the cold water. Continue alternating adding the dry and water additions until everything is combined.
In another large bowl, using a handheld mixer, whisk the egg whites till medium peaks form. Remove the cake batter bowl from the stand mixer and fold in the egg whites. Fold in the parsley, carrot, and lemon peel “sprinkles.” Portion equally into two 8-inch round cake pans as well as into one 6-inch round cake pan.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, till the cakes are springy to the touch in the center. Remove from the oven and let cool completely in the pans.
Build the cake: Use an offset spatula to run along the edge of each cake and overturn to release. Put the one 8-inch cake on a cake board or a large plate. If you have a turntable, use it, but a cake stand will do. Load your buttercream into a piping bag and pipe a ring alongside the outside edge of your cake layer. Fill with a thin layer of whipped cheesecake. Place the second 8-inch cake on top and press gently to seal the edges. Use an offset spatula to add more buttercream to seal where the cake layers join. Pipe another buttercream ring about an inch inside the circle and fill it with greengage jam. Press the 6-inch cake on top and use the offset spatula with extra buttercream to seal. Use your offset spatula to add more buttercream to coat the cake in a thin primary layer. You will need to fill the space between the 8-inch and 6-inch cakes with buttercream and create a slope. Transfer to the fridge to chill for 30 minutes, or till the buttercream is firm.
Pull the cake from the fridge and add more buttercream to create a final layer. Use a bench scraper or offset spatula while turning your cake stand, to create smooth sides. Use Ateco piping tip #803 or a pastry bag cut to have a circular opening to create clouds or bloops over the surface. Decorate with colorful edible flowers such as hydrangea, blossoming herbs, and cornflowers. Keep in the fridge for an hour before you want to cut and serve.
Recipe from Bread and Roses: 100+ Grain Forward Recipes featuring Global Ingredients and Botanicals © 2023 by Rose Wilde.
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