“Where flowers bloom so does hope.” – Lady Bird Johnson

Inspired by Lady Bird’s quote to bake and decorate a cake with beautiful, edible flowers. I’m pairing it with an 80s, vintage Susan Apple floral dress. Fun and spontaneous!Matching Floral Dress & Floral Cake

Now that we are spending more time at home . . . we have an opportunity for things that we never got around to doing. For me, I am sorting through some the Susan Apple, Inc’s archives. Rediscovering photos, documents and dresses of an apparel business that I founded in my college dorm room. It is almost as fun as reuniting with old friends!

Discovering this Susan Apple floral dress gave me an idea to bake a cake to pair with it. So here is the original 80s dress . . .Floral Dress

“Where flowers bloom so does hope.”

And here is the recipe . . .

Floral Cake

A moist 3-layer cake iced with fluffy, white frosting and decorated with a variety of bright, edible flowers.

Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 3 1/2 cups sifted cake flour
  • 4 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 6 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Fluffy White Frosting: 4 1/2 cups sugar, 1 cup sugar, 6 tablespoons corn syrup, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 6 egg whites (rom temperature), 1/2 teaspoon tartar, 1/3 cup confectioners' sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.

    Grease and line with parchment paper three 3" X 8" round cake pans. Set aside.

  2. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.

  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. With the machine on low, gradually add the sugar, beat for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

  4. Add the vanilla to the milk, stir to combine. Set aside.

  5. Mixing on low speed, add the dry ingredients and wet ingredients, alternating with the dry and wet ingredients, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.

  6. Divide the batter among the three pans.

  7. Bake in the middle rack for 25-30 minutes or a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

  8. Cool the cakes in the pans, set on wire racks for 5 to 10 minutes. Turn out onto wire racks and cool completely.

  9. Assembling the cake: Place one cake layer on an 8" round cake board, spread with one fourth of the frosting. Add the second layer, spread with another fourth of the frosting, add the last cake layer, spread one fourth of the frosting on the sides of the cake, add the last fourth of the frosting to the top of the cake. With an off-set spatula make swirls in the frosting.

    Slide a large spatula under the cake and cake board, lift it up and transfer it to a cake stand or large platter.

Frosting directions: In a heavy bottom saucepan, mix the sugar, water, corn syrup, and salt. Cook until mixture reaches 238ºF. on a candy thermometer. Meanwhile, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a wire whisk attachment, beat the egg whites until frothy, add the cream of tartar and continue beating until the egg whites are stiff but not dry. Continue beating, slowly adding the cooked sugar mixture until the frosting is thick and creamy, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the confectioners' sugar and vanilla, blend together.