Lilac Cake

Lilacs are one of my favourite flowers, providing gorgeous colour and a sweet floral fragrance from May through June. This moist Fresh Spring Lilac Lemon Cake is fluffy, tangy, and so easy to make from scratch. Extremely seasonal and limited edition, every bite is cherished. This flavourful cake bursts with floral and zesty lemon notes, and the easy optional buttercream topping adds a round of deliciousness. I topped a slice of cake with a generous pouring of syrup made from lilacs and violets, that is great to have in the refrigerator this time of year. It takes 10 minutes to make and you can add the syrup to drinks and pancakes, it is my toddlers favourite.

Lilacs, which are part of the olive family, which are totally edible with the most gorgeous fragrance. If you have the opportunity, spend a beautiful day hand-plucking each individual flower from their stem and soaking them in a bath of cream to let the flowers infuse into a floral milk for this cake. This precious liquid can then be turned into creamy and dreamy lattes, buttercreams, and even lilac ice cream.

Ingredients:

• 184 grams buttermilk or heavy cream

• 85 grams butter, softened to room temperature 

• 2 large eggs

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 240 grams (2 cups) all-purpose flour

• 200 grams (1cup) granulated sugar

• 1/3 cup freshly picked lilac petals*

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• zest and juice from two lemons

• ½ teaspoon salt

• rhubarb (optional)

Directions

To prepare lilac petals for your cake: remove the small white or purple petals from the small green sepals that hold them to the branch.

Preheat the oven to 176 C. Add butter and flour to a loaf pan. Make lilac infused milk by combining your buttermilk or heavy cream with your fresh lilac in a small saucepan over low heat for ten minutes. Turn off heat and let it cool as you continue on with next steps. 

Cream the butter and sugar together with an electric mixer or stand mixer. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until the batter is light and fluffy; stir in the lemon zest, juice, and vanilla extract. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to the creamed butter sugar mixture alternately with the lilac cream until well blended and pour the batter into the prepared pan. As an optional part: press in long thin pieces of rhubarb into the cake batter for a seasonal flavour.

Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a tester inserted in the middle comes out mostly clean. Let cool in the pan a few minutes before transferring to a rack to cool.

Once cool, make the butter cream and dollop some on top and garnish with lilac petals. I also served a piece of cake with homemade lilac syrup for an extra touch of sweetness.

Make the butter cream

HOW TO MAKE SMALL-BATCH BUTTERCREAM FROSTING, no measurements needed

1. Add a dollop (room temperature) butter to the bowl

2. Add powdered sugar (maybe about 1-2 dl) and mix.

3. Add a drop of milk and vanilla extract.

4. Continue to mix until light and fluffy.

If the consistency is too too thick, add more milk and if it is too loose, add sugar.

Simple Nettle Cake

Simple, Green, Sweet: Stinging Nettle Cake

This stinging nettle cake is perfect for anyone who loves cakes and wants to try something new and delicious. Despite its prickly reputation, the stinging nettle is a versatile plant that can be used in countless dishes, both savory and sweet. This recipe is proof of its culinary potential! Impress your guests with this fun, green cake, and show children how wild plants found in nature can be transformed into delightful treats in the kitchen.

INGREDIENTS

• 100 grams Stinging nettles

• 150 grams sugar

• 100 grams soft butter

• 2 eggs

• 100-150 grams all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1 teaspoon vanilla sugar

• A pinch of salt

• tablespoon of lemon zest

• 1 dl milk of choice

INSTRUCTIONS

Rinse the stinging nettles thoroughly in a sieve. In a large pot, bring water to a boil and add the nettles. Boil the nettles for 1 minute to remove the sting. Bring back the cooked nettles to the sieve and pour cold water on them. Now you will easily be able to touch the nettles without being stung. Squeeze out the water from the nettle leaves.

In a blender: add the nettles and milk and lemon zest. pulse until a smooth green liquid.

Mix flour, baking powder, vanilla sugar and salt. In another mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar and butter. Add the eggs and nettle/milk liquid, then mix.

Add the dry ingredients and mix well. Pour the cake batter into a suitable cake pan covered with baking paper or greased with butter. Bake the cake in the oven at 180 degrees Celsius for 25-30 minutes. Eat the cake just like that or serve with a dollop of whipped cream.

Make the cake into a mini layer cake

With the help of tartare mold, cut three circles from the cake. Place some whipped cream (with lemon zest) in between. Decorate with edible flowers. Enjoy as a little “high tea” cake.

cut cakes with molds

Add whipped cream in between cakes

Rhubarb Lemon Mousse Semi-naked Cake

‘The beginning of summer brings out the most prettiest of cakes’

It almost seems to have become a tradition that during this time, I tend to make a semi-naked cake for my birthday. I would honestly say, I’m starting to get the hang of them as I’ve played around with so many flavours these past years. Since it is rhubarb season, I opted for a lemon mousse rhubarb filling with a classic butter frosting on top. I used to rose buds, black berries and mint leaves for garnishing to keep it pretty and on theme. All the ladies loved the flavour combination as it’s lemony fresh but with density and sweetness from the rhubarb jam and frosting. For anyone who seems insecure about making a layer cake, it really is not that difficult and it can be made a day in advance which makes your life much easier on the day of the event. Semi-naked cakes is a beautiful cake to learn how to cake as it really makes a statement every single time.

We will begin by making the lemon mousse, frosting, layers for the cake and the rhubarb was ready from jar. 

Beautiful magnolia is in bloom

Let’s make a cake

Start by making the lemon curd (unless it is store bought) and then the layers for the cake. Make the butter frosting last. Depending on when you are going to assemble the cake, make the butter frosting during that moment.

Frosting Ingredients

• 500g sifted icing sugar

• 250g butter

• 1-2 tablespoons boiling water

To make the butter cream, beat together butter (room temperature) and icing sugar on low speed with a hand held mixer. Add a few drops of boiling water to loosen the butter so it forms a lovely frosting as you mix.

Ingredients for Lemon Mousse

• 1/2 cup lemon curd

• 1 cup cold heavy whipping cream

• 1/4 cup powdered sugar

For the lemon mousse, you basically mix 3 ingredients together; lemon curd, whipped cream and powdered sugar. You could store by the curd, but if you wish to make it yourself, the recipe below. When making a layer cake, I tend to make the curd the day before along with the layers to save some time.

To make the Mousse: In a bowl, whisk the whipped cream and powdered sugar. Whisk in the lemon curd for about 3 minutes until soft peaks start to form. Place into a clean bowl, cover with clingfilm and refrigerate overnight.

Lemon curd

• 2 eggs room temperature

• 1 egg yolk (optional)

• 100 dl sugar

• Juice of 1 lemon

• zest of 1 lemon

• 50g-70g butter, roughly cubed (room temperature)

In a sauce pan, add in all the ingredients and gentle stir over love heat for about 10-15 minutes with a whisk. The sauce will begin to thicken slowly and once thickened, pour into a jar to cool. This can be done the night before so the flavours really intensify and the mixture becomes more stiff.

Ingredients for cake base (x3)

• 3 eggs

• 1dl sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 1 dl + 1 1/2 tbs flour

• 1 tablespoons vanilla powder

• ½ tablespoon lemon zest

* oil for lining the cake tine / milk when assembling the cake

Cake Base Directions (cake tin 16cm Ø )

Baking the cake layers:

In a bowl, add together the dry ingredients (minus sugar & lemon zest). In another bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy with the help of an electric whisk. Through a sieve, combine the dry ingredients to the egg/sugar mixture. Gently fold the batter together and add the lemon zest.

Pour some oil into the cake tin so the bottom and sides are coated, pour excess out. Pour batter into the cake tin and place into the bottom part of the oven for 40 minutes at 175 °C. Check the cake by inserting a tooth pick into the centre and if it comes out clear, it is fully cooked. Cool in cake tins on a heat rack (about 10 minutes); remove cakes from tins and cool completely on wire racks for about an hour.

Repeat this process once more for another layer

Freeze Cake layers (optional):

Freeze cakes once cooled, as this process makes the assembling much easier. Wrap each cake layer individually in plastic wrap and freeze for 4-6 hours. This part is optional but it ensures that crumbs don’t break into the icing, so if you are short in time, freeze at least for an hour. If you freeze them overnight, give them a bit of time to defrost as they are hard to cut otherwise.

When you are ready to assemble the cake, remove layers from freezer and unwrap. Level the layers with a serrated knife to make sure the surfaces are straight. I removed the top half of the cake layers as they were dome-shaped. I also cut one of the layers in half, to get an extra layer for the center of the cake.

Assemble the cake

At this point, remove the lemon mousse from the fridge and have your rhubarb jam and butter frosting ready. I used an organic jam from the store but it’s great to do it yourself too, but I was feeling a bit lazy.

Use your “ugliest cake bottom” for the base of the naked-cake. Save the prettiest bottom for the top part. Place a bit of frosting on your cake plate and place the first layer on top. This keeps it from moving. Moisten each layer with a bit of milk.

Fill each layer with rhubarb jam and lemon mousse. Repeat this process until the top and place the last layer “with the bottom half of the layer facing the surface” so it looks flat this way. Add buttercream frosting around the edges of the cake and push it in the middle to fill any gaps and scrape to almost bare with a sharp knife. Place into fridge to set the frosting before decorating.

Decorate with black berries, mint leaves and dried rose buds, that you would use for tea.

Morning coffee by the cherry blossom trees

chocolate mousse layer cake

It is officially the first of March, which means that the snow should slowly start melting allowing space for little buds to push through the surface of the ground. This was the first weekend the temperatures got a little warmer and we were able to enjoy a cup of coffee on the balcony in the wonderful warmth of the sunlight. I also scrapped the balcony floor and cleaned all the dirt that piles up over winter time.

This morning I heard the first screeching sound of the seagulls that to me, symbolizes the beginning of Spring. The park is still filled with ice and snow, but I love that the streets are getting a bit drier day by day. Hopefully soon, it’s time to get rid of all winter jackets that is exchanged for a lighter wardrobe.

My husband and I will be going to our summer house in the next couple of days to enjoy a little change of scenery. Finland is going into a partial lockdown mode so it’s nice to escape into the countryside away from the city.

However, since the month has changed, I wanted to make a little layer cake to hopefully kick off the start of Spring. The filling is a light chocolate mousse with blueberries tucked in the middle and the base is a basic sponge type cake, that I always use when making layer cakes.

For the chocolate mousse filling, all I did was add heavy cream with sugar and whipped it and then added some coco powder and whipped it more. I like the cream to be quite solid so it is a bit easier to control when spreading it on the cake. For this cake, I made 2 base layers, but you could three just as easily. After one layer, add some coco mousse in the middle and fill with berries, add another base on top. Then cover the outer surfaces with the mousse and garnish with blueberries and a dusting of powder sugar.

Have you heard of ‘tulip massaging’? I read it from somewhere, that once the tulip begins to wilt, you gently peel back each petal to open the flower up. This gives the tulip a new look (almost like a poppy flower) and gives the flower a longer life. I tested it with a few buds (see in the image below, where I am holding the buds), and thought it looked quite nice. Nevertheless, tulips are a definite sign of spring.

Have a great start to the new week-

For the cake base I used this recipe:

Cake Filling recipe:

Ingredients for cake base (x2)

• 3 eggs

• 1dl sugar

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 1 dl + 1 1/2 tbs flour

• 1 tablespoons vanilla powder

• 1/2 tablespoons cardamom

* oil for lining the cake tine / milk when assembling the cake

Cake Base Directions

Baking the cake layers:

In a bowl, add together the dry ingredients (minus sugar). In another bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy with the help of an electric whisk. Through a sieve, combine the dry ingredients to the egg/sugar mixture. Gently fold the batter together.

Pour some oil into the cake tin so the bottom and sides are coated, pour excess out. Pour batter into the cake tin and place into the bottom part of the oven for 40 minutes at 175 °C. Check the cake by inserting a tooth pick into the centre and if it comes out clear, it is fully cooked. Cool in cake tins on a heat rack (about 10 minutes);  remove cakes from tins and cool completely on wire racks for about an hour.

Repeat this process again for 2 cake layers.

Christmas Date Cake

Dates are the perfect sweet ingredient for a winter kitchen. The natural sweetener makes a great base for cakes, salads, jams, smoothies, sauces, breads and gives that lovely rich intensive caramel taste. I’ve done date coffee-style cakes every winter and since it is only three nights until Christmas, it was about time to make one. The sticky juicy cake was topped with a cream cheese icing and some macarons but the cake is great just on its own. I love to have it with a cup of tea or an espresso as a little pick me during the day. I enjoyed some while wrapping the last of the gifts and organising some last things that we have to do before winding down for the big day.

Date cake ingredients

• 250g dates (pit removed)

• 2dl sugar

• 2dl water

• 200g butter

• 1 egg

• 3 1/2dl flour

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1 teaspoon vanilla sugar

cake tin

• butter

• bread crumb- flour

toppings

• 1 cup icing sugar

• 1/4 cup tablespoons melted butter

• 1 tablespoon milk

• 1 tablespoon cream cheese

• macarons

Directions

Deseed and cut the dates into a saucepan and cook on medium heat . Add the sugar and water. Let the dates cook until soft and mushy for about 10 minutes. Add in the butter and allow to melt into the dates.

Allow the dates to cool a little and add in the egg. Add in the dry ingredients. Butter and flour the cake tin, then pour the date mixture into the cake tin. Place the cake tin into the oven ( 175 degrees Celsius) onto the lower level for 45 minutes. Check that the cake is ready by pressing a tooth pick into the mixture, if it comes out dry, it is ready. However, do not overcook the mixture and allow it to cool before tipping it over onto a cooling rack.

To make the icing, melt some butter and mix in with the icing sugar. Mix in some cream cheese and a splash of milk. Pour the frosting over the date cake and garnish with macarons. If the consistency seems too dry, add more milk or butter and if the consistency seems too wet, add more sugar.

Pour the icing over the cooled date cake and garnish with a few macarons. Sieve on some icing sugar.

Easy Strawberry Rhubarb jam cake

Introducing the Easy Strawberry Rhubarb Jam Summer Cake – a delightful confection that encapsulates the essence of summer in every blissful bite. This delectable creation boasts layers of vibrant flavors, courtesy of luscious strawberry rhubarb jam, harmonizing with the sweet melody of a tender cake. Adorned with the natural elegance of fresh lilac flowers, this cake not only captures the vivid hues of summer but also serves as a testament to simplicity and ease in the realm of baking. Perfect for both seasoned bakers and kitchen novices, this inviting treat promises a burst of seasonal joy without the fuss. Get ready to savor the taste of summer with a cake that effortlessly (can be made in advance) combines the beauty of fresh ingredients and the charm of uncomplicated preparation.

For this cake, you can make homemade strawberry rhubarb compote or substitute this with store bought jam. This cake is served with homemade lilac honey if you want to be extra impressive.

Cake Base & Filling Ingredients

Cake base

• 200 g oat or oreo cookies (1packet)

• 70g melted butter

Cake filling

• 200g heavy cream for whipping

• 1-2 cups of strawberry flavored quark (1 cup is enough for 16cm Ø cake tin)

• 2-3 tablespoons of sugar

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

• About 5-6 tablespoons of homemade strawberry rhubarb compote/jam (can be store bought)

• 4 gelatin leaves

Garnish: powder sugar, fresh lilac flowers washed

Directions (cake base 16cm Ø )

I prefer to use a 16cm Ø for the cake tin as this gives a smaller and taller cake. If you are using a larger base, you may need to add 2 cups of strawberry quark to elevate height. Otherwise, 1 cup is enough for the smaller base.

Place the cookies into a food processor and blend into a sand like consistency. Add in the melted butter. Spread the cookies on the base of your cake tin and refrigerate for 30min.

Place the gelatin leaves in cold water for 10 minutes to soften. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whip the cream and sugar. Then fold in the quark and a few tablespoons of compoté.

In a small saucepan, heat the tablespoon of lemon juie. Squeeze the excess water from the gelatin leaves and place into the lemon juice. Stir until they dissolve. Pour the liquid into the whipped cream mixture.

Take the cake tin away from the refrigerator. Spoon a layer of compote on top of the cookie base so it is covered. Then add the whipped cream mixture on top. Cover the cake tin with clingfilm and refrigerate overnight or at least 5 hours.

The following day, garnish the cake with lilac flowers and a dusting of powdered sugar. I don’t actually eat the fresh flowers of the cake even though they are eatable. However, I did serve it with homemade lilac honey if you want a little addition of summer sweetness.

NOTE THIS

• The cake is served with homemade lilac honey, but this is something that can be easily left out. If you decided to do this, it needs to be done in at advance.

• The homemade compoté can be made in advance by a week, so this saves time. This recipe takes minutes to make and highly recommend if rhubarb is in season. However, a store-bought jam will also work.

• The great thing about this cake is that you can make it the night before serving, as it sets overnight in the fridge.

Nordic style Savoury Skagen Cake

The Nordic voileipä kakku, or sandwich cake, stands as a culinary emblem of joy and celebration in the Nordic countries, a savory masterpiece that graces festive occasions with its distinct charm. For Scandinavians, it carries the weight of a cherished tradition, a vessel of summer nostalgia that adds a layer of sentimental richness to each bite.

Comprising layers of delicate white bread, this gastronomic delight is a canvas for a symphony of flavors, with a skagen mass (nordic shrimp mixture with mayonnaise, dill and shrimp) taking center stage, its velvety richness harmonizing with layers of sumptuous cream cheese. The marriage of textures and tastes unfolds in each slice, offering a blend of creamy indulgence and the briny allure of the ocean.

Ingredients 

(cake tin 16cm Ø –I specifically wanted to use a smaller but taller one as I feel this looks visually more appealing)

Base

• 500g wheat toast

• ½ dl lemon juice

• 1/2dl water

• Pinch of salt 

Filling

• 3 gelatin leaves (soaked in cold water)

• 300g good quality shrimps 

• 1 red onion

• 1 bunch of dill

• 2 jars (150g each) of crème fraiche

• 1 packet (200g) cream cheese (can be herb flavored or natural)

• Black pepper

• Zest of 1 lemon

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Garnish

• Herbs of choice (thyme, dill)

• Lamb’s lettuce or any type of delicate micro leaves 

• About 100g cream cheese

• 2-3 teaspoons lemon juice

Directions

Begin by placing a parchment paper on the bottom base of your cake tin and it does not matter if the paper is a bit too large from the sides. Cut the edges into a rough frame of your base. 

Trim the edges away from your toast. On a plate, add the water/lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Dip the bread slice into the liquid and press the bread into the base of your cake tin. Repeat this process so the base is covered with toast. The bread is easily shaped by pressing it down so it covers all the surface area. 

Place the gelatin leaves into a cold bowl of water while you cook the filling. 

Meanwhile, create the filling: In a large bowl, add the shrimps (note: self-peeled shrimps are always more flavorful than ready peeled ones), finely chopped red onion and the chopped dill. 

In another bowl, add in the créme fraiche and cream cheese (I used a herb flavored version) and whisk until frothy. Pour this bowl with the shrimps and mix well. Add in the lemon zest, and a generous amount of black pepper. 

In a small pot, heat up the tablespoon of lemon juice. Squeeze the excess water away from the gelatin leaves and place into the heated lemon juice. Immediately stir with a wooden spoon, turn of the heat and allow the gelatin leaves to dissolve. Pour this into the filling and mix well. 

Now you are ready to layer the cake: Add a few large scoops of shrimp filling on top of the bread. Then gently dip the toast into the water/lemon liquid and create another layer. Add a round of filling. Add another layer of bread. Repeat the process until the filling and bread runs out. Once ready, place some kitchen foil on the cake tin and leave into the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or even overnight. 

Ready to serve: After four hours, gently remove the cake tin. Add a bit of “frosting” to the side by whisking crème cheese with a bit of lemon juice to thin it out. Depends on what type of look you are going for with the cake, but I like that not all sides are covered, just like with a semi-naked layer cake. With the help of a knife, spread some of the cream cheese on top and to the sides, to smoothen the surface. Garnish with microleaves (such as lamb’s lettuce) and fresh herbs like dill and thyme. I love to use the flowers from the thyme as well. 

Overall, the beauty of this sandwich cake is that it can be modified to your liking with many different ingredients and it is easy to make, even if you are a beginner at cooking. Not only does it look impressive, but it can also be a delightful first to many, while for Scandinavians it holds a long history of summer memories. The comforting sandwich cake is a visual statement that lures you in with its delightful fresh flavors. 

Mini Gingerbread Cakes

Elevating the essence of festive indulgence, these individual Christmas cakes are a symphony of flavors and textures, encapsulating the warmth of the holiday season. The amalgamation cream cheese, sugar, and the aromatic seeds from a vanilla pod, harmoniously combined with the unique touch gingerbread-flavored quark, creates a blissful culinary experience. For those without gingerbread quark, a luxurious alternative of whipped cream infused with cinnamon, gingerbread spice, and cardamom offers an equally delightful substitution. Chilled to perfection in individual stainless steel cylinder molds, these enchanting cakes, adorned with black currants, a dusting of frosting sugar, and a sprig of thyme, are not merely desserts; they are a visual and culinary celebration of the season's magic. Perfectly portioned and visually captivating, these Christmas cakes transform any gathering into a memorable ode to festive indulgence.

Ingredients

Christmas cakes (makes 4 or 5 servings)

• 1 tub (200g) cream cheese

• 1 d sugar

• 1 tub (200g) gingerbread flavoured quark (if you don’t have this available in your country, whipped cream works too.)

• 3 gelatin leaves

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

• 1 vanilla pod

• black currants, frosting sugar and thyme twig for garnishing

• oil for brushing the sides of cake moulds

Directions

Individual stainless steal cylinder molds (like the ones you use for tartar) for creating the cake shape. In a large bowl add in the cream cheese, sugar, seeds from the vanilla pod and gingerbread flavoured quark. Gently mix. If you do not have quark, you can separately whip some cream until fluffy and mix that in. Flavour it with spices that you like, such as a teaspoon of cinnamon, gingerbread spice and cardamom.

Meanwhile add the gelatine leaves into a bowl of cold water for 5 minutes until they become soft. Heat a tablespoon of lemon juice on the stone and place the gelatine leaves into it. Before placing them into the lemon juice, squeeze the excess water away from them. Stir for a couple of seconds so the gelatine melts and place this into the bowl with all the other ingredients. Mix well.

Place a piece of aluminium foil on the bottom of each cake mould. Brush the sides with oil. Scoop some cake mixture into each mould. Place clingfilm on top of each one when finished. Refrigerate overnight. When ready to serve, remove the clingfilm from top and place each cake on a little plate. The cake falls through the mould easily. Garnish with black currants, a little bit of frosting sugar and a thyme twig for visual affect.