Spring Cake Pressed Flowers (Printable version)

Light vanilla cake layered with whipped cream and decorated with pressed edible flowers for spring.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Cake

01 - 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
03 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
04 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
05 - 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
06 - 4 large eggs, room temperature
07 - 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
08 - 1 cup whole milk, room temperature

→ Whipped Cream Frosting

09 - 2 cups heavy whipping cream, cold
10 - 1/2 cup powdered sugar
11 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

→ Decoration

12 - 1/2 to 1 cup pressed edible flowers such as violets, pansies, nasturtiums, rose petals, or chamomile
13 - Fresh mint leaves, optional

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line two 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, approximately 3 to 4 minutes.
04 - Add eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract.
05 - Add flour mixture in three parts, alternating with milk, beginning and ending with flour. Mix until just combined without overmixing.
06 - Divide batter evenly between prepared pans and smooth the tops.
07 - Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
08 - Cool cakes in pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.
09 - In a chilled bowl, beat heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla until stiff peaks form.
10 - Once cakes are fully cooled, place one layer on a serving plate. Spread with a generous layer of whipped cream and top with second cake layer.
11 - Frost top and sides of assembled cake with remaining whipped cream using an offset spatula or knife.
12 - Gently press edible flowers onto sides and top of cake. Add mint leaves if desired.
13 - Chill cake for at least 30 minutes to set frosting and flowers.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The cake stays incredibly moist and tender because of the milk-and-butter combination, so it never turns dry or crumbly.
  • You can press flowers days ahead, which means the hardest part is actually done before you even turn on the oven.
  • It looks restaurant-worthy but tastes like homemade comfort, which is exactly what spring celebrations should be.
02 -
  • Flowers need to be pressed for at least twenty-four hours between parchment and heavy books, so start this the day before if you want beautiful, papery petals that actually stick to the frosting.
  • Room temperature eggs and milk make an enormous difference in how smoothly the batter comes together, so don't skip the preparation even if it feels like a small detail.
03 -
  • The secret to not overmixing is to stop mixing the moment you see the last streak of flour disappear, even if you feel like you haven't mixed it enough.
  • If your whipped cream breaks and looks grainy, don't panic; just start again with a fresh bowl and cold cream, because recovering broken cream is nearly impossible.
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