Clo’s Garden Cake

November 9, 2020

Ingredients:

For the cake:

• 6 tablespoons Clover Organic unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2/3 cup organic sunflower or avocado oil
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup Clover Organic whole milk, sourced from a number of local and regional dairies, including five that are MALT protected.
• 6 Clover large brown cage-free eggs, produced on MALT-protected Neil McIsaac & Son Dairy, separated into whites and brought room temperature
• For decoration: a variety of edible flowers (pansies, nasturtiums, violets or other seasonal botanicals, fresh fennel fronds)

For the vanilla buttercream frosting:

• 2 cups Clover Organic unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 cups powdered sugar
• 6 tablespoons Clover Organic heavy whipping cream
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Directions:

For the cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line the bottom of (2) non-stick 9” cake pans with parchment paper.
2. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter on medium-low speed until creamy.
3. Add sugar and oil. Continue beating until combined and creamy. Whisk in vanilla extract.
4. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt.
5. Gradually add milk to the dry ingredients and mix on medium speed, pausing between additions to scrape down bowl, until incorporated. Clean and dry beaters.
6. In a medium bowl, beat room temperature egg whites on high speed until stiff peaks form. Gently fold egg white meringue into the batter until combined. Do not over mix. 
7. Divide batter evenly into the prepared cake pans, and bake on center oven rack for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. While the cake is baking, make the buttercream frosting (see directions below).
8. Remove cake from oven and place pans on cooling racks for 10-15 minutes. Gently loosen cake from sides of pan with a knife. Invert cake rounds onto cooling racks and finish cooling completely.
9. To frost, center one cake round on a cake stand. Spread about a cup of frosting evenly on top. Place the other cake round on top of the first. Generously frost the sides and top of the cake with remaining frosting.
10. Decorate with edible flowers and greens as desired. Serve immediately.

For the buttercream frosting:

1. In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and salt with an electric mixer until creamy.
2. Gradually beat in powdered sugar (about 1/2 cup at a time), blending thoroughly after each addition.
3. Beat in heavy cream, 1 tablespoon at a time, on medium-low speed. Add vanilla extract and beat on high for about 30 seconds more until creamy.
4. Spread generously on cake (see step 9 under cake directions). 

Recipe and photos by Karen Pavone