Clo’s Earth Day Garden Cake

This beautiful baked from scratch-cake is the perfect Earth Day treat for your family. Made with local Clover Sonoma butter and eggs. Decorated with a show stopping variety of edible botanicals. This moist vanilla cake with rich buttercream frosting is a visual stunner because it looks as good as it tastes! We think Mother Nature would approve so let’s bake!

90min PREP TIME
30min COOK TIME

For the cake:

  • 6 Tbl. Clover Organic Unsalted Butter, at room temperature
  • 2/3 cup organic sunflower or avocado oil
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 Tbl. pure vanilla extract
  • 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 Tbl. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 cup Clover Organic Whole Milk
  • 6 Clover Large Brown Cage Free Eggs, 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:

 

90min PREP TIME
30min COOK TIME
  • 1For the Cake: Preheat oven to 350F. Line the bottom of (2) non-stick 9” cake pans with parchment paper.
  • 2In a large mixing bowl, beat butter on medium-low speed until creamy.
  • 3Add sugar and oil. Continue beating until combined and creamy. Whisk in vanilla extract.
  • 4In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt.
  • 5Gradually add milk to the dry ingredients and mix on medium speed, pausing between additions to scrape down bowl, until incorporated. Clean & dry beaters.
  • 6In 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.
  • 7Divide 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.
  • 8*While the cake is baking, make the buttercream frosting (see directions below in Step 12).
  • 9Remove 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.
  • 10To 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.
  • 11Decorate with edible flowers and greens as desired. Serve immediately.
  • 12Directions for buttercream frosting:
  • 13In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and salt with an electric mixer until creamy.
  • 14Gradually beat in powdered sugar (about 1/2 cup at a time), blending thoroughly after each addition.
  • 15Beat 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.
  • 16Spread generously on cake (see step 10 under cake directions). Serves 12