I’m sitting in the little corner of my kitchen you’ve probably seen in so many of my pictures (it’s my favorite spot in the house) with the windows open, sweet Oliver at my feet, listening to the chickens peck at the last bits of a peach I just fed them. It’s been a cloudy, cool week, my absolute favorite.
I’ve been dreaming this chamomile cake up for a while, I used the same steeping method as for the jasmine cake and made a rich, silky french buttercream using a chamomile and vanilla infused maple syrup. I added a little brown sugar to the cake because, well, maple and brown sugar. If you’ve never made a french buttercream, do not be intimidated. You very politely whip egg yolks while heating syrup, then pour hot maple syrup into them while beating the hell out of them. You let that mixture whip until cool, then add butter and vanilla. You absolutely do need a candy thermometer for this one, I’d say it’s pretty impossible to eye it and get the temperature right.
Also, the gorgeous wooden cake server and offset spatula? My friends at Polder’s Old World Kitchen sent them to me and I’m in love. Best part? They’re giving a set to the winner of our instagram giveaway, head over to my instagram to enter!
- 2½ sticks of butter
- 5 tbsp chamomile flowers
- 1¾ c (347 g) sugar
- ¼ c (53 g) brown sugar
- 2 eggs plus 3 egg whites
- 3¼ c flour (360 g)
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tsp ground vanilla beans or
- 2 tsp vanilla extract, added to milk and sour cream
- 1 c whole milk at room temperature
- ⅓ c sour cream at room temperature
- Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, swirling occasionally. When the butter just reaches boiling temperature remove it from heat, stir in the tea and steep for an hour or more. Strain the tea, forcing the excess butter out of the tea leaves with the back of a spoon. Cool the butter to room temperature before using.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prep 3 x 6 inch cake pans by buttering them, lining the bottoms with rounds of parchment paper, then dusting them with flour and tapping out the excess.
- Beat the butter and sugars until pale and fluffy, then add the eggs gradually, beating to combine, about 2 minutes.
- Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and ground vanilla beans together in a bowl and set aside. Mix the milk, sour cream, and vanilla extract (if using) together and set aside.
- Add the dry ingredients in 3 additions, alternating with the milk mixture, mixing just until combined or finishing by hand.
- Distribute the batter evenly into the prepared pan and smooth with a spatula or the back of a spoon. Gently tap the pans on the counter a couple of times to release any air bubbles trapped in the thick batter. Bake for 20 minutes, then rotate the pans in the oven and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes, checking every 3 minutes for doneness. A toothpick inserted into the center of the cake should come out clean and the top should spring back to the touch. Place on cooling racks until the pans are cool enough to handle, then run a knife around the edges of the cake to loosen it and turn it out onto the cooling racks to come to room temperature.
- Assembly// Level the cakes if desired and split in half horizontally with a cake leveler or serrated knife. Place the first layer face up on a cake board or serving plate and smooth a generous layer of buttercream on top. Place the other half on top, smooth with buttercream, and repeat. Place the last layer face down (so the smooth side is up) and press to secure. Place the cake in the fridge for a few minutes to firm up the buttercream and make icing the cake easier. Roughly ice the top and outsides of the cake and decorate with flowers or as desired. Serve at room temperature. May be refrigerated for up to 3 days.
- 2 c (4 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ⅔ c Noble Tonic 02: vanilla chamomile maple syrup, or plain maple syrup
- ⅔ c sugar
- 2 tbsp water
- 10 egg yolks
- Pinch or two of salt
- 2 tsp vanilla bean paste
- Cube the butter and set aside. Combine the sugar, water and maple syrup in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves then swirling the pan occasionally. Keep an eye on the temperature while you prepare your egg yolks.
- Place the yolks and a pinch of salt in a mixing bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer) and whisk until lighter in color and thickened. Turn the mixer off.
- Once the syrup reaches a temperature of 235 degrees (soft ball stage), immediately remove it from heat and turn your mixer on medium. Pour the syrup between the bowl and the whisk to prevent the hot syrup from splashing. Once all the syrup is incorporated increase the speed to high and beat until room temperature, around 10 minutes. The bowl should feel neutral.
- Switch to the paddle attachment (if you have one) and turn the mixer on medium. Add the butter cubes one at a time and mix until smooth and incorporated. Add the vanilla bean paste and mix, then taste and add another pinch or two of salt if needed.
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Oh my I can smell the aroma of the cake It sounds and looks divine .I found you through Churchmouse and teas who posted Smith teas and I admire a baker with passion and mystery Thank you for your bakes.
Thank you so much for saying hi, Sonja! It does smell pretty amazing, I just finished icing one!
Absolutely perfect AS ALWAYS dear! Your cake layers are so perfectly even!!!
Thank you so much, Erica!! And I don’t take credit for that, I use a cake leveler 🙂
it sounds and looks incredible x
Thank you so much, Aimee! I wish we were close enough to share cakes 🙂
Gorgeous cake! I’m not sure how I’ve never come across your blog before, but I’m so glad I did today – your photos and cakes are just stunning, and you use such unique flavours. Love it <3
Thank you so very much, Claudia! Xx
i’ve been scouring the internet for the perfect cake to make this weekend for my grandma’s 80th birthday. pretty sure this is it. I don’t think I’ll be able to find chamomile vanilla maple syrup (and just fyi the sharesale link seems to be broken) but hopefully it will still be delicious w/ regular maple syrup 🙂
Oh! Thank you for letting me know! It will be *so* good with regular maple syrup. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions and thanks so much for saying hello Xx