Spring Cake Pressed Flowers (Printable)

Light vanilla cake with whipped cream and delicate pressed flowers, ideal for seasonal celebrations.

# 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

# How-To Steps:

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 the 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 the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with milk, beginning and ending with flour. Mix until just combined without overmixing.
06 - Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and smooth the tops.
07 - Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
08 - Cool cakes in the 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 the second cake layer.
11 - Frost the top and sides of the assembled cake with remaining whipped cream.
12 - Gently press edible flowers onto the sides and top of the cake. Add mint leaves if desired.
13 - Chill the cake for at least 30 minutes before serving to set the frosting and flowers.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It looks like you spent hours on decoration when the flowers do most of the visual work for you.
  • The vanilla cake stays impossibly moist beneath clouds of whipped cream, so nobody suspects you're not a professional baker.
  • Those pressed flowers become conversation starters, and people always ask if they're really edible.
02 -
  • Whipped cream frosting melts faster than buttercream, so keep this cake cool until the moment you serve it, or the flowers will slide off into puddles.
  • The cakes must be completely cool before frosting or the heat will melt the cream and everything becomes a sad, soggy mess.
  • Flowers pressed for less than 24 hours retain too much moisture and will wilt or rot once on the cake.
03 -
  • Room temperature ingredients mix more smoothly and create a better emulsion; cold eggs and milk can cause the batter to look broken and curdled.
  • Don't skip the sifting step—flour settles over time, and sifting aerates it, which directly affects how light and tender your cake becomes.
Go Back