Vanilla and Pansy Fairy Cakes with Lavender Buttercream
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I certainly have a special place in my hearts for sweets. The delightful act of biting into a freshly baked pansy flower cake is the perfect way to add some fairytale charm into your life. Edible spring flowers are now blooming in the garden and around the farm. It’s the perfect time of year to make these whimsical fairytale cakes! Edible pansy flowers are an ideal choice for decorating a seasonal dessert like these mini vanilla cakes decorated with edible flowers. This vanilla cake recipe is quite simple and can be used to make a full cake, cupcakes, or mini cakes with a silicone cake mold.
What are pansies?
Pansy flowers are a delightful addition to any garden or culinary creation due to their vibrant color and delicate petals. These edible flowers thrive in well-drained soil and prefer sunny spots. You will often find these multi-colored edible flowers in a flower bed, raised garden beds, window boxes and anywhere that you want a splash of color.
Their mild and slightly sweet flavor makes them the perfect pair for anything from a salad to a dessert. Pansies create an enchanting look to your decorated cakes, creating a whimsical fairytale centerpiece for a tea party or fairy-themed birthday celebration.
Gathering Ingredients to make vanilla and pansy fairy cakes with lavender buttercream:
To make these delicious mini vanilla cakes you will need to gather a few key ingredients. Pansies are generally not sold in grocery stores or supermarkets, so will you have to source them from your local farmer’s markets, small farmer, or grow them yourself.
Pansies. The pansies used in this recipe are simply for edible decoration! You may use other edible flowers in their place such as roses, chamomile, violas, cornflowers, etc.
Flour. For this recipe, you will need all-purpose flour. This is the perfect flour for a sturdy yet moist cake!
Sugar. Granulated sugar works best for making these cakes.
Baking Powder & Baking Soda.
Salt.
Buttermilk. Buttermilk is needed to activate the baking soda used in this recipe that gives the cake its lift.
Butter. I always used salted butter in my recipes, but you can easily substitute unsalted butter for this recipe.
Eggs. Be sure to bring your eggs to room temperature before baking!
Milk. You will need milk to flavor the lavender buttercream. You can also substitute heavy cream 1:1 for milk for an even richer frosting.
Lavender. For this recipe, you will need only a tiny bit of dried lavender buds!
Vanilla Extract.
Powdered Sugar.
How to Make the perfect vanilla mini cakes:
Use High-Quality Ingredients: While all ingredients are important, using real vanilla extract and high-quality butter will significantly affect the flavor of your mini cakes.
Don't Over-mix the Batter: Follow the recipe's mixing times carefully. Over-mixing can incorporate too much air into the batter, resulting in dry or crumbly cakes.
Bake at the Correct Temperature: Mini vanilla cakes bake at a moderate temperature for a set time. This ensures they rise properly and bake through without burning.
Cool Completely Before Frosting: Allow the mini cakes to cool completely on a wire rack before frosting. This prevents the frosting from melting and ensures a nice even layer.
tools you might need:
Before making these adorable mini vanilla cakes with lavender frosting, you may need a few extra kitchen tools to get started! Here is what I used to create these whimsical fairy cakes:
Silicone Cake Mold. To create the shape of each cake, I used this adorable floral silicone cake mold. You can also use a muffin tin or a 9 x 13-inch (23 x 33-cm) cake pan.
How to make vanilla and pansy fairy cakes with lavender buttercream:
Step One: Preheat the oven to 350° F (177° C). Lightly grease a silicone cupcake mold and place it on a large baking sheet
Step Two: In a medium bowl sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Step Three: To the dry ingredients, add the buttermilk, butter, and vanilla. Beat the batter with and electric mixer on low speed until combined, about 4 minutes. Increase the mixer to high speed and continue mixing for a further 2 minutes. Then, add eggs one at a time, beating until they are fully mixed in, 2 more minutes.
Step Four: Divide the batter evenly between the cavities in the mold. Fill each cavity about 2/3 of the way full. Place the entire baking sheet with the cake mold on it into the preheated oven and bake 30 to 35 minutes or until cakes test done with a toothpick inserted in the center. If the toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs stuck to it, the cake is finished.
Step Five: In a small saucepan, warm the milk until it just begins to simmer or reaches about 110° F (43° C). Stir in the lavender buds and cover the pot, allowing the milk to steep for at least 15 to 20 minutes. Over a small bowl, strain the milk through a fine mesh sieve. Let the milk cool fully to room temperature and discard the lavender buds.
Step Six: In the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter until smooth, creamy, and light in color, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, salt, and cooled lavender milk. Beat the buttercream for about 6 to 8 minutes or until it resembles the texture of puffy, thick shaving cream. It should be soft and easy to pipe. Beat in any food coloring, if using.
Step Seven: To assemble the cakes, slice each small cake in half lengthwise so that it has a top and a bottom. Pipe the buttercream on top of one bottom half of a cake. Close the cake with the top half and pipe a small bit of buttercream on the top of the cake. Decorate the top with the fresh pansies. Repeat this process with the remaining cakes.
other foods to serve with vanilla and Pansy Fairy Cakes:
Looking for more recipes to serve alongside your adorable fairy cakes? These little magical fairytale cakes are the perfect treat for a spring tea party or fairy-themed birthday party. Here are some other recipes that are just as whimsical to make your little fairy celebration come to life!
Final Thoughts:
These pansy decorated mini vanilla cakes are incredibly moist and tender. The pure vanilla flavor shines through, creating a delightful little treat paired with fragrant lavender buttercream and the subtle floral flavor from the pansies. They're perfect for a cosy morning or afternoon tea time treat!
xoxo Kayla
Vanilla and Pansy Fairy Cakes with Lavender Buttercream
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- pinch of salt
- 1 1/3 cups buttermilk
- 1/2 cups butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup butter
- 4 to 5 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 to 3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream or milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° F. Lightly grease and flour a 9x13” baking pan or lightly spray a cupcake tin or silicone cupcake mold.
- In a mixing bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add in buttermilk, butter, and vanilla.
- Beat with electric mixer on low until combined. Increase to high speed and continue mixing for 2 minutes. Add eggs and beat for 2 more minutes.
- Pour batter into silicone molds filling just a bit past halfway. The cake mold is very flimsy, so put it on a cookie sheet to bake. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until cakes test done.
- Let cool completely before removing from mold to a wire cooling rack.
- Make the buttercream. In a mixer, blend butter until smooth and creamy. Add powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time until well blended. add vanilla and heavy cream until until a desired consistency is reached. To color the buttercream, use a gel food coloring in violet.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
1283Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
