Recipe – Pansy Cake with Edible Dirt

Cake:

2 sticks margarine/butter/or substitute
3 heaping Tablespoons cocoa powder
1 cup water
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ cup buttermilk
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a medium saucepan, melt margarine, cocoa and water and bring to a rapid boil, then
pour boiled mixture over sugar, flour, and baking powder. Mix together.

In a separate bowl add the baking soda to the buttermilk.

Add beaten eggs, vanilla and buttermilk/soda mixture to the flour-cocoa mixture.
Pour in two greased 8-inch round cake pans.

Bake 25 minutes at 350°F or until done when tested with a toothpick.

Frosting:

4 cups confectioner’s sugar
4 Tablespoons butter, softened
4 Tablespoons whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
red and blue food coloring

In a mixing bowl combine all ingredients and beat until smooth and fluffy. Combine red and blue coloring to create desired purple color.

Top cake with crushed Oreos and edible pansies.

---

Recipe and photos from: Rikki Snyder

Cooking with Pansies and Violas

Botanical Name: Viola (both pansies and violas)

Nicknames: Call me to you, pink-eyed-John, love true (pansies), Johnny-jump-ups (violas)

Language of Flowers: Both pansies and violas signify loving thoughts

Background: Pansy’s name comes from the French pensee meaning “thought,” because the flower resembles a face deep in thought.

Pansies appear in German legend as once having had a sweet scent that would draw people in to smell from miles away; the grass that served as feed for cattle became trampled, so they pansy prayed to God for help and was granted great beauty but no scent.

Another interesting Arthurian tale features pansies as fortunetellers. It was said that a knight would look to a pansy petal for a glimpse into his future. Thick left-leaning lines foretold a life of trouble, whereas right-leaning lines predicted prosperity and good fortune. The number of lines told of luck in love (or lack thereof).

Culinary Uses: Pansies and violas have a mild, slightly lemony taste with a wintergreen note. They are popularly used in salads and as decoration on soft cheeses.

Seasonality: Pansies and violas are the lovely unassuming heralds of spring. One of the first flowers to make an appearance in flowerpots and beds, pansies and violas beckon us with their facelike features. Blooming in spring throughout summer and into fall, pansies can be purchased at garden centers, nurseries, and even supermarkets; they can be grown in pots or in the ground.

Preparation: Separate each pansy or viola flower from its sepal (green base), then wash and pat dry.

Measure: 1 cup pansies = about 50 to 70 flowers (used whole).

Pansy and Viola recipes include:

Pansy Petal Pancakes

Pansy Lollipops

Pansy Tea Sandwiches

Pansy Rhubarb Galettes

---

Find the recipes in the book at Johnson’s:

Bacher, Miche.(2013). Cooking with Flowers. Philadelpha, PA: Quirk Books.