Mother's Day Recipes
Pink Geranium Cake
Yield: 12 to 16 servings
Ingredients
- 12 scented geranium leaves*
- 1 cup butter (no substitutes)
- 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
- 6 egg whites
- 3 cups sifted cake flour
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1/2 cup water
- 4 drops red food coloring
- 6 tablespoons butter (no substitutes)
- 4 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 to 4 drops red food coloring
Instructions
- Rinse leaves. Wrap six leaves around each stick of (1 cup) butter; wrap with clear plastic wrap and chill overnight. Remove leaves from butter; rinse leaves and set aside.
- Beat butter in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add granulated sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add egg whites, two at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Combine 3/4 cup milk and water. Alternately add flour mixture and milk mixture to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Beat until smooth after each addition. Beat in 4 drops of food coloring.
- Grease and flour two 9 x 1 1/2 inch round baking pans. Arrange six of the leaves in the bottom of each pan; spoon in butter.
- Bake AT 300 degrees F for 30 to 35 minutes. Cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove from pans; cool on wire racks. Gently remove leaves; discard.
- Meanwhile, for the Butter Frosting, beat 6 tablespoons butter (no substitutes) in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in 2 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar. Beat in 1/4 cup milk and vanilla extract. Beat in about 2 cups more soften powdered sugar. Add 2 to 4 drops food coloring, if desired. Make an additional recipe of frosting, if necessary, to have enough for piping on cake top.
- Fill and frost with Butter Frosting.
Notes
* If you are not able to purchase geranium leaves, flavor the cake with 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or 1/2 teaspoon almond extract.
Attribution
Better Homes & Gardens magazine