Sweet Pea Cake Recipes

Steps:

• Tint 5 1/4 cups frosting pale pink (for filling and base coat). With a small offset spatula, spread top of bottom cake layer with 1 1/4 cups pale-pink frosting; carefully slide the second cake layer back on top of the first layer.
• With a serrated knife, trim cake to measure 8 by 11 inches. Gently brush away loose crumbs from top and sides of cake with a pastry brush. With the offset spatula, spread about 1 1/2 cups pale pink frosting over top and sides of cake to form a crumb coat. Refrigerate cake until frosting is firm, about 15 minutes.
• With a large offset spatula, spread about 2 more cups pale-pink frosting over top and sides to form a second coat. Smooth top and remove excess frosting with the large offset spatula. Smooth sides with a bench scraper. Return cake to refrigerator, and chill until second coat is firm, about 15 minutes.
• Tint 1 1/2 cups frosting each pale pink and dark pink (for flowers). Tint 3/4 cup each pale peach and peach (for more flowers). Tint 3/4 cup green (for leaves, stems, and calyxes). Set aside.
• Using a toothpick or wooden skewer, mark a pattern on the frosting to serve as a guideline for piping stems.
• Decorate cake: Pipe stems using green frosting and the #2 tip. Then, using pink frosting and the #103 petal tip, form two basic petals, side by side: Hold the bag at a 45 degree angle to the cake, with the tip's wide end down and narrow end pointed away and slightly to the left. Move the tip forward 1/8 inch and back again while you pivot the narrow end to the right. Pipe two smaller petals overlapping each other on top of the first two. Switch to a lighter-color frosting; hold bag at 90 degrees to the flower with wide end facing forward, and pipe a center, pulling down slightly. Switch to green frosting and the #352 leaf tip: Starting at the base of the bloom with the tip's pointed end facing up, pipe small leaves, pulling tip toward flower. For small blooms and buds, make fewer petals. Add curlicues with the #1 tip.
• Refrigerate cake until ready to serve. Let stand at room temperature 20 minutes before serving. Slice into squares: To avoid crumbs on surface, make each cut with one downward motion, pulling knife back toward you (not upward) and wiping knife clean after each cut.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. For cupcakes: Line a standard muffin tin with paper liners. Set aside. For cake layers: Cut a long sheet of parchment or waxed paper into two 9-by-13-inch rectangles to line the bottom of two 9-by-13-inch baking pans. Butter and line pans. Butter linings, then flour pans, tapping out excess. Set aside. (Alternatively, if you have only one pan, set aside second piece of parchment paper to bake one layer at a time.)
• Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside. Put butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; cream on medium-high speed until pale, 2 to 3 minutes. On medium speed, add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add vanilla, and mix, scraping down sides of bowl. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two batches of milk. Stir with a rubber spatula until the batter is evenly blended.
• For cupcakes: Pour batter into lined cups, filling each two-thirds full. (You will have batter left over for additional batches; set aside.) For cake layers: Pour 2 3/4 cups batter into each prepared pan. Smooth the top of each layer with a small offset spatula.
• Bake until a cake tester inserted into centers comes out clean, 15 to 18 minutes for cupcakes, 20 to 25 minutes for layers.
• Let layers or cupcakes cool in pans on wire racks, 20 minutes. Run a knife around edges of cakes to loosen. Invert cake layers or cupcakes to remove from pans (peel off parchment from cake layers). Reinvert, and let cool completely on racks. Wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to decorate.
• For cupcakes (or cake layers, if baking in two batches): Repeat with remaining batter, lining muffin tin (or baking pan) when cooled.

Steps:

• For the cake: Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 8-by-8-inch glass baking dish.
• Whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder and cinnamon in a medium bowl until blended. Beat the sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla in a separate large bowl to blend. Stir in the chopped peaches. Gradually add the dry ingredients and stir until blended. Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish. Bake until a tester inserted into the center of the loaf comes out with no crumbs attached, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and cool for 15 minutes. Remove the loaf from the pan and cool completely, about 1 hour.
• For the frosting: Beat the butter, cream, 2 tablespoons water and vanilla in a large bowl, using an electric hand mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the powdered sugar until light and creamy, adding extra water, 1 teaspoon at a time, if needed. Spread the frosting over the top of the cooled loaf. Allow the frosting to set for 25 minutes. Cut the loaf into slices and serve.

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, combine the flour, sugar and milk. Stir in peas and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer for 10-12 minutes or until peas are heated through and sauce has thickened.