Birthday Cake Club: Blood Orange Rose Cake

Plus my real motivations for planting pansies.

Baker’s Notes

Sweet, citrus, and floral; naturally pink

Effortlessly beautiful; taste of spring

Hi Bakers!

Happy Birthday to our March babies! This sweet and citrusy cake is infused with rose, orange and crunchy poppy seeds. Blood orange juice gives the frosting its blushing pink color that I’ve paired with a mix of fresh and sugared flowers. It’s flirty and feminine and tastes like springtime. 

I would be lying if I told you that I don’t plant dainty edible flowers primarily to fancify my cakes and spring recipe photos. Okay, sure they add the first pops of color in the yard and attract pollinators to the spring garden. But my main motivator is cute food. 

Violets and pansies are the first things I plant after winter. They can withstand our soggy spring rains while polka-dotting the otherwise bare yard with yellows, blues, and purples. Plant them like a colorful carpet, in container gardens, or in hanging baskets.

Benefits of Violas in the Garden:

• Weed suppression and colorful ground cover

• Attract bees and butterflies for healthy garden ecosystem

• Super low maintenance and easy to grow

• Edible garnish for cakes, salads, etc

• They are pretty!

What’s the difference between a naval orange and a blood orange? Beyond the color - not too much. I find blood oranges to be simultaneously more sweet and bitter than regular oranges, but it’s their reddish, raspberry hue that’s most attractive to me as a recipe developer. You’ll find blood oranges in season through April or May, perfect for getting into the spirit of spring. 

For this cake, I used both orange and lemon zest in the tender poppy seed cake. Orange zest is a bit more floral and slightly bitter while lemon zest is fresh and vibrant. Both pair wonderfully with the soft rose flavor of the frosting. Blood orange juice tints the buttercream its light pink color.