Chamomile Poppyseed Cake with Grapefruit Curd

Sweet chamomile tea infused buttercream meets acidic homemade grapefruit curd in this vanilla poppyseed cake. In one delectable mouthful, you’ll get a taste of Spring.

Ingredients

Vanilla Poppyseed Cake

• 2¼ cups unbleached cake flour (285 grams)
• 3 teaspoon baking powder (15 grams)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons poppy seeds
• ¾ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1.5 cups granulated sugar (300 grams)
• 3 large eggs (room temperature)
• 1.5 teaspoon vanilla1 cup + 2 tablespoons buttermilk, room temperature

Chamomile-Infused Buttercream Frosting

• 1¾ cups unsalted butter (will reduce down to 1½ cups)
• 4 tablespoons chamomile tea
• 3 cups confectioners sugar (375 grams)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1-2 tablespoons cream or whole milk

Instructions

Vanilla Poppyseed Cake

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Butter and flour your baking pans, then line them with parchment paper. Two 6-inch baking pans were utilized (3 inches tall or taller). If you have 3 or 4 cake pans, you may split the batter into them and bake them separately; the baking time will be reduced.
3. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and poppyseeds.
4. In a large mixing basin, cream the butter until creamy. Use the paddle attachment if you’re using a stand mixer.
5. Add the sugar to the butter and beat on medium speed for 3 minutes.
6. Reduce the speed to a bare minimum. Mix in the eggs one at a time until well combined, then add the vanilla extract. Alternately add the flour and buttermilk to the mixer on low speed until each is well integrated.
7. Divide the batter into the two pans you’ve prepared.
8. Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
9. Allow at least 30 minutes for the cakes to cool before attempting to flip them out.
10. After your cakes have completely cooled, cut them in half using a large serrated knife to make four equal-height layers. If your cake baked with a dome on top, remove it first (we want flat cakes) and eat the additional cake while you assemble.

Chamomile-Infused Buttercream Frosting

1. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over low heat.
2. Reduce the heat to low and steep the tea for 5 minutes after the butter has melted.
3. Remove the saucepan from the heat and continue it steep for another 15 minutes.
4. Tea should be strained through a fine mesh strainer, and butter should be chilled for 1 hour before using.
5. After the butter has cooled, remeasure it. Because some butter will be lost throughout the steeping process, it should be around 1.5 cups. Add a little ordinary butter if it’s not quite enough. Return the butter to room temperature. When the butter has cooled to room temperature, it may be used to make frosting.
6. On low speed, combine the butter, confectioners sugar, and vanilla extract. Increase the pace to medium and continue to beat for another 1-2 minutes. Use the paddle attachment if you’re using a stand mixer.
7. Depending on how thick the frosting is, add 1-2 teaspoons of cream and beat on medium for another 1-2 minutes.
8. Fill a piping bag with the mixture and a round tip (or large plastic bag with corner tip cut off.)

Grapefruit Curd

I used this recipe from Cookie Dough and Oven Mitt, adjusted slightly to use 1/3 cup cornstarch to make the curd a bit thicker for cake.

Source: Beginning With Bergamot

Don’t miss interesting posts on Famousbio