The spring is finally here! I genuinely don't think I've ever been this eager for spring to arrive. I got tired of the winter half-way through, for some reason, and have spent many weeks waiting for the sunnier days. And what better way to celebrate spring than with a beautiful, fragrant little cake.
The smell of linden trees is something I have always associated with spring. Tiny white and yellow flowers, trees in full bloom, and that sweet, distinctive smell. And of course, the longer, sunnier days.
Delicate linden flowers, sweet peaches, and a dash of vanilla make for the perfect little tea-time treat. And when I say little, I do mean it literally, as this is a very small cake, fit for a very small gathering. But it is beautiful, bright, and aromatic, just like all spring cakes should be.
Ingredients
For the linden flower cake layers
70 grams flour
5 grams cornflour
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
60 grams granulated sugar
75 millilitres water
1 heaping tablespoon dried linden flower tea
15 millilitres vegetable oil
½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste
For the peach ice cream filling
250 grams peaches, fresh or from a compote
40 grams cornflour
75 grams light brown sugar
125 grams vegan block butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
¼ teaspoon fresh orange zest
Preparation
Start by making the filling, as it needs time to cool down. Place the peaches into a blender or a food processor, and let it run until the fruit is completely liquefied. Add in the cornflour and sugar, and let it blend up. Pour the fruit purée into a heavy-bottomed saucepan, place it over medium high heat, and let it come to a boil. As soon as it starts to let out wisps of steam, start stirring. Cook and stir until it becomes thick and glossy, about 2-3 minutes, then remove from heat, cover the top with a piece of cling film, and let it cool down to room temperature.
Next, bring the water to a boil, remove from heat, add in the tea, cover, and let steep for 10-15 minutes. Let the oven preheat to 170°C and line two small round cake pans (10 cm) with baking parchment.
Take a medium bowl and sift in the flour, cornflour, baking powder, and the salt. Whisk to combine, add in sugar, and whisk once again. Strain the tea and add it to the dry ingredients, along with the vanilla and oil, and mix until just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pans evenly and bake immediately, in a nicely preheated oven, at 170°C, for about 12-15 minutes. Check them with a toothpick to make sure they are baked, but not dry. Once baked, remove from the oven and let them cool down completely in the pans.
When everything is cool to the touch, proceed to assemble the cake. Level the cakes if necessary, and then slice each one into two thinner layers. Whip the softened vegan butter with the vanilla and the fresh orange zest until light and fluffy, and then, using the same beaters, blend up the cooked peach custard. Blend them together, making sure to scrape down the sides at least a few times. Once the filing is airy and fragrant, reserve about half of the filling to frost the cake and divide the rest into three equal parts.
Place the first cake layer on the serving platter, and add a third of the prepared filling. Continue stacking the cake until everything is used up. The cake is small, but very firm, so you can use the reserved filling to frost it and decorate to your liking. Place it into the refrigerator for at least 8 hours, and then for 10-15 minutes in the freezer before serving, for the ice cream bar texture. Yields 4 rich servings or 6 pretty modest ones.
