I always wanted to try and bake a cake using sweet peas, but I never had an opportunity. Sweet peas is such as spring vegetable and no one in our family have a birthday in a spring. Eventually I decided to just go for it for Tomas birthday. It almost feels like a spring now! 
SWEET PEA CAKE WITH BEETROOT FROSTING adopted from Veggie Desserts
(for the cake)
- 180g sweet peas, steamed or boiled
- 130g butter, softened
- 100g caster sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp lemon zest and a drizzle of juice
- 165g flour
- 2tsp baking powder
- pinch salt
(for the frosting)
- 250g soft cheese
- 70g icing sugar (plus some more for later stage)
- 1-2 tsp beetroot powder
- 1tsp other type of natural frosting such as turmeric, matcha etc (optional)
1. Puree the sweet peas in the food processor and set aside
2. Cream the butter with sugar either in the large bowl with the wooden spoon or in the mixer.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients (including sweet pea puree) into the butter cream and mix again to combine. 
4. Bake the cakes in the 15cm (6inch) tins in 180C preheated oven for about 20 min. Alternatively you can bake these in the sheet tray and use a large cookie cutter to cut out the rounds. I ended up cutting off the crust as I wanted bright green colour to show through the frosting.
5. Meanwhile make the frosting. Using the whisk, mix the soft-cheese with sifted icing sugar.
6. To assemble spread a little of the frosting between the layers of the completely cooled cakes and sandwich together. Cover the cake with some more frosting reserving a little for later. Using palette knife gently scrape of the icing creating that naked cake look.
7. Split the remaining frosting into 2 or more bowls, unless you only want to dye it in one colour. I personally would have had only one colour (pink) now when I tried the multicolour. Add the beetroot powder (or other natural colour) and more icing sugar till the frosting reaches the right consistency. It needs to be stiff in order to keep its shape.
8. Pipe the frosting on the cake using a piping bag and large round nozzle.
9. Decorate the cake with wild flowers and herbs. It is amazing what you can find in the garden or in the park. These daisies are actually edible and were growing on my lawn.
Happy spring waiting everyone!
Rasa xoxo
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