Edible Potted Floral Garden (Print Version)
Layered chocolate cake with creamy filling and cookie soil, topped with edible flowers for a stunning garden dessert.
# What You Need:
→ Chocolate Cake
01 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
02 - 1 cup granulated sugar
03 - 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
04 - 1 teaspoon baking powder
05 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
06 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
07 - 1/2 cup buttermilk
08 - 1/4 cup vegetable oil
09 - 1 large egg
10 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
11 - 1/2 cup hot water
→ Creamy Filling
12 - 1 cup heavy cream, chilled
13 - 1/4 cup powdered sugar
14 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
15 - 7 ounces cream cheese, softened (optional)
→ Soil Topping
16 - 1 cup chocolate cookie crumbs, finely crushed
→ Decoration
17 - 1 cup edible flowers (pansies, violets, nasturtiums)
18 - Fresh mint leaves
19 - Small sprigs of fresh herbs (thyme, basil)
# How-To:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line an 8-inch square baking pan.
02 - In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well blended.
03 - Add buttermilk, oil, egg, and vanilla to the dry mixture. Mix until smooth. Pour in hot water and mix again until combined.
04 - Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely.
05 - While cake cools, whip heavy cream with powdered sugar and vanilla (and cream cheese if using) until medium-stiff peaks form. Refrigerate until ready to use.
06 - Break cooled cake into small pieces and crumble into fine texture with hands or fork.
07 - Fill clean flower pots or dessert cups in layers: crumbled cake, cream filling, more cake crumbs, then generous chocolate cookie crumb topping.
08 - Arrange edible flowers, mint leaves, and herb sprigs on top of cookie crumb soil to resemble a growing garden.
09 - Refrigerate assembled desserts for at least 30 minutes to set flavors and texture before serving.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The absolute delight on guests faces when they realize the entire pot is edible
- You get to play with flowers and chocolate in the same kitchen project
02 -
- Never use flowers from a florist or nursery unless they are explicitly marked edible and pesticide-free
- The cake must be completely cool before crumbling or you will end up with chocolate mush instead of soil
03 -
- Crush your chocolate cookies in a food processor for the most soil-like texture
- Assemble these the morning you plan to serve them rather than the day before