Magnolia Cake

This sweet and delicious cake tastes like spring

f you’re looking for a unique and sophisticated dessert to impress your guests, this Magnolia Cake recipe will surely be a showstopper. Infused with the delicate floral flavours of magnolia petals, this cake is a beautiful and fragrant treat that is perfect for special occasions, such as weddings, birthdays, or elegant dinner parties.

The key ingredient in this recipe is the Magnolia and Rose Petal Sugar, which combines dried magnolia and rose petals with granulated sugar. The sugar absorbs the fragrant oils and flavours of the petals, resulting in a sweet and aromatic ingredient that adds a unique twist to traditional cake recipes.

This cake is moist, tender, and bursting with floral notes, making it a wonderful spring or summer dessert. With its stunning appearance and delicious taste, this Magnolia and Rose Petal Sugar Cake will surely delight your senses and leave a lasting impression on your guests.

Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients

2 cups whipping cream
2 cups magnolia petals, cleaned well and roughly chopped
¾ cup Magnolia and Rose Petal Sugar (see recipe here)
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 eggs, room temperature
Icing sugar

Method

In a heavy saucepan, combine the cream and magnolia petals. Gently heat the liquid, whisking occasionally to avoid scorching. You don’t want to boil the cream.
When bubbles begin to appear around the edge of the saucepan, reduce the heat and simmer for 25 minutes.
Then, strain the cream and rinse and compost the petals. You’ll use this infused cream both in the cake and for the icing.
Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a parchment-lined standard cake pan.
Whisk together the Magnolia and Rose Petal Sugar, flour and baking powder in a mixing bowl.
Add ²⁄₃ cup of the infused cream and the eggs, and whisk to remove all lumps.
Pour the batter into the pan and bake until golden brown, about 40 minutes, though check for doneness at the 30-minute mark. To test for doneness: When a toothpick inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean, the cake is fully cooked.

Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool for 10 to 15 minutes before turning it out onto your serving dish. Meanwhile, make your icing.

Transfer the remainder of the infused cream to a small bowl, and add icing sugar, 1 tbsp at a time; whisk after each addition until it reaches the desired consistency. The icing should have enough body to pour onto the warm cake.

The magnolia icing is a crucial element of this simple cake, so be quite generous in your icing application.

To decorate the cake, be creative. I used pistachio, additional magnolia petals, raspberries and assorted sprinkles.

Here are some other recipes using magnolias:

Chef ILona Daniel

Chef ILona Daniel is Harrowsmith’s Food Editor and the founder of Tribe Fresh Events and Consulting, a purpose-driven insights consultancy accelerated by modern approaches to the hospitality industry, immersive experiences, and community and culture development. She has worked on projects around the world and is on the Board of Directors for the Tourism Association of PEI. Chef Ilona is a media personality, and a Culinary Instructor at the Culinary Institute of Canada.