Scented Rose Or Geranium Cake Food

VICTORIAN ROSE GERANIUM CAKE

Steps:

• Infuse the butter for the cake: Rub 6 rose geranium leaves to release the oils. Wrap the leaves around the butter. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
• Infuse the sugar for the frosting: Rub 4 rose geranium leaves, then combine with 1 1/2 cups sugar in an airtight container and let stand at room temperature overnight.
• Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Rub the remaining 10 to 12 leaves and arrange in the pan. Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix the milk, 3/4 cup water and the vanilla. Unwrap the butter and remove the leaves. Beat the butter and 1 3/4 cups sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Beat in the egg whites, two at a time. Add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the milk mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Pour the batter into the pan; bake until golden, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool 10 minutes; invert the cake onto a rack and remove the leaves.
• Make the frosting: Remove the leaves from the sugar. Put the sugar, egg whites, cream of tartar, salt and 1/3 cup cold water in a large heatproof bowl and beat with a mixer, 1 minute. Place the bowl over a pot of barely simmering water. Beat until the mixture holds stiff peaks, about 7 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the food coloring and beat until spreadable, about 2 minutes. Spread the frosting over the cake.

SCENTED GERANIUM POUND CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees with rack in center. Spray two 9-by-4 1/2-by-2 3/4-inch loaf pans with cooking spray; line with parchment. Arrange geranium leaves, with tops facing down, along bottom and around sides of pan. Set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Sift together flour and baking powder. With the mixer set on low, add yolks one at a time to butter-and-sugar mixture, alternating with flour mixture.
• With the mixer set on medium speed, beat in vanilla, then cream. Batter will be thick. Transfer batter to a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
• Place egg whites in a medium nonreactive bowl and, with an electric hand mixer, whip egg whites to stiff peaks. Using a rubber spatula, stir about one-quarter of the egg whites into batter to lighten. Fold in remaining whites.
• Carefully spoon batter into prepared pans. (Additional leaves may be arranged on top of batter if desired.) Run a knife blade through batter a few times to remove air bubbles. Bake until a cake tester comes out clean, 80 to 90 minutes. Let cool on wire rack, 1 to 1 1/2 hours, then remove from pans.

SCENTED ROSE OR GERANIUM CAKE

Steps:

• Rose Geranium Flavored Sugar: Gently wash 24 small rose-scented geranium leaves (or lemon-, mint-, apple-, or nutmeg-scented leaves) or 1 cup rose petals in water. Drain; place on paper towels and let stand, uncovered, to dry completely. In a clean 1-quart glass jar or bottle, layer the geranium leaves or rose petals with 1 cup sugar or extra-fine granulated sugar. Cover the jar or bottle tightly with a lid. Let stand at room temperature for at least 24 hours or up to 1 week to absorb oils from geranium leaves or rose petals.
• Generously butter and lightly flour a 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Arrange geranium flowers or other edible flower petals in a single layer on bottom of prepared pan; set aside. In a medium bowl, combine flour, lemon peel, and salt; set aside.
• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• In a very large mixing bowl, beat eggs, egg yolks, and granulated sugar with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for about 6 minutes or until very thick and pale yellow, scraping bowl frequently.
• Gently fold one-third of the flour mixture into the egg mixture. Repeat with remaining flour mixture. Gradually pour one-third of the melted butter over batter, gently folding to combine. Repeat with the remaining butter.
• Carefully pour the batter into the prepared pan over the flowers. Bake for about 30 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean and the top is a light golden brown.
• Cool cake in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Loosen side of cake from pan by running a knife around edge of cake. Invert cake onto a large serving platter and cool completely.
• To serve, lightly sprinkle top of cake with Rose Geranium Flavored Sugar. Garnish with bouquet of fresh geranium flowers, if you like. Serve with whipped cream, if you like.

ROSE SCENTED GERANIUM LEMONADE

Steps:

• In a small pot boil water with sugar.
• Remove from heat, add leaves and let infuse until cold (if possible let stand overnight).
• Squeeze out leaves well (you can repeat this step for more flavor).
• Add lemon or lime juice.
• Pour it into bottle and refrigerate.
• To serve, add 1 tablespoon of this concentrate to each cup of chilled water and mix well.
• Serve over ice in a goblet garnished with a small scented geranium leaf of rose petals.
• Store refrigerated for at least two weeks.