Throwback Thursday Recipe: Chamomile Cake with Peach and Mascarpone Buttercream

We've started this series to highlight recipes, crafts, and features from our previously published titles! This is a recipe for a Chamomile Cake from Blooms and Baking by Amy Ho

Spring is here! In its own way this year, with how tumultuous the weather has been here in New England. But what better way to kick off spring than with a beautiful, sweet floral treat! This gorgeous Chamomile Cake with Peach and Mascarpone Buttercream is from Blooms and Baking: Add Aromatic, Floral Flavors to Cakes, Cookies and More by Amy Ho.

“I am very thankful that local British Columbia peaches are some of the best peaches one can find. During summertime, I eat at least one peach a day, amazed each time by the flavor and sweetness of the fruit as if it were my first time tasting a peach. In this recipe, sweet, juicy peaches are cooked down and tucked between layers of fluffy chamomile cake. Peaches add a brightness to the earthy floral sweetness of chamomile.”

— Amy Ho

Chamomile Cake

1 1/4 cups (300 ml) whole milk

4 bags chamomile tea, divided

2 1/4 cups (270 g) all-purpose flour

1/4 cup (30 g) cornstarch

2 tsp (8 g) baking powder

1⁄2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

3⁄4 cup (170 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 1/3 cups (265 g) granulated sugar

5 large egg whites, at room temperature

1⁄2 cup (120 g) full-fat sour cream, at room temperature

1 tbsp (15 ml) pure vanilla extract

Fresh culinary-grade chamomile flowers, as needed

Flowers of choice, for decorating

Peach Filling

1 tbsp (14 g) unsalted butter

3 medium ripe peaches, peeled, pitted, and diced

2 to 3 tbsp (26 to 39 g) granulated sugar (see note)

Juice of 1⁄2 large lemon

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Mascarpone Buttercream

1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, at room

3⁄4 cup (170 g) mascarpone, at room temperature

4 1⁄2 to 5 1⁄2 cups (540 to 660 g) powdered sugar

2 to 3 tbsp (30 to 45 ml) whole milk

1 tbsp (15 ml) pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease three (6-inch [15-cm]) round cake pans and line them with parchment paper. Set the cake pans aside.

Make the chamomile cake. In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring the milk to a simmer. Remove the milk from the heat and steep 3 bags of the chamomile tea in the milk for 10 minutes. Remove the tea bags from the milk and allow the milk to return to room temperature. Set the milk aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and the tea leaves of the remaining bag of chamomile tea. Set the flour mixture aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and granulated sugar on medium speed until the mixture is smooth and fluffy, about 1 minute. While the mixer is running, add the egg whites, one at a time, letting the previous egg white become incorporated before adding the next.

Add half of the flour mixture to the butter-sugar mixture. Add the chamomile milk, sour cream, and vanilla. Mix on low speed until the ingredients are just combined. Add the remainder of the flour mixture and mix until no more streaks of flour remain.

Pour the batter evenly into the prepared cake pans. Bake the cakes for 28 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean. Remove the cakes from the oven and let them cool completely before frosting.

Make the peach filling. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the peaches, granulated sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla. Allow the filling to cook, undisturbed, for 2 minutes. Gently cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 to 25 minutes, until the peaches have broken down and the juices have become thick. With a fork, coarsely mash the peaches, leaving some larger pieces intact. Remove the filling from the heat and let it cool.

Make the mascarpone buttercream. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together the butter and mascarpone on medium speed until the mixture is smooth, about 1 minute. With the mixer running on low speed, slowly add the powdered sugar 1 cup (120 g) at a time. Add the milk and vanilla. Increase the speed to high and beat the mixture until it is smooth and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Transfer 1 cup (185 g) of the buttercream to a pastry bag fitted with a large round piping tip.

To assemble the cake, trim off the tops of the cake layers with a serrated knife if the tops are rounded. Place the first layer of cake on a cake stand or plate. Pipe a thick ring of buttercream around the edges of the cake. Fill the center of the cake layer with 1/3 cup (108 g) of the peach filling. Place the second layer of cake on top of the first and repeat the preceding steps. Place the final cake layer cut side down. Frost the top and sides of the cake with the remainder of the buttercream and decorate the cake with fresh chamomile flowers and other flowers of choice.

Note: The amount of sugar you will need for the peach filling depends on how sweet the peaches are.

Innovative and beautiful, these desserts add floral flavors to cakes, cookies, pies, and more to create something new and absolutely delicious. Amy Ho, founder of the baking blog Constellation Inspiration, shows you step-by-step how to use these aromatic flavors to make your desserts taste just as wonderful as they look.

Chamomile cake is perfectly paired with peach and mascarpone buttercream, decadent chocolate is combined with lavender caramel to create a delicious two-bite cookie and Jasmine Fruit Tartlets showcase delicate jasmine blooms, green tea and strawberries. Perfectly balanced, Amy's creations will be sure to wow you and anyone you bake for.

Amy Ho is the founder of Constellation Inspiration, a baking blog where she shares her elegant and romantic desserts. She has been featured in several publications, including Better Homes and Gardens and BuzzFeed. She was nominated for a Saveur Blog Award in 2019. Amy lives in Vancouver, BC.