Forager's Cake

This cake uses foraged chervil and blackberries to create the most stunning dessert you’ve ever seen!

Cake:

4 Eggs, Separated

100g Watercress

80g Wild Chervil (Cows Parsley)

150g Rapeseed Oil

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

300g Golden Caster Sugar

300g Plain Flour

2 tsp Baking Powder

Pinch Salt

100g Blackberries, blended to a puree and sieved

150g Unsalted Butter

450g Icing Sugar

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

To Garnish:

Wood violets, Wild Chervil (Cow’s parsley), Watercress, Violas, Forget Me nots.

Preheat oven 175C. Grease and line a deep 8” Cake Tin, then grease again and coat with a thin layer of flour. Set aside in the fridge.
Meanwhile, whip the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Set aside in a bowl.
In a jug, whisk together the egg yolks, oil and vanilla. Add to a blender with the watercress, cow’s parsley and sugar and blend until smooth.
In a separate bowl, mix the flour, salt and baking powder with a whisk.
Add the flour mixture to the watercress mixture and whisk gently, in a clockwise direction until just combined.
Gently fold in the egg whites until no streaks remain, taking care not to lose too much air. Carefully pour into the prepared tin and swirl a spatula through to remove any large air bubbles.
Bake for 55-65 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Meanwhile make the buttercream. Add the butter to the base of a stand mixer and whip for 1 minute until light and fluffy. Add the puree and beat in before lowering the speed and sieving in the icing sugar. Once combined, increase the speed and whip for 2-3 minutes or until fluffy. Add the vanilla, mix in and set aside.
Once the cake is cool. Split horizontally in two and spread with 1/3 of the buttercream. Cover the top and sides with the remaining buttercream and garnish with your desired toppings. Serve in wedges with a nice cup of tea.