Morning Glory Cake

This past Mother’s Day I kidnapped my 84 year old mom. Sort of. Under the guise of I needed help with my garden (which I sorta did) I whisked her up to our house in PA to spend the weekend.

I had arranged a few plans I thought she might like to do like poking in thrift shops and yard sales, buying plants and visiting the local llama farm.

On Sunday I organized a brunch with a few friends. We ate outside. I served a galette with asparagus and caramelized onions, a lovely salad and this cake.

For as long as I can remember my mother has loved and grown morning glories. She has the greenest thumb I’ve ever seen and by June there are cascades of them in all colors everywhere on her property.

So it was only fitting I design a cake with fondant versions of these beautiful flowers she loves so much.

Instead of going elegant with a white or chiffon cake, I went for fun and earthy with a banana flavor I knew she would be sure to like. The jar of beautiful organic buleberry preserves sitting in the cabinet was perfect to slather between the layers for some extra flavor.

There was leftover lavender and herb flecked buttercream in the freezer put to good use to dirty ice the cake before covering it with homemade marshmallow fondant. 

I colored more fondant in shades of blue (her favorite) and green. A green strip was cut to create the ribbon around the base of the cake and I fashioned some Morning Glory shaped leaves and adhered them to the green ribbon.

Then I rolled a thin strip of green and draped it around the cake to create the vine. More different size heart-shaped leaves were cut free hand and placed around the vine.

To make the flowers, I cut circles out of the blue colors and rolled in thin strips of white fondant to accent the inside of the flower. Squeezing it at the base, I gently pressed them into the cake between the leaves.

The cake was finished off with disco dust in coordinating colors on the flowers and leaves.

On the way out to Pennsylvania the flowers flattened out a bit from the heat but the cake was still pretty enough to serve. 

I know it looks a bit wonky but my mother is still talking about this cake and is hoarding a hunk of it in her freezer. Best. Compliment. ever.

For the Banana Layer Cake:

This recipe one Food.com was touted as the Best Ever Banana Cake and it did not disappoint. Extremely moist and flavorful. It was delicious.

Chose any flavor jam or preserve you like and spread it between the layers. Almost any flavor leftover buttercream can be used to dirty ice the cake. 

For the homemade marshmallow fondant:

• 8 ounces of marshmallows (plain, flavored/colored ones)
• 2 tablespoons of water
• 1 pound of powdered sugar 
• Crisco or shortening
• plastic wrap or cling film

Directions:

• Fit your mixer with the dough hook attachment, Cover the inside of your mixer bowl and the dough hook with Crisco or shortening. Then also grease a heat safe bowl, and a wooden spoon.

• Place marshmallows and water in the bowl.

• Microwave the marshmallows for 30 seconds at a time stirring the mixture in between with the wooden spoon.

• When the mixture is the consistency of Marshmallow Fluff,  transfer to the mixer and add  2 cups of the powdered sugar.

• Continue adding powdered sugar as the mixer works, one cup at a time until fondant forms.

• Cover your work surface with  your hands with Crisco or shortening.

• Dump the fondant on the greased surface and knead the fondant until all the sugar disappears.

• Wrap in plastic wrap until you use it.

• Wrap leftover fondant tightly in plastic cling film and store in a zip lock bag until ready to use.

• Divide into sections and knead in paste food coloring.