Vegan Edible Flower Confetti Cake

I believe in balance. And on the very rare occasion I'll indulge in the world of artificial coloring for the sake of creating something pretty. 

Recently at the Queen Anne Farmer's Market, I purchased edible flowers from the Tannemaker stall. Colorful. Vibrant and beautiful, I became once again inspired by nature. The color of the petals reminded me of sprinkles. While pondering thoughts about balance, I thought why not create a cake with edible flowers and sprinkles. Edible flowers are nature's sparkles. 

"Life is like a flower. When we don't take care of it, it can wither and die."
-Davene Taylor

Balance is something I take seriously in life and nature shares its secrets with us on why balance is important. The four seasons itself is balance. The earth transitions from stages of rebirth, being alive, "dying," and death. The cycle itself repeats itself. Seeing both sides of every story and 

America is a country of extremism. We work hard. We play hard. We workout hard. We buy big cars, houses and super-sized meals. America and the New World is very young compared to other parts of the world. And we need balance more than ever in our lives.

Our mind, body and spirit is like a flower, a delicate being. If exposed to too much heat, light or extreme temperatures, it will wither, fade and die. Like humans, when exposed to too many substances, we become unbalanced. 

This cake symbolizes the balance I hope to project to the world of nutrition. A healthier version of the traditional sugar-laden confetti cake, indulgence is okay when done for the right reasons and with control. 

Of course, loads of sugar tastes better and is more appealing to the palate, but in a country ruled by extremism, the art and science of balance must be taught in order to lead a healthy life. 

I don't believe in strict rules like "only eat junk on Sundays." I believe in intuitive eating that recognizes the difference between a biological and emotional hunger. The inner dialect and self awareness is crucial to break the barriers of emotional eating. 

Life changes daily and that means our eating habits may also change. 

With higher self awareness, one recognizes when he or she is on or off the right path. And when one is off the beaten track, he or she knows how to navigate difficult times and adversity with choices that will refuel your mind, body and soul. 

Even in the hottest and driest climates, flowers still blossom. Those are the lessons from nature that we need to adopt into our life. 

"The flower that blooms in adversity is the rarest and most beautiful of all."
-Mulan

Vegan Edible Flower Confetti Cake
Prep Time: 7 minutes
Baking Time: 55 minutes

Cake Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 2/3 cup nondairy milk
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 coconut oil, melted
rainbow sprinkles
edible flowers

Frosting Ingredients:
6 tbsp vegan butter (earth balance sticks), at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/3 cup powder sugar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Mix the milk and vinegar in a bowl and set aside. In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients together. Add the sugar and remaining wet ingredients into the milk and vinegar. Sift dry ingredients into wet and mix until combined. 

Grease a 6 inch spring foam pan (use two 6-inch pans to decrease the baking time). Pour the batter in batches. After each batch, sprinkle the sprinkles on top and then pour some more batter on top. Add as many sprinkles as you'd like to each layer (approximately 4-5 layers).

Smooth the top layer and bake for 55 minutes or until the cake is no longer raw. Poke the center of the cake with a knife. When the knife comes out clean, it means it's done baking. 

While the cake bakes, make the frosting. With an egg beater or mixer, cream the butter and vanilla together. In batches, slowly add the powder sugar, beating until white and creamy. 

Looking for other cakes inspired by nature? Be sure to check out my other recipes!
Vegan Blood Orange Cake with Blood Orange Frosting
​Vegan Lemon Cake Topped with Coconut Cream Frosting
​​Vegan Chocolate Strawberry Cake topped with Beet Frosting

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