ETA: This was a previously-scheduled post that we forgot to delay in the midst of our shared national turmoil. By all means, if you need a bit of comfort and distraction, bake this cake. But at this time, we still think that finding your lane and taking action is important. xo

If you haven’t introduced your kids to eating dandelions yet, this cake is a great place to start! And if YOU haven’t eaten dandelions yet, well then this will be a truly beautiful treat for everyone.

Start by sending the kids out to pick a bowl full of open dandelion flowers.

Foraging for foods offers many benefits, and dandelions are a great first food to forage for.

• They are easy to identify, so you don’t have to worry about eating the wrong plant.
• They are packed with nutrients. Of course, those nutrients vary depending which parts of the plant you’re eating, but it’s good to remember that not all nutrition has to come from traditional farm or garden agriculture.
• Foraging for plants and then eating them is a great way to help kids create an intimate connection with the food they eat.
• Creating that connection to a new food through collecting, mixing, and decorating this cake can help to make your kid a more adventurous eater. Give it a try!

This recipe comes from the recently published book Wild Remedies. If you’re new to foraging, I think this book is a great place to start. Each chapter focuses on a different plant with information about the many benefits and ways to use each plant, including edible recipes like this cake.

Dandelion Maple Syrup Cake

This cake is just as delicious as it is beautiful. If you’re making this for guests that are new to foraging, presentation is everything. It’ll look so beautiful sprinkled with dandelion petals, but you can add even more color with a few foraged violets or some organic rose petals.

The whole wheat flower, oats, and walnuts add the perfect amount of substance to make this a great breakfast cake. At least that’s what I tell myself over the crumbs and my morning cup of coffee.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3/4 cup freshly picked dandelion flowers with the sepals and bracts removed (just the green bits at the bottom of the flowers)
• 1 cup whole wheat flour (the recipes calls for whole wheat pastry flour, but I just had regular whole wheat and it was perfect)
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup walnuts (optional)
• 1/4 cup raisins (also option, I didn’t use them)

• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup butter softened
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup freshly picked dandelion petals

Put it Together

• Preheat the oven to 375F and grease a 9×2 inch glass pie plate.
• Whisk together the butter, maple syrup, eggs, and vanilla. Add the dandelion petals and mix well.
• In another bowl mix together the flour, oats, baking soda, and salt.
• Add the dry ingredients to the wet, stirring well. Mix in the walnuts and raisins, if using.
• Press the batter into the greased pie plate. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely before frosting.
• Make the frosting by whisking together the cream cheese, butter, and maple syrup.
• Frost the cake and decorate with dandelion petals and any additional edible flowers, if desired.

I hope you love this cake as much as we did. It’s a beautifully rustic cake that’s perfect for any summertime gathering, but especially morning brunches on the screen porch and afternoon picnics in the shade. xo