Mother's Day Cake and Cookies (Edible Flowers Love)

That this cake ended up looking exactly as I'd envisioned was one of the sweet things about a wonderful weekend with my family.  It was a simple two-layer yellow cake--gluten-free so Mom could enjoy it, of course--but the filling and frosting marked my first desserts made with either ricotta cheese or edible flowers.  Now I want to sprinkle flower petals over everything I bake.  :)

I played around with a recipe I'd found online until all my own frosting/filling had in common with the original recipe was the 16 ounces of ricotta. My own, then:  16 ounces ricotta cheese, 8 ounces cream cheese, 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, a generous splash of vanilla--you may remember how I love my vanilla--a pinch of salt, a pinch of cream of tartar, about a tablespoon of honey, enough powdered sugar to help thicken it all (maybe a cup here), and a few diced strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and edible flowers to add some texture, color, and flavor. 

I pressed a few extra petals and berry slices into the sides of the visible filling-layer to add extra color there, as well.  The frosting had set nicely before I'd even refrigerated it--no berries or flowers puddling around the cake.  I added some petals to a few sugar cookies for Mom too, but the cake thrilled me more.  

And everyone raved about it--even Dad who isn't much of a cake person and Mom who actually prefers cookies and pies--which was so satisfying, of course.  The cheese/cream mixture gave this cake a more sophisticated flavor than my cakes usually have, and between that and the edible flowers, it was nice to branch out a bit with this one.  A sweet end to a sweet Mother's Day and weekend.  I miss everyone already but get to go home again next month, which does my heart good. 

♥