"I’ll happily eat just about any edible flower there is, including dandelions, which have an unfortunate reputation for being pesky, pointless weeds. But let me tell you, they’re anything but! Think of dandelion greens as a slightly milder friend of arugula."

This recipe is brought to you by Kayleigh Kosmas of Oh Honey! 

"If you’re not quite convinced, these sweet mini cakes, with Stash Organic Sunny Dandelion Root Tea-infused frosting are for you. They’re an extra palatable, tasty introduction to eating dandelions that I’m sure will make you a dandelion convert for life! I made a simple yellow sheet cake, cut out rounds and stacked them up to make cute mini cakes that are just the right size for 2-3 people. I won’t judge you if you eat a whole one yourself though, because they are frosted in the lightest, loveliest tea-infused buttercream, and it’s really hard to stop at one slice."

The tea has notes of chicory, cocoa shell, orange peel and vanilla in addition to the dandelion, so the resulting buttercream was a little herbal, floral and fruity, with just the right amount of sweetness. You’d be hard pressed to find mini cakes better suited to springtime, especially when you top them with fresh dandelion flowers!" – Kayleigh Kosmas

How to make tea-infused Frosted Mini Cakes

Ingredients

For the mini cakes

• 2-1/4 cups flour, sifted
• 1-1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (one stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1-2/3 cups sugar
• 4 eggs, at room temperature
• 1-1/4 cups buttermilk

For the dandelion tea buttercream

• 8 Stash Organic Sunny Dandelion Root tea bags
• 1-1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter
• 4-1/4 cups confectioners sugar, sifted
• 3 tablespoons whole milk
• a pinch of salt

Directions

For the mini cakes

1. Preheat oven to 325º F.
2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.
3. Cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl with a hand mixer until smooth and fluffy.
4. Beat the eggs in one at a time, then mix in the buttermilk.
5. Slowly add the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined. Pour batter onto a parchment-lined 13" x 18" sheet pan and bake 11-13 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
6. Use a biscuit cutter or round cookie cutter to cut out circles, and chill them on the pan until ready to frost.

For the dandelion tea buttercream

1. Bring the butter and tea to a lower simmer over medium low heat. Simmer for 3-5 minutes, ensuring that the tea bags are submerged. Don't let the butter brown!
2. Remove from heat and let the tea bags steep for 15-30 minutes.
3. When the butter has come back to room temperature, beat in the sugar, milk and salt until fluffy. Frost chilled cakes as desired.

Notes

The cake is very moist and delicate, so chilling the cakes and frosting a thin crumb coat before adding more buttercream is helpful. Some cake layers will be uneven in height; you can stack them thick side on thin side to balance out the finished cakes. You could also level the layers with a knife if you want very precise mini cakes.