wsake

violet season is over

but there are still some fragrant varieties in full bloom

and you don´t actually need the flowers in case you want to give this a try

the sirup does the trick

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THE TIREDNESS OF ROSABELL

by Katherine Mansfield

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her stories are unsettling

full of moodswings, lifes turned around in the blink of an eye

heavily scented with all kinds of flowers

slightly hysterical

they can make your heart break a little

so do watch out

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drenched in London rain

milliner Rosabell dreams not only of delectable feasts

she also imagines a completly different life like the ones her clients lead

full of gleaming fires, maids, cozy boudoirs

completed by a dashing suitor

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i felt so sorry for this hungry girl

wet and so exhausted she almost cried climbing up the stairs

comforting herself with beautiful stories

sleeping in this cold dull room

i wanted to bake something very luscious and extravagant for her

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something like a four (dreadful) flights high haselnut cake

spread with hazelnut-chocolate cream

coverd in a violet and anis scented goat cream cheese frosting

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and then i did something very unhealthy but utterly delicious

i put marshmallows and violet sirup in a cup of hot cocoa

made with chocolate, cocoa powder and goat milk

probably one of the craziest things i ever tasted

it could have come right from her dream

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read this and almost all of Katherine Mansfield´s stories HERE

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in case you want to bake this cake

here is the recipe for two layers only

it is really heavy and four layers are probably too much for real life

and in case you´re not intolerant to eggs

use any kind of cake batter with a bit of flour substituted with toasted ground hazelnuts

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140 g spelt flour

50 g slightly toasted ground hazelnuts

1 tsp baking powder

75 g sugar

125 ml butter milk

mix the dried ingredients and add the milk

incoporate until you´ve got a silken runny cake batter

fill into a lined baking tin - about 22 cm diameter

bake at 175 degree celsius for about 25 min

until a tooth pick comes out clean

cream about 400g cream cheese with a few tsp of sugar

blueberry juice for colouring, crushed anis seeds and as much violet sirup as you like

when the cake is cool take it out of the tin

half it with a thin sharp knife

spread each layer with some hazelnut chocolate cream

frost it with cream cheese mixture

i used a butter knife and sometimes my fingers

since i´m not a pastry chef at all

 and if you have some on hand sprinkle with edible violets

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thank you D for "lending" me your wonderful staircase

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now i need some ideas to use up all that leftover violet sirup