Beet Sponge Cake, Lavender Whipped Cream, Beet Candies, Beet Syrup, Lavender, Hyssop Leaves, Basil, Pansies
After the cake was baked and cooled, I sliced it into inch thick pieces and cut them into circles with a ring mold. Using a smaller ring mold I punched out circles in the cake rounds and filled them with a lavender whipped cream. This was made by first combining sugar and lavender in my spice grinder to make a lavender sugar. The sugar was then simply whipped with heavy cream.
I made the beet candies by slicing the beets very thinly and slow-poaching them in simple syrup. I dried them on paper towels and then tossed them in some of the lavender sugar that I had set aside.
I further reduced the syrup, that was now died bright red by the beets, until it was the consistency of honey. I then channeled Jackson Pollock and threw the syrup onto the plate with a spoon.
I arranged the basil and hyssop leaves around the cream filled cake center and finished the dish of with some pansy petals.