DIY Infused Adult Celebration Cake

This article is sponsored by Ardent LLC.

HiVi Higher-Up Julie Engle and pastry chef Michelle Gayer pull out all the stops for an adult-take on a childhood party classic as featured in Bong Appetit. 

First, meet Julie: Julie is a cannabis advocate and mother of three who uses her platform and voice to destigmatize and normalize cannabis use.

Cannabis has given me my life back and has allowed me to be the mom I always was to my three beautiful boys.

Infused Celebration Cake

Ingredients:

• 1 cup olive oil, regular or flower-infused
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 ¼ cup butter, unsalted or flower-infused, at room temperature
• 5 2/3 cups cake flour
• 3 ½ cups granulated sugar
• ¼ cup baking powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
• 3 cups whole milk
• 7 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup Fruit Loops cereal, chopped

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease three 8-inch round cake pans, then line the bottoms with parchment paper.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the olive oil, sour cream, and butter. Top with flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Mix on medium speed just until a crumbly consistency forms. In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk and eggs until blended, With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the milk-egg mixture in three equal additions, mixing until fully combined and scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. With the mixer still on low speed, add the cereal and mix just until combined. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared cake pans.

Bake the cakes until a knife inserted into the center of one comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Transfer to wire racks and let cool for about 20 minutes. Run a knife blade around the inside edge of a pan to loosen the cake sides, invert the cake onto a rack, lift off the pan, peel off the parchment, and turn the layer right-side up. Repeat with the remaining cakes and let cool completely. The cakes can be well wrapped and stored at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month; thaw overnight in the refrigerator.

Infused Buttercream

Ingredients:

• 3 ¼ cups granulated sugar
• 14 egg whites
• 4 cups unsalted butter, plus 6 tablespoons, unsalted or flower-infused, at room temperature
• 6 tablespoons hot water
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• Grated zest of 1 lemon

Directions:

Pour water to a depth of 1 inch in a 4-quart saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Put the sugar and egg whites in a large heatproof bowl and set the bowl over (not touching) the water in the saucepan. Heat, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved into the egg whites, about 10 minutes.

Transfer the egg white-sugar mixture to the stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and whisk on medium-high speed until cool and thick. Add the butter and continue to whisk until creamy and thick. Add the hot water, salt, and lemon zest and whisk until fully incorporated, about 3 minutes longer. Cover and refrigerate for up to 1 week.

Infused Whipped Cream Filling

Ingredients:

• 1 cup heavy cream, plus 1 cup, heavy or weed-infused
• 1 cup sour cream
• ¾ cup whipped honey, regular or weed-infused
• 1 pinch kosher salt

Directions:

In the stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the heavy cream, sour cream, honey, and salt and whisk on high speed until thick and fluffy, 5 to 8 minutes. Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Using a long, serrated knife in a sawing motion, horizontally split each cake into three layers. To make it easier to cut, freeze the cakes for about 2 hours before cutting into thirds. You will have a total of nine layers.

Set a cake layer on a cake plate. Spoon about one-fourth of the buttercream into a piping bag fitted with a ½-inch plain tip and pipe a narrow wall around the edge of the layer (this is the “fence” to keep the cream filling in place). Fill the center with about ½ cup of the filling, spreading it in an even layer with an offset spatula. Top with a second cake layer and repeat the fence and filling. Continue in this way until you have stacked and filled eight layers. Top with the final cake layer and, using the offset spatula, spread a thin layer of buttercream over the top and sides of the cake to seal in any loose crumbs, creating a smooth surface. Refrigerate the cake for about 30 minutes to set the crumb coat.

To finish, mound about one-third of the remaining buttercream on top of the cake and, using broad, smooth strokes, spread it evenly. Then, working in batches, apply the remaining buttercream to the sides of the cake in an even layer, returning to the top once again to smooth any rough edges. Sprinkle the top with Froot Loops. The cake will keep, covered, in the refrigerator, for up to 5 days. Cut into even slices to serve.

Watch the complete recipe video here and here.