A Spring Cake for Nowruz or Easter

This beautiful Spring Cake is really easy to make. By using edible grass, your cake will look like a a platter fresh sprouts. Top with chocolate bunnies and candy chocolate eggs for a festive Easter egg cake or leave it plain to celebrate the first day of spring, Nowruz.

Spring is my favorite season: not too hot, not too cold, flowers are blooming and there are more fruits and vegetables to choose from. March 20th not only marks the first day of Spring, but also the first day of the Persian New Year, nowruz.

Every year my family gets together to celebrate nowruz. Although there are a variety of Persian desserts you can serve at the holiday meal, like baklava and sholeh zard (saffron rice pudding), I like to branch out and bake other kinds of desserts.

A few years ago, I found some edible grass at Target and decided to play around with it in a cake. I made this Spring cake which resembles the sabzeh (sprouts) we grow for nowruz and display on our tablescape.

Everyone was fascinated with how real it looked. The cake was devoured, so I created it again to share with you.

Laura says :

Why this recipe works

• Detailed steps: As with all of my cake recipes, I share every detail on how you can recreate this cake no matter what your skill level is. So relax, I’ve got your back!
• Customize it: I also share a number of ways you can use the edible grass to create a festive cake for spring, Easter or nowruz.
• Flavorful: I use box mix cakes when I am spending a lot of time decorating a cake. You can use any 2-layer cake. I share my homemade buttercream frosting recipe and the edible grass tastes like green apple!
• Kid Friendly: Although you don’t need piping skills, you do need patience. Placing all those strips of candy grass took me about 3 hours. So put on a movie and recruit your kiddos to help you decorate the cake!

Ingredients you need

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• 2-layer vanilla cake: I usually include my cake recipes in the same post as the decorating, but seriously this cake can be made from either box mix or homemade. I used my olive oil vanilla cake as the base. You can also use my vegan birthday cake as the base. This spring cake works best with an 8-inch or 9-inch cake base, as the sprouts you see in the store are not super tall.
• Butter: I use a basic buttercream to frost this cake. You don’t want it super stiff as we are not piping it onto the cake. It should be soft enough to work as a glue to hold the edible grass covering it. For a vegan alternative, use vegan butter, vegetable shortening, or a combination of the two.
• Powdered sugar: Also known as confectioner’s sugar.
• Vanilla extract: You don’t need to worry about using clear vanilla as this frosting will be dyed.
• Heavy cream: This helps soften the buttercream and smooths it out. For vegan alternative, use a plant based milk like unsweetened almond milk or oat milk.
• Food coloring: McCormick has this set of neon color food dyes and the green is pretty bright. But you need to match the green with your edible grass, so additional blue and yellow food coloring is needed. I prefer using Wilton’s Gel Colors in my baking because very little goes a long way.
• Edible grass: This stuff is typically found in Target or Party City around March and April. You can also find it online. One package is not enough and two is too much, but go ahead and buy two to make sure your cake is completely covered.
• Other options for decorating: If you want an Easter egg cake, you can top your cake with chocolate bunnies and candy chocolate eggs. I show all the options for an Easter egg cake below. You can also add edible flowers, like chamomile, roses and pansies.

Step-by-step directions

1. Cool the cakes. Bake your cakes, whether from a box mix or from scratch. Remove the cakes from their pans and cool them completely on a wire rack.
2. Make frosting. Whip the butter until fluffy and smooth. Add vanilla and whip in powdered sugar, one cup at a time. Mix in heavy cream to smooth out the buttercream frosting. Add food dye until it matches the color of your edible grass.
3. Frost the cake. Cut the domes from each cake layer to flatten them out. Place on a cake stand and frost entire cake with the green frosting, using an icing spatula or an acrylic cake scraper to smooth it out.
4. Trim grass. Using culinary scissors cut the edible grass into pieces long enough to cover the sides of the cake and about 1-inch above the cake.
5. Add grass. Each strand of edible grass will need to pressed individually along the sides of the cake. Insert smaller 1-inch pieces on top of the cake.

Recipes tips and FAQs

As I mentioned earlier, you can also use this candy grass to make a beautiful Easter egg cake. I couldn’t decide which chocolate bunny to put on top of the cake, so I tried them all.

There are now white chocolate bunnies, too. The one I used had funfetti sprinkles in it, which went well with the colorful scheme of the cake.

For the tall bunnies to remain stable on the cake, press toothpicks or short bamboo skewers behind them to prop them up. Add some edible flowers like organic roses or chamomile, and your gorgeous spring cake will wow your family table.

So, which one is your favorite?

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Spring Cake for Nowruz and Easter

Laura Bashar | Family Spice

This beautiful Spring Cake is really easy to make. By using edible grass, your cake will look like a a platter fresh sprouts. Top with chocolate bunnies and candy chocolate eggs for a festive Easter egg cake or leave it plain to celebrate the first day of spring, Nowruz.

5 from 4 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 3 hours hrs 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Additional Time 3 hours hrs

Total Time 6 hours hrs 45 minutes mins

Course Cakes

Cuisine American

Servings 14

Calories 526 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 2- layer vanilla cake made from box mix or from scratch
• 1 cup butter room temperature
• 3 ½ cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoon heavy cream
• Green food coloring
• 2 packages of Edible grass

Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions

 

• Bake your cakes, whether from a box mix or from scratch, in 8 or 9-inch cake pans. I use my olive oil vanilla cake recipe for many of my cakes (see links below).
• Remove the cakes from their pans and cool them completely on a wire rack.
• Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, whip the butter until fluffy and smooth.
• Add vanilla and whip in powdered sugar, one cup at a time.
• Mix in heavy cream, up to 2 tbsp, to smooth out the buttercream frosting.
• Add green food dye until it matches the color of your edible grass. You can also use blue and yellow food coloring, using a little more yellow to get this bright green.
• Cut the domes from each cake layer to flatten them out. Place on a cake stand and frost entire cake and between layers generously with the green frosting. Don't skimp or else the edible grass won't stick to the cake.
• Cut the edible grass into pieces long enough to cover the sides of the cake and about 1-inch above the cake.
• Start pressing each strand of edible grass along the sides of the cake. Press smaller 1-inch pieces along the top of the cake. Grab your ipad and binge watch your favorite show because this can take about 3 hours for an 8-inch cake.
• Wrap a ribbon around the cake and refrigerate until ready to serve. You can also use fondant if you want an edible ribbon.

Notes

I usually include my cake recipes in the same post as the decorating, but seriously this cake can be made from either box mix or homemade. I use my olive oil vanilla cake as the base. You can also use my vegan birthday cake as the base. This works best with an 8 or 9-inch cake base, as the sprouts you see in the store are not super tall.

For an Easter egg cake, top grass with chocolate bunnies and candy chocolate eggs.

TO STORE: If your cake is frosted, I suggest storing any leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days. If unfrosted, you can keep it covered on the counter for up to 3 days or refrigerate for longer.

TO FREEZE: You can also freeze leftovers. Wrap in foil, parchment paper or plastic wrap and freeze for up to 4 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 526kcalCarbohydrates: 84gProtein: 1gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 13gPolyunsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 62mgSodium: 184mgSugar: 81g

Keyword easter cake, easter egg cake, nowruz cake, spring cake

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Nutrition Disclaimer

Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.

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