Scented Geraniums

Twenty-eight years ago I bought a rose geranium

One of those "I wants" from the 70s

I finally found one when we moved to Fort Scott

Scented geraniums are not real geraniums by rather pelargonium 

(which actually is what your container geraniums are)

One of my favorite things to do with rose geraniums

is to make a cake

a white cake

whose layers are perfumed by the scented leaves

This time, however,

I made a chocolate cake

perfumed by the rose geranium leaves

And just Saturday, I bought another scented geranium

(the one on the right)

a nutmeg one

Oh, does it smell lovely!

But the rose is still my favorite

A lovely scented geranium cake surrounded by

the geraniums themselves!

The Sisters Chocolate Rose Geranium Cake

6 pesticide-free rose geranium leaves

3 and 1/2 cups sifted cake flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups unsalted butter, softened

1 and 2/3 cups sugar

8 egg yolks

1/2 cup cream

2 teaspoons vanilla

8 egg whites

1 cup sugar

Butter and flour two 8 inch cake pans. Line bottoms of each with 3 rose geranium leaves. Preheat oven to 340 degrees. Sift together flour, cocoa and salt. Mix well and set aside. In a larger bowl, beat butter at medium speed until creamy. Gradually add 1 and 2/3 cups sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Set aside. In a smaller mixing bowl, beat egg yolks at high speed until thick and lemon colored, about 5 minutes. Gradually beat into creamed mixture at medium speed. Add flour mixture alternately with cream, beating until smooth after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Set aside. In a large bowl, beat egg whites at high speed until soft peaks start to form. Gradually add 1 cup of sugar, beating until stiff, glossy peaks form. Fold into batter. Pour into pans, spreading evenly. Bake on bottom rack of oven for 1 and 1/4 hours, or until a skewer inserted in center of cakes comes clean. Cool cakes on baking racks for 10 minutes. Remove from cake pans. Carefully remove leaves. Cool on rack.

~Homemade Cream Cheese Frosting~

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 cups powdered sugar

Using an electric mixer, combine cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add vanilla until combined evenly. Add powdered sugar until smooth and spreadable. Frost the completely cooled cake