Sweet pea cake

Ingredients

• 2 cups (275g) fresh or frozen peas
  
• 3/4 cup (200g) butter room temperature
  
• 3/4 cup (150g) sugar
  
• 3 eggs
  
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  
• zest and juice of ½ lemon
  
• 2 cups (250g) all-purpose (plain) flour
  
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
  
• ½ teaspoon salt
  

For the Lemon Buttercream:

• 2/3 cup (150g) butter room temperature
  
• 2 1/2 cups (300g) powdered icing sugar
  
• Zest and juice of ½ a lemon
  

To finish:

• Pea shoots optional
  
• lemon zest optional
  

Instructions

For the Vanilla Pea Cake:

• Preheat the oven to 325F / 160C. Grease and line two 9” cake pans (or three 6” pans, as I did in the pictures).
  
• Boil the peas for a few minutes, drain, refresh under cold water and puree until completely smooth. Set aside.
  
• In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then beat in the cooled pea puree, vanilla, zest and lemon juice.
  
• Sift in the flour, baking powder and salt and stir to gently combine.
  
• Spoon the mixture into the prepared tins, push to the edges and level, then bake for 25 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes in the tins and then turn onto a wire rack to cool completely before icing.
  

For the Lemon Frosting:

• In a large bowl, cream the butter until fluffy. Add in the icing sugar and beat. Beat in the zest and a little of the lemon juice. Add more lemon juice to make it a frosting consistency and beat again. Store in the fridge until ready to use.