This moist and light cake recipe incorporates a secret ingredient that sets it apart—frozen peas. Known for their naturally sweet flavour and moisture-retaining quality, peas blend seamlessly into the batter, helping to create a tender crumb without any trace of their savoury origins.
This pea and vanilla cake recipe was shared by Lisa Stannard from the British Growers Association, which runs the Yes Peas! campaign, and is paired with a tangy lemon cream cheese icing. Explaining the benefits of using peas instead of carrots or other commonly used vegetables, Lisa said: “People are starting to realise that peas make a great ingredient for baking! The majority of peas that you buy in the supermarket are frozen within just 2.5 hours of being picked in the field, meaning their moisture and nutrient content get locked in straight away – which then offers a natural sweetness to cakes, and helps to achieve that all-important moist and fluffy texture.
“Plus, the vibrant green colour adds a unique, playful touch for those looking to try something a bit different.”
Pea and vanilla cake with a lemon frosted icing
Ingredients
Melted butter, for greasing
225g frozen peas, defrosted
375g self-raising flour
1½ tsp baking powder
Rind and juice of two lemons
Three large free-range eggs, lightly beaten
1½ tsp vanilla bean paste
225g runny honey
200ml vegetable oil
For the icing
100g unsalted butter, softened
400g light cream cheese
One tbsp runny honey
Two tsp vanilla bean paste
Rind of one lemon, plus the juice of half a lemon
Method
Set your oven to 170C (or 160C if using a fan oven) and allow it to come up to temperature. Prepare two 18cm round cake tins by lining the bases with baking parchment and lightly brushing the sides with melted butter to prevent sticking.
Using a food processor, blend the peas into a smooth purée. Gradually pour in a little of the vegetable oil to help achieve a looser, smoother consistency.
In a large bowl, combine the self-raising flour and baking powder. Add the puréed peas, along with the grated lemon zest, lemon juice, eggs, vanilla paste, honey, and the remaining vegetable oil.
Using a hand-held electric mixer, beat everything together until you have a uniform, well-blended batter.
Evenly divide the mixture between the two prepared tins and place them on the middle shelf of the preheated oven.
Bake for about 20 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of each sponge comes out clean, indicating they are fully baked.
Once done, remove the tins from the oven and leave the cakes to cool in the tins for a short while before turning them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
For the icing, beat the softened butter in a medium bowl until smooth, then add the cream cheese, honey, vanilla paste, and the zest and juice of a lemon. Continue to beat the mixture until light and creamy.
To assemble, spread half the icing over the top of one sponge, then place the second sponge on top. Use the remaining icing to cover the entire cake, smoothing it evenly across the top and around the sides.
Finish with a garnish of fresh mint leaves and edible flowers for a decorative touch.