Celebrate Nettle Magic – It’s a Piece of Cake!

By Jane Valencia

On a glorious day one May, Laurel made a nettle cake, and wished to share it with friends. I love nettles, and the thought of a cake made with this vibrant green and generous herb delighted me so much, that, before I’d even tasted it, I composed a piece of music.

I asked Laurel about the cake and its making, and she shared that the recipe was from Miss Wondersmith and her article, “Nettle Cake: An Ode To Moss Gazing” at https://misswondersmith.com. Go visit that page! The photos reveal the stunning and magical nature of this cake, and Miss Wondersmith shares her own inspirations surrounding the recipe for “Stinging Nettle Moss Cake.”

Laurel, who loves nettles too, told me, “I followed the deer trails across the hillside covered in nettle. I pick the ones that sing to me.” This was what a plant-loving friend had guided her to do.

“My friend had called them ‘singing nettles,’ not stinging nettles, and told me: ‘Follow the creek and when you hear the plants singing, that’s where the nettles are for harvesting.’ Their buzzing vibrancy is like a song.”

Laurel’s young son assisted by cracking the six eggs and watching her use the mixer for creaming together butter, sugar, and eggs. “The whole process took quite a long time. It was a big project in which I’m delighted in every step. Two cups of nettle puree takes a lot of nettles! The cake is bright green, and tastes of earth and harmony. Slightly sweet, but not too much so. Also, there is a bit of lemon juice in the cake.”

When I received my piece of nettle cake, I discovered that my own musical piece “tasted” indeed of the actual flavor of the cake and tale.

This past month, Laurel brought nettle cake to the Vashon Wilderness Program’s “WILD Bug Ball” fundraiser. Our whole table agreed that this was the dessert we wanted, and lucky us, we won it. We all loved it. Moist, unique, delicious!

Nettle is a beloved herb to so many on Vashon, including many of you, dear readers, that I now continue the gift of “singing nettles” and this delicious cake. Miss Wondersmith has kindly agreed to share her recipe with us. Thank you, Miss Wondersmith! I also include my own musical piece of cake. (View this article online to listen to my “Nettle Cake” music).

Listen to “Nettle Cake”:

Melody only

Full composition

Stinging Nettle Moss Cake

By Miss Wondersmith

A stunningly magical cake that is also really easy, full of nutrition, and tastes wonderful? This nettle moss cake is the best of all worlds. The cake is a vibrant green without the use of any food coloring, and is incredibly easy to decorate. Don’t let the stinging nettles intimidate you; they grow plentifully in the springtime and are completely safe (and very nutritious) to consume once they’ve been cooked. A fresh citrus flavor makes this cake extra scrumptious. 

Ingredients

1½ cup shortening or unsalted butter, at room temperature

1½ cup sugar

6 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

4 tbsp lemon juice

Zest of two lemons

2 cups nettle puree (or spinach puree) – see below

4 cups flour

4 tsp baking powder

 ½ tsp salt

Directions: 

1. Preheat your oven to 325°F and prepare 2 (9”) cake pans and 1 smaller pan (any shape) by lightly greasing and dusting with flour. Cut out and insert two circles of parchment paper to fit the pan bottoms; grease them, as well. 
2. In a large bowl, cream the shortening and the sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time, until they are well combined. Add the vanilla, lemon juice, and lemon zest and mix well. Add the nettle puree. 
3. In another bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix well, then mix into the nettle mixture. 
4. Pour into baking pans and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, or about 25 minutes.

Douglas Fir Grapefruit Buttercream: 

This is an optional flavor, as a simple lemon buttercream would also taste wonderful. I just like to make use of another spring flavor.

Ingredients:

1 cup shortening or butter, at room temperature

¼ tsp salt (if using unsalted butter or shortening)

1 tbsp ground fresh Douglas Fir needles

1½ tbsp grapefruit juice

4-5 cups powdered sugar (1 lb.)

Directions: 

1. Cream the shortening, salt, and fir needles until smooth and creamy. Add 4 cups powdered sugar and mix at low speed until incorporated to make a stiff dough. 
2. Add the grapefruit juice and mix until smooth. Assess the consistency and add more powdered sugar or grapefruit juice as desired. 
3. To ice and decorate the cake, first allow it to cool completely. With a long bread knife, trim the tops of the cake so they are flat. Place one cake onto a serving plate and place strips of waxed paper around the cake for easier clean-up later. 
4. Spread a layer of frosting over the top of the cake, then carefully set the other cake on top. At this point, it can be helpful to place the cake in the fridge for an hour or so for it to firm up. Meanwhile, crumble the scraps from the tops of the cake and the smaller extra cake into coarse crumbs using your hands or a food processor. 
5. Spread the rest of the frosting over the entire cake and press the crumbs into the surface to look like moss. Remove the strips of waxed paper and serve!

Notes:

1. To make stinging nettle puree, pick off all of the leaves (wear gloves!), then boil them for a couple of minutes. Strain and immediately plunge into an ice bath to cool. Puree the cooked leaves into a smooth paste in your blender – you may need to add 1 Tbs. of water to get them to grind properly. To make a spinach puree, just blend raw baby spinach leaves in the blender with enough water to get them to form a smooth puree. 

2. Make sure to note the lower baking temperature of this cake. Baking it at a lower temperature for longer helps it retain the fresh green color. 

3. If you are unable to forage or purchase stinging nettle, spinach works just as well! And don’t worry about your cake tasting like salad – the green veggies add a very subtle flavor that is accented nicely by the bright citrus. You’ll barely notice them. 

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Miss Wondersmith has a mission of sharing everyday magic with strangers. Her offerings are delightful and beautiful! Visit her at http://patreon.com/thewondersmith and http://misswondersmith.com.

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Nettle Harvesting Notes:

Look for nettles that are growing in a large patch

Before harvesting, learn or review some plant safety basics. Read my August 2023 article, “Herbs with Kids – Plant Safety Basics and a Few Summer Remedies.” at vashonloop.com

Avoid getting stung by moving carefully around the nettles, and by wearing gloves. Use scissors or clippers to cut off what you want. Harvest just the top three pairs of leaves, from young plants before they flower.