For the cake:
Blend in a stand mixer:
Split the batter in half and bake in two 9-inch greased baking pans for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees. If you’re not sure if it’s done, stick in a toothpick — it should come out clean.
For the jelly filling:
Combine:
Once your cakes have cooled, spread jelly evenly across one of them and then gently place the other cake on top.
For the frosting:
Combine:
Spread evenly on your cooled, stacked cake. Grate on orange or lemon zest, top with fresh berries and enjoy!
]]>• 3 cups flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup almond milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoon yeast
Recipe:
Heat 3/4 cup cold water in a microwave safe container for 60 seconds, then stir in 1/4 cup almond milk and 1 1/2 teaspoon yeast. While the yeast is activating (about two minutes), combine 3 cups flour, 2 tablespoons sugar and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a stand mixer with a hook attachment.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until it forms a dough — a few minutes on a low setting should do the trick. Cover the dough with a cloth for one hour, then transfer it to a greased dish and let it rise for another hour.
Bake at 325 degrees for 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Enjoy it within the day, store in the fridge for a couple days, or leave it out overnight to get a bit crunchy and then turn it into french toast the next morning.
It’s a simple process that creates clones of your existing trees by allowing a branch to grow roots and become a whole new tree.
Step one: Start at the right time. Air layering works best in the spring, right before your tree flowers.
Step two: Find a good branch. It should be about the diameter of a pen, and ideally long and straight. Typically these are shoots that appear in the previous season.
Step three: Remove a section of bark. You’ll want to strip off about 2 inches of bark without cutting into the wood below it. Use a nice sharp knife!
Step four: Wrap it up. Apply rooting hormone to the stripped area and then wrap it in wet sphagnum moss. There are a couple ways to ensure your moss stays put while roots form. Option one: wrap the moss with plastic film and hold it in place with electrician’s tape, rubber bands or twine, then cover in tinfoil. Option two: secure a commercial reusable air layering ball around the branch. We ended up going with option 2 because I liked the idea of being able to reuse the shells. We don’t have a favorite brand for these, but you can search for “air rooting pod” and plenty of options will come up.
Step five: Wait! It will take 2-4 weeks for your branch to develop new roots.
Step six: Cut it loose. Once you see roots forming, cut the branch off below the roots and transfer your new baby tree to a pot or into the ground. Ideally it would be initially transplanted into a pot and given shade and humidity until the roots are more established.