Yunnan Rose Flower Cake

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup butter, cold and cubed
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup ice water
• ½ cup rose petals, dried (food-grade)
• ¾ cup powdered sugar
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons rose water
• 1 whole egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon water
• 2 tablespoons candied rose petals or edible flowers
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds (optional)

Instructions

1. 1

   Measure 2 cups of flour into a large bowl, then add 0.75 cup cold cubed butter and 0.25 teaspoon salt. Using a pastry cutter or two knives, cut the butter into the flour using quick sawing motions until the mixture looks like coarse sand with pea-sized butter pieces visible.

2. 2

   Pour 0.5 cup ice water over the flour mixture while stirring gently with a fork until the dough just begins to come together; do not overmix. If it's still very crumbly, add 1 tablespoon more ice water and stir once.

3. 3

   Gather the dough into a ball, flatten it into a disk about 1 inch thick, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes until firm.

4. 4

   Finely chop 0.5 cup dried rose petals into pieces about the size of rice grains, then place them in a small bowl. Crumble any extra-large petals with your fingers until roughly uniform.

5. 5

   Add 0.75 cup powdered sugar to the chopped rose petals, then pour in 3 tablespoons melted butter and 2 tablespoons rose water. Stir with a spoon until the mixture is completely combined and looks like moist sand.

6. 6

   Set the oven to 375°F and wait until the indicator light or beep tells you it has finished heating, about 10 minutes.

7. 7

   Remove the dough from the refrigerator and place it on a lightly floured work surface. Using a rolling pin, roll it out into a rectangle about 12 inches long, 8 inches wide, and 1/8-inch thick.

8. 8

   Spread the rose filling evenly across the dough in a thin layer, leaving a 0.5-inch border on all sides. Use an offset spatula or the back of a spoon to distribute it smoothly.

9. 9

   Starting from one long edge, tightly roll the dough toward you into a log shape, then coil the log into a spiral shape on the work surface. The spiral should be about 5 inches across.

10. 10

    Transfer the spiral onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, then flatten it gently with your hands until it is about 0.5-inch thick and roughly square.

11. 11

    Whisk together 1 egg yolk and 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl until uniform, then brush this mixture evenly across the top of the pastry using a pastry brush.

12. 12

    Scatter 2 tablespoons candied rose petals (or other edible flowers) and 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, if using, in an even layer across the egg wash while it is still wet.

13. 13

    Place the baking sheet in the preheated 375°F oven and bake for 25–30 minutes until the pastry surface is golden brown the color of warm honey and looks dry to the touch.

14. 14

    Remove the baking sheet from the oven using oven mitts and set it on a heat-safe surface. Let the cake cool on the sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely.

15. 15

    Once cooled, cut the pastry into 8 equal pieces using a serrated knife with gentle sawing motions, wiping the blade between cuts to keep edges clean.

Tools you’ll need

• large mixing bowl
• pastry cutter or two knives
• fork
• plastic wrap
• small bowl (for filling)
• spoon
• rolling pin
• lightly floured work surface
• offset spatula or back of spoon
• parchment-lined baking sheet
• pastry brush
• oven
• oven mitts
• wire rack
• serrated knife

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