VIOLETS

A royal cake recipe in two ways

My affection for this gentle feral flower is second to none. Enchanted with violets' delicate scent, I would include them in my everyday kitchen, even if they would be without healing properties. But that is not the case, as violets' long list of healing properties is nothing short of stunning. It is a magicalplant that deserves much more respect as food and medicine. If you are just interested in the cake recipe, skip to the bottom of the post.

“The violets in the mountains have broken the rocks.” 

-Tennessee Williams, Camino Real

There are more than 500 species in the family Violaceae and they can be found all over the world. The common violet (Viola sororia) and the sweet violet (Viola odorata) are the most frequent wild violets. The sweet violet is the principal medicinal species used in Europe with a divine signature aroma, but also those without aroma have healing properties well worth exploring. They are precious spring flowers, romantic and feral, and come up in late winter or early spring, when the rest of the plant kingdom is still shy and in hiding. They grow on woodland edges and are easy to spot. They are lovely to look at whilst their flowers and leaves are edible and highly medicinal.

As I love the idea of stepping out of doors into a herbal and medicinal paradise garden, I planted some sweet violets in our backyard. They are a welcome weed in my world. I’m happy to report that they seem to love it here and are already well-established. They might appear slightly invasive (and for some reason I love the invasive species, probably because the majority of them prove to be very medicinal) and can thankfully easily adapt to human disturbances, while they mainly reproduce via underground rhizomes. As sweet violets are an important source of nectar for woodland butterflies (and some of these butterflies are at risk of becoming extinct), it is the best practice to establish a violets patch in the garden or in the backyard for culinary and medicinal uses and leave the wild ones in the wild.

And here comes the truly interesting part: violets do not produce seeds, but have hidden underground flowers that do! Sounds like something from a fairytale, with fairies and all. Violet's delicate blossoms and heart-shaped leaves are both edible and gentle food medicines, considered safe even in larger quantities and for people taking pharmaceuticals. Violet is a high-nutrient herb, think something like nettle, but moistening. They are rich in minerals and especially abundant in vitamins A and C. A single gram of violet leaves is packed with double the amount of vitamin C compared to orange fruit. Incredible, right?

Violets are cooling and moistening and their mucilage medicinal properties have been used in Europe for centuries for treating diseases of dryness and heat: to soothe a dry cough, treating infections of the respiratory tract, bronchitis, flu viruses, and fever. Violets are demulcent, diuretic, and clear heat and toxins from the body. Violet can be used for cystitis and soothing and healing the urinary tract. The overwhelmed nerves can be calmed with violet tea, which can also be used for insomnia. This study found that “using violet oil is a safe, well-tolerated, and effective herbal preparation for chronic insomnia.” Use fresh (mince them finely) or dried leaves and flowers for the tea. To reap the full benefits of violets (including the minerals), let the infusion steep for a longer period - for example overnight. The demulcent effects of violets are more efficiently extracted by water than alcohol (and more efficiently by cold water than hot). Violet infusions can also be used as washes or drops for dry eyes and topically in the form of poultices, infusions, infused oils, or balms for inflamed, dry, or irritated skin, eczema, psoriasis, varicose veins, or hemorrhoids.

The mucilage properties help lower cholesterol and also help move things along in the digestive system when it’s impaired by dryness, while helpful in restoring healthy intestinal flora. While doing this, violets also soothe the inflammation in the digestive system. Mucilaginous violets are great for treating ulcers, IBS, and chronic digestive inflammations. Violets infused in honey can help soothe upset stomachs. Both blossoms and leaves are delicious: young leaves are tender and green-tasting, and they grow back, so you can pick them up throughout the year. Not only do they add nourishment, but the leaves can also act as a thickener in soups and sauces. Blossoms taste sweet and aromatic and also tend to come back throughout the year, especially during the fall. So add them to salads, soups, and other dishes. The leaves are high in rutin, which has antioxidant, blood thinning, and anti-inflammatory properties. Foods high in rutin (buckwheat, asparagus, unpeeled apples, green tea, and elderflower tea) help reduce cholesterol, and lower blood pressure and are traditional remedies for varicose veins, as rutin maintains the strength and flexibility of the capillaries.

Violet works both internally and externally to stimulate stuck lymph and move things along. It works gently, but efficiently while reducing inflammation in the process. Violet can address older, chronic, and stuck lymphatics, and works especially well in resolving hardness of the breasts, fibrocystic breasts, and mastitis. Hildegard von Bingen stated that it "dissolves hardnesses" within the body and made an ointment of violets with olive oil and goat tallow. Violet gets a reputation as an anti-cancer agent from its lymphatic moving action and is traditionally used in fighting cancer and reducing the side effects of chemotherapy. For internal lymphatic treatment tincture, infusions, and syrup can be used, while an infused oil works wonder for the lymph from outside.

Violet is great at clearing blockages, whether physical or emotional. It has long been used to treat headaches. Violet, like meadowsweet and birch, contains some methyl salicylate (from which modern aspirin is derived) and thus has pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory properties. Violet soothes the spirit and heart and works as a gentle opener, to allow the full capacity of the flow. Violet is mild and gentle, but incredibly efficient.

Think again before weeding out violets in your backyard!

Without the violet, we probably wouldn’t have perfumery as we know it today. Ionone gives the violets that special scent, which interestingly, after stimulating scent receptors, binds to them and temporarily desensitizes them. That is why violets can be smelled for only a few moments at a time and their fragrance never becomes overwhelming. The scent disappears and then suddenly comes back, just like magic. It was only in 1898 that German chemists Timann and Kruger succeeded in synthesizing the ionone, which was a valuable contribution to modern perfumery. Until then violet essence was distilled from the flowers of Viola odorata (to obtain a kilogram of violet oil more than 33.000 kg of flowers were required)! Read more about how violets and ionones made history here by Victoria Belim-Frolova, editor and writer of Bois de Jasmin.

And what does a violet smell like? It is a sweet scent that many people describe as being dry or powdery. Another word is “ethereal,” or “ephemeral.” Normand Cardella, a perfume expert, describes the fragrance as “powdery, a little sweet, and decidedly sad. Musically, a violet note would be a minor chord.” During the Victorian age in England, the violet's popularity turned into an obsession. A newspaper article, published during the height of violet mania, reported that a woman preferred going to prison rather than returning a bottle of violet perfume that she stole from a shop.

Candied violets seem to have first appeared during the 1860s in Toulouse, France, where they are known as “violettes cristallisees”. Many years ago I found a beautiful old vintage box of candied violets at my grandmother’s house. Unfortunately, it was empty, but my mind went mad at imagining how delicious these beautiful flower candies must have been. Much later I found that Demel Vienna is still producing and selling them. And that they were Empress Elisabeth's favorite treat, the natural, hand-picked candied violets, and were regularly delivered to her at the Hofburg by Mr. Demel himself.

So, obviously, I ventured into making some. Aside from eating them like candy, candied violets can be used to garnish cakes, cookies, ice cream, and other desserts. Packed in small beautiful jars, they also make great edible gifts. Sugaring violets is an easy way to preserve these gentle spring beauties. In order to make them you only need three ingredients: violets, sugar to coat, and glue for the sugar to stick to them (either lightly beaten egg whites or lightly beaten aquafaba, if vegan). With a small paintbrush, paint the glue all over the petals of each individual violet and sprinkle it with sugar. Let dry completely before storing them in an airtight container. They should keep for months if candied and stored properly.

The many uses of the violet: a few ideas

• Eat fresh violet blossoms and leaves, adding them generously to salads, soups, smoothies, wraps, on top of hummus, to cooked and sauteed greens and vegetables

• Violet tea: use fresh or dried leaves and blossoms to prepare as regular tea (leave overnight, if you desire a stronger infusion)

• Poultice: crush fresh violet leaves and apply topically

• Violet syrup: 1:1 hot water and fresh blossoms only, stems removed, leave overnight, strain, add double its weight of sugar or honey, and make syrup without boiling

• Violet jelly: 1:1 hot water and fresh blossoms only, leave overnight, strain, add pectin and sugar and boil for 1 minute before ladling into jars

• Violet-infused vinegar: for the most beautiful color infuse fresh petals in white vinegar

• Violet-infused oil (for making balms, lotions, soaps, and creams): best to infuse crushed dry blossoms and leaves so it doesn’t spoil, leave for 2-4 weeks, strain, and use in cosmetic preparations

• Violet tincture: mince fresh violet leaves and flowers and cover with 100 proof vodka in a mason jar for 2-4 weeks, stir gently regularly

• Violet liqueur: pick a handful of sweet violet petals and fill a small jar at least 3/4, pour with vodka or gin, and leave overnight, strain once the petals have lost all their color, add sugar to taste and place in a nice bottle

Finally, the cake! But in two ways.

Ingredients:

• 150 g ground almonds

• 150 ml olive oil

• 50 g best quality cocoa powder (sifted)

• 125 ml boiling water

• 40 g coconut sugar

• 3 large eggs

• 1 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

• 1/8 teaspoon of coarse salt

Version 1 (simple cake decorated with candied violets):

• candied violets (see recipe above)

• fresh blueberries

• fresh whipped cream

Version 2 (layered cake decorated with fresh violets):

• a cup full of fresh aromatic violets (Viola odorata)

• 500 ml fresh cream

• 500 g mascarpone

• 100 g good quality white chocolate

• 10 g wild blueberries

I adapted this cake from Nigella’s famous chocolate olive oil cake, as I loved the cake, but wanted it less sweet. So this version is much less sweet. If you prefer sweet cakes, by all means, add more sugar - Nigella is using 200 grams of caster sugar in her original recipe.

To prepare the batter sift the cocoa into a bowl and add boiling water and whisk until you get a runny paste. Whisk in vanilla and set aside to cool. In another bowl, mix almonds, soda, and salt. Mix the sugar with eggs and olive oil until a thickened airy cream (about 3 minutes). Add the cocoa and gradually the almonds until you get a dark liquid batter.

Version 1 (simple cake decorated with candied violets):

In case you are going for a simple cake, pour the batter into an oiled 28 cm cake form and bake in preheated oven at 170° C for 40-45 minutes. Let cool slightly and get it out of the tin.

Decorate with fresh blueberries and candied violets and serve with freshly whipped cream while still warm.

Version 2 (layered cake decorated with fresh violets):

If you are going for the layered cake equally distribute the batter into three small cake tins (10 cm) and bake for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile melt the white chocolate in a bain-marie, whip fresh heavy cream, add mascarpone to it, and gradually add melted white chocolate and blueberries. Mix lightly.

After the cake layers cool slightly, bring them out of the tins and let them cool completely. Put one layer on a serving plate, and pipe 1/4 of the cream on top. Add the next layer of cake, cream, and finally the last layer of cake on top. Use the remainder of the cream to completely and evenly cover the whole cake - use a spatula or a knife! On top of the cream, add fresh violets and let them infuse into the cream ideally overnight in the fridge (make sure to cover the cake to protect it from absorbing any weird fridge smells, it best works in a cake container). Remove cake from refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for at least 2 hours before serving to develop the best flavor and texture.  

A close-up of the fragrant violet cake. The cream got saturated with violets fragrance in the same way as the perfume makers extract and capture fragrances with the very old technique of enfleurage.