Chamomile Lemon Fairy Cakes & a Desert Birthday
- Jessy Raspiller
- Jun 18
- 3 min read
There’s no birthday gift like returning home—and no one I’d rather fumble through a recipe with than my dad. Measuring cups? Optional. Following instructions? More like guidelines. But somehow, the laughter always rises right along with the cake.
This year, I marked another trip around the sun back in Arizona, stirring batter with my dad, cracking jokes over chamomile-sugar clouds, and letting lemon zest fly where it may. The kitchen turned into our playground—two chaotic creatives armed with a mixer and questionable precision.
Spoiler: the fairy cakes still turned out magical.
Outside, the saguaros were crowned in full bloom—bright bonnets atop their towering arms, as if even they were dressing up for the occasion. A surprise thunderstorm rolled in as we poured the batter, and the air filled with that unmistakable desert perfume: wet earth, creosote, and the grounding scent of sage. The kind of scent that lives in my bones and reminds me of who I am.
This recipe is a celebration in itself. Light, lemony, just floral enough. And topped with flower petals, they’re pure fairy energy—sweet, imperfect, and totally unforgettable. Kinda like us.
Chamomile Lemon Fairy Cakes
Floral, sun-kissed, and full of whimsy—just don’t worry too much about perfect measurements.
Ingredients
Cake
• 5 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 ½ cups sugar
• 1 ½ tablespoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups oat milk
• 1 cup olive oil
• 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
• Zest + juice of 4 large lemons
• 3 tablespoons dried chamomile (plus extra for decorating)
• Optional: jelly, lemon curd, or frosting for filling
Frosting
• 8 oz cream cheese (room temp)
• ½ cup unsalted butter (room temp)
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
1. Preheat + Prep Heat oven to 350°F (175°C). Butter and flour a 13x18” sheet pan—or line it with parchment paper if you’re feeling rebellious. Set aside.
2. Make Chamomile Sugar Toss sugar, dried chamomile, and the zest of one lemon into a blender or food processor. Pulse until the chamomile is crushed and the sugar smells like a dreamy meadow.
3. Mix It All Together In a big mixing bowl (or stand mixer), combine your flour, baking powder, salt, and chamomile sugar. Add oat milk, olive oil, vanilla, lemon juice, and the rest of the zest. Mix until just combined. If it looks like cake batter and smells like sunshine, you’re good.
4. Bake It. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 30–45 minutes, until golden and a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool fully while you sip tea and admire the desert sky.
5. Cut Into Fairy Cakes Use a cookie cutter (round, heart, star—whatever your birthday self desires) to cut out shapes. Slice horizontally and add jelly or frosting if you want a little surprise inside.
6. Frosting Time Beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt. Whip it good. Frost the tops of your cakes with wild abandon.
7. Decorate Like a Desert Fairy Sprinkle with edible flower petals: chamomile, lavender, rose, calendula, borage, nasturtium—whatever you have or can forage. Bonus if you add pink sprinkles to some for your niece.
About Jessy Raspiller
Jessy Raspiller is a guide in the art of sacred self-care, weaving together aromatherapy, somatics, and nature-based rituals to support deep nourishment and vitality. With a passion for seasonal living and plant medicine, she helps others align with the rhythms of life through intentional practices. Explore more of her work and join her in reconnecting to the wisdom of the natural world. [Learn more →]
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