"I grew up in Ojai, CA and started playing tennis when I was four years old," she says. "I still hold the title of the only girl who grew up in Ojai to ever win theOjai Tennis Tournament!" Stern was nationally ranked junior, and was recruited by the University of Virginia, where she played as a scholarship athlete for the Cavaliers for four years.
After college, attending an adult education classes entitled “Medicinal and Edible Plants” inspired her to start Eat Your Flowers, an LA-based bakery and media footprint. She employs a small team who bring her floral and plant-centric creations to life, and published her first cookbook this year.
"I still play and love the game, I believe that playing tennis throughout my childhood instilled a strong work ethic, perseverance, resilience, and belief in myself that ultimately has led me to the success I've had as an entrepreneur running my bakery business," she says. "Everyday I think how miraculous it is that I started a baking company that supports others as well as myself."
Snowy Tennis Court Cake
serves 20
*vegan, gluten and grain free
Ingredients
7.5 cups blanched almond flour
3/4 cup cacao powder
1 tablespoon baking soda
1.5 teaspoon kosher salt
6 tablespoons ground flax seeds + 3/4 cup warm water
2 1/4 cups maple syrup
3 tablespoon vanilla extract
*for decoration: fresh rosemary, sugared cranberries, 1 cup confectioners sugar
**special tools: parchment paper cut into 1/4” thin lines and a handheld sifter
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350° F.
First make flax eggs: combine ground flax seeds with warm water and set aside until thickened.
Line a half sheet baking sheet (18” x 13”)with parchment paper, then grease the sides of the pans with coconut oil spray.
In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, cacao powder, baking soda, and salt. In a large bowl, stir the flax eggs, maple syrup, and vanilla.Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add in the wet ingredients and stir until a batter forms.
Pour the batter onto the prepared pan and bake for about 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.Let cool then invert the sheet cake so that it is on a cutting board.
Cut the cake in half (so that it is (9.5"x 13") and put on a cutting board so the cakes stay flat in the fridge or freezer.
Chocolate Ganache Frosting
Ingredients
2 cups good quality dairy chocolate (vegan)
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups coconut cream
Directions
Put the chocolate into a large mixing bowl then sprinkle in salt and vanilla extract.
Over medium heat in a saucepan, heat coconut cream until it starts to boil, then carefully pour over the chopped chocolate and let it stand for 5 minutes.
Using a spatula, mix the chocolate and cream until smooth.
Refrigerate for 2 hours, until it has completely cooled and thickened.
Using the whisk attachment on your stand mixer, mix the frosting for about 5 minutes until spreadable.
Assembly:
Stack the cold rectangle cakes on top of one another with a thin layer of chocolate frosting in the middle.
Frost the top and sides of the cake so that it is smooth and frosted completely.
Put the cake in the fridge.
Cut thin pieces (1/4”) of parchment paper to make the court lines, you’ll need the following:
4 pieces- 11”
3 pieces- 8”
3 pieces- 5.5”
2 pieces- 3/4”
Now, arrange the parchment paper lines as tennis court lines, overlapping the parchment paper where necessary.
Sprinkle confectioners sugar on the cake, completely covering the cake so it looks like snow.
Using tweezers, carefully remove the lines and now your cake is revealed.
Arrange rosemary on the cake to look like pine trees and add sugared cranberries to the outside of the cake.
Loria Stern is the creator of Eat Your Flowers, and LA-based bakery, catering company and pantry—she published her first cookbook this year.
