Next weekend is Lavender Festival here in Sequim, WA. Sequim lies in the rain shadow of the Olympic Mountains, where it often receives less than 16 inches of rain annually. Combine that with sandy and acidic soils and you get ideal growing conditions for lavender.
This cake has a pronounced lavender flavor which is a bit unexpected in this sort of cake, yet very pleasant. My mum loaned me her lovely 8 cup bundt pan which was ideal. Her pan was heavy cast aluminum and that made a huge difference. My cake turned out perfect! It was evenly browned and it finished baking in 50 minutes. Whenever I use my smaller ceramic 6 cup bundt pan, my cakes end up spending well over an hour in the oven. What a pleasant surprise!
lemon-lavender cake
2 cups wholewheat pastry flour
1/2 cup unbleached flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 lemon
1 1/2 cups evaporated cane juice or granulated sugar
1 1/2 tbsp culinary lavender
1 cup butter (2 sticks), room temperature
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup milk
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
Combine the wholewheat pastry flour, unbleached flour, baking powder and baking soda. Set aside
Remove the rind from the lemon, taking care to get as little of the white pith as possible. Place this into the bowl of a food processor along with the sugar and lavender. Pulse until the rind and lavender are ground up and combined with the sugar.
Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease and flour an 8 cup bundt/tube pan and set aside.
Cream the butter in a large bowl, gradually beating in the flavored sugar mixture, one tablespoon at a time. Beat until all of the sugar has been added and the butter mixture is light and fluffy.
Beat in the eggs, one at a time.
Squeeze the juice from the lemon. Combine 1 tablespoon of juice with the milk and stir. Set aside any remaining juice for the glaze.
Stir half of the flour mixture into the butter mixture and when that's been combined, stir in half of the soured milk. Repeat with the remaining flour and milk mixtures.
Fill the prepared cake pan with the batter. Place the pan onto a cookie sheet and bake in the middle of the preheated oven for about 40-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. I usually begin testing as soon as the aroma of cake begins to fill my kitchen.
Cool the cake in the pan for about 15 minutes, then carefully invert it onto a serving plate.
Prepare the lavender glaze.
lavender glaze
3 tbsp water
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tbsp culinary lavender
1/4 cup evaporated cane juice or granulated sugar
2 tbsp butter
In a small saucepan combine the water, lemon juice and lavender. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and cook for about 10 minutes. Stir in the sugar and cook another 5 minutes, stirring the mixture until the sugar has dissolved.
Strain the syrup into a small bowl. Add the butter to the hot syrup, stirring until it has melted. Brush this glaze over the warm cake.
Serve the cake when it has completely cooled.
3 comments:
Lavender grows well here too (in fact I have some in my garden) but I don't use it in cooking very often. Which seems a shame. GREG
Love this cake. Lemon + lavender go well together. I have to try this cake of yours!
Lemon and lavender - what a lovely idea!
Our lilacs are now in bloom. I wonder....
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