Lavender Lemon Cake

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In the spring, I like to use up any remaining dried herbs and flowers I have grown from the prior summer season. I tend to have a lot of leftover lavender so one way in which I use it is in culinary recipes.  I have made lavender caramels, which are a fun little treat.  However, one of my favorite recipes that I have made is for a Lavender Lemon Cake.  It is very much like biting into a cake doughnut so if you like doughnuts, this is the recipe for you.  Here it is:

Lavender Lemon Cake

Ingredients

  • Zest of two lemons
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 stick butter
  • 1 egg
  • 1 Tbsp canola oil
  • 1 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • ½ cup lavender infused heavy whipping cream (see note below)
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 tsp cornstarch
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp kosher salt

Lavender Glaze

  • 1 ½ cup powdered sugar
  • Juice of 2 lemons
  • 1 tsp dried lavender buds (culinary grade)

Note:  To make the lavender infused cream, combine 1 Tbsp of lavender buds with ¾ cup of heavy whipping cream.  Bring to a rolling boil, then turn off the heat, remove saucepan from heat and cover with a lid.  Let sit for 25 minutes.  Line a wire strainer with cheesecloth and pour the cream through the strainer into another bowl.  Discard the remaining cream with the lavender buds.  The strained cream is your lavender infused cream.  I suggest using ¾ cup of cream when infusing the lavender because some cream will be lost during the straining process.  This way you will ensure that you have enough to incorporate into the recipe.

Directions:

1.         Heat oven to 350 Degrees Fahrenheit;

2.         Line a 3q glass baking dish with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray;

3.         Combine the sugar and lemon zest in a mixing bowl together until the lemon zest infuses   into the sugar granules;

4.         Add the butter to the sugar and lemon in the mixing bowl;

5.         Add the lemon juice, egg, vanilla, and lavender infused cream and mix well;

6.         In a separate bowl, add the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda and salt;

7.         Incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients in the mixing bowl and combine    well;

8.         Spread the batter into the glass baking dish and spread evenly;

9.         Bake for about 30 minutes (watch carefully)—you know it’s done if you poke the center with a utensil and it comes out clean;

10.       Once done, set the cake aside to cool;

11.       Make the glaze by combining the powdered sugar and lemon juice together;

12.       Pour the glaze over the cake in the pan and sprinkle with the culinary lavender buds;

13.       Slice into squares and store in an airtight container—they should last a couple weeks