Last week I needed to prepare a tasty treat that would appeal to some of my friends who were coming to my house for a function. For some reason, the idea of serving a lavender cake sounded interesting to me. I have never eaten lavender cake before. In fact, I didn’t even know if such a thing existed. So, I went to trusty Google and typed in lavender cake recipe, and a few appeared. I chose the one from Taste of Home magazine since it’s a publication I am familiar with. I have a big zip lock bag full of lavender that came from my mother’s lavender plants this summer. She grows her lavender plants without sprays and pesticides, and each evening while they are in bloom, she picks off a bunch and dries them. I knew the dried blossoms would be full of fragrance and flavor. This recipe has a few steps, but they are easy if you follow along. The cake was a big hit, and I am so glad that I found it. If you have any holiday gatherings planned for this week-end, this cake would be a great dessert to serve. Enjoy!
Lavender Cake
Ingredients
- 2 cups sugar, divided
- 1/2 cup slivered almonds
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon dried lavender flowers, divided
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 4 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
- 1/4 cup half-and-half cream
- 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 teaspoons boiling water
- 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
- Additional dried lavender flowers, optiona
Instructions
- Grease a 10-in. fluted tube pan and sprinkle with sugar; set aside.
- Place 1/2 cup sugar, almonds and 1 tablespoon lavender in a food processor; cover and process until finely ground.
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- n a large bowl, cream butter and remaining sugar until light and fluffy; beat in almond mixture until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla.
- In a small bowl, combine sour cream and half-and-half. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; add to the creamed mixture alternately with sour cream mixture, beating well after each addition.
- Pour into prepared pan. Bake at 350° for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely.
- For drizzle, in a small bowl, combine water and remaining lavender. Cover and steep for 5 minutes. Strain, discarding lavender. In another small bowl, combine confectioners' sugar and enough infused water to achieve desired consistency; drizzle over cake. Garnish with additional lavender if desired. Yield: 12 servings.
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If you are a lover of lavender like we are, perhaps you will like this lavender shortbread cookie recipe or this how-to make lavender soap post. We hope you all have a safe and happy holiday week-end.