Lavender and Lemon Cake

I would totally recommend making this cake within the next three or so months, because it is summer in a cake. All light, tangy and refreshing.

By the way, how close is Christmas? I’m going to make a wreath soon out of coloured felt balls (I’m not lame or a nanna…shut up).

Side note: until recently it turns out I’ve been saying wreath wrong, but I know a guy who thinks it’s woof not wolf so don’t judge!

I’m going to do totally normal stuff this summer as well as being lame/nanna, like drink lots of cider, hang out in back gardens, swim lots and complain about the heat. I’m excited; I want to do that whole sofa on the veranda thing, has anyone done that? Photos?

Anyway the cake (could have done with a ribbon/candle): so you have to start with the basics, butter and sugar together and all the dry ingredients together.

You also have to infuse some milk with culinary lavender, you can use any kind of lavender that you can guarantee hasn’t been sprayed with chemicals.

This cake is a white cake, which basically means that you don’t use the yolks; which makes it a yellowy colour.

Also the lemon curd which fills the cake used the exact right amount of yolks, so no egg wastage!

Speaking of curd, it is so easy. Just zest, juice, sugar and butter. Home made is so much more tangy than store-bought, it totes makes the cake.

And the frosting is just a basic butter frosting.

This week I learnt all about crumb coating, it’s special and amazing. Watch this video, it’ll teach you exactly how to do it. It isn’t supposed to look pretty, it gets covered up anyway.

Recipe from Sweetapolita

Lavender Butter Cake

Ingredients:

1 cup (227g, or 2 sticks or 1/2 lb) unsalted butter, unsalted

1 3/4 cups sugar

6 egg whites (or 220g liquid egg whites)

1/4 teaspoon pure lemon extract

3 cups all-purpose flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons dried culinary lavender

1 1/4 cup whole milk (room temperature)

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Method:

Add 3 tablespoons of dried culinary lavender to whole milk, cover, and refrigerate overnight (or at least several hours). Strain into clean bowl.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, and place rack in center of oven. Butter and flour three – 7″ round cake pans. Line bottoms of pans with parchment paper and grease and flour parchment paper.

In a mixing bowl, sift or whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter until soft (about 1-2 minutes). Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes). Add egg whites gradually, beating after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the lemon extract, and beat until combined.

Stir vanilla into lavender milk, and with the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and milk, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour.

Divide the batter evenly between the three prepared pans and smooth the tops with an offset spatula. If possible, weigh your filled pans to ensure they are equal. Bake in preheated oven for approximately 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.

Cool the cakes in their pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Place a wire rack on top of the cake pan and invert, lifting off the pan gently. Once the cakes have completely cooled, wrap in plastic and place the cake layers in the freezer for about 30 minutes, to make filling and frosting the cakes easier.

Lavender Frosting

Ingredients:

1 lb butter (4 sticks or 2 cups) at room temperature

5 cups icing sugar (confectioners’ or powdered)

1 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/4 cup whipping (35% fat) cream

1/4 cup whole milk

1 teaspoon dried culinary lavender

A few drops of lavender food colour (or equal parts blue and red)

Method:

Add 1 teaspoon of dried culinary lavender to 1/4 cup whole milk, cover, and refrigerate overnight (or at least several hours). Strain into clean bowl.

In a bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, combine the icing sugar and butter and beat on low speed for about 1 minute. Add vanilla and beat on low until well combined.  Add whipping cream, lavender milk, and food colouring (if using), and beat on med-high speed for another 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Best used right away.

Lemon Curd from Martha Stewart

Ingredients

• 6 large egg yolks
• Zest of 2 lemons
• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 4 lemons)
• 12 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold, cut into pieces

Directions

1. Prepare an ice bath fitted with a medium bowl; set aside. Whisk together yolks, zest, juice, and sugar in a small saucepan. Set over medium heat, and stir constantly with a wooden spoon. Cook until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of the wooden spoon, 5 to 7 minutes.
2. Remove pan from heat. Add butter, 1 piece at a time, stirring until incorporated. Pass through a fine mesh sieve into prepared medium bowl. Stirring frequently, let stand until cool.
3. Place a sheet of plastic wrap directly on surface of curd to prevent skin from forming; wrap tightly. Refrigerate until firm and chilled, at least 1 hour. Store refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

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