Lavender Almond Cake

Have you ever heard of a cake that is fragrant as a flower?  Yes, this cake has the sweet smell of lavender and has a fragrance indeed so different from the regular cakes or special ones of berries or fresh fruits or chocolate and so does the flavor too.

As a member of a bake along group, I received some lavender seeds just enough to bake this cake as a gift from our tutor who shares her recipes with a promise to bake this recipe within the week of receiving the goodie bag of lavender seeds.  To keep up the promise, though the courier guy delayed (as usual), I rushed to bake this wonderful lavender cake with the richness of almond meal (flour/powder).  It was a real lo(i)vely time doing this whole process and my house was heavenly with the sweet fragrance of lavender plus the aroma of a good cake baking in the oven.  It is a saying that baking is therapeutic and this is double therapeutic.  I am sure anyone would be eager to try this cake if they had their hands on lavender seeds.  No issues if seeds are not available, the lavender oil/extract (edible) would also help.

My daughter and I generously shared the cake with our friends and had our collars up when good compliments poured in.

Here goes the recipe.

Ingredients:

Butter (unsalted) - 115 gms

Granulated White Sugar - 1 cup (divided)

Eggs - 2

Almond Meal (Almond powder) - 1/4 cup

Dry Lavender Seeds - 1 tsp

Dairy Fresh Cream - 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp

Vinegar - 2 tbsp

Vanilla Extract - 1 tsp

All purpose Flour (Maida) - 1-1/4 cup

Baking Powder - 1 tsp

Salt - 1/2 tsp


Glaze:

Dry Lavender Seeds - 1 pinch

Icing Sugar - 1/2 cup

Water - 3 tbsp


Method:

1.  Grease cake pan with butter and dust with powdered sugar on all sides.  Preheat oven for 10 minutes to 170 degrees C.

2.  Add 1/2 cup sugar, 1 tsp lavender seeds, and almond meal in the small jar of the mixie or food processor.

3.  On medium speed, process for a minute until all the three have combined well.  Do not process for long.

4.   Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.  Keep aside.

5.  Add vinegar to fresh cream in a bowl.  Keep aside.

6.  Add butter into a bowl and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes until soft and fluffy.

7.  Add the remaining 1/2 cup sugar to the butter and beat on high speed for about 5 to 7 minutes until they are well combined, creamy, light, and fluffy.

8.  Add in the lavender almond mixture and beat for about a minute on medium speed until combined.

9.  Add the eggs one at a time beating on low speed for a minute after adding each egg.

10.  Add 1 tsp of vanilla extract and beat for a minute until everything is combined together.

11.  Add half of the flour mixture and beat on low speed until just combined.  Do not over beat.

12.  Add the cream-vinegar mixture and again beat on low speed until just combined.  Make sure you do not over beat.

13.  Mix in the remaining flour mixture and beat on low speed until just combined.  Do not over beat.  Scrape the sides of the bowl and mix well.

14.  Pour the cake batter in the prepared pan and tap to release any air bubbles.

15.  Bake in a preheated oven at 170 degrees C for 40 to 50 minutes until the cake has risen, looks soft, and a tooth pick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool on a wire rack.

16.  For the glaze, boil lavender seeds and water for about 5 minutes on low flame.  Switch off and close the lid to let the flavor seep into the water.  Filter the lavender seeds and add the flavored water to icing sugar and make glaze.  Adjust icing sugar or hot water to get the proper pouring consistency.

17.  Pour the glaze over the cake and let it set for 1/2 an hour.

18.  Your cake is ready to served, gobbled up, grabbed, and lo you can see it vanish in no time.  It has such a good aroma of the lavender seeds and the cake with all the richness of almond meal and the whole house smells divine while baking it that you start gasping to catch the sweet smell of it.

Not getting the dry lavender seeds should not stop you from baking this cake.  There is always an alternative.  You can use edible lavender oil or lavender extracts or essence to make this cake.  It is a sure try.  Do not miss it.

Happy Baking!!!