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Had company for luncheon in the garden again and this was dessert -- a favorite lemon yogurt cake with the addition of lavender, a lemon lavender glaze while still warm and a powdered sugar/lavender syrup glaze to finish. A crystalized lavender flower for decoration. It's a yummy cake!

Martha

I'm wowed with all your pretty dishes, not to mention their delightful contents! We have a house for sale up the street--would love to have you for a neighbor!!

Martha, That looks wonderful! I have lots of lavender growing in my garden and would like to try it. Would you mind sharing the recipe?

Not at all -- It's the normal lemon yogurt cake that I found on Ina Garten's site with the addition of fresh lavender.

My theory about "Cooking With Herbs" is that you just add herbs to a favorite recipe to make "herbal food" -- this cake is a good example of this.

Martha

LEMON LAVENDER CAKE


1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
1 1/3 cups sugar, divided
3 extra-large eggs
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 "palmful" dried culinary lavender
additional culinary lavender

For the glaze:

1 cup confectioners' sugar
Lavender syrup

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8 1/2 by 4 1/4 by 2 1/2-inch loaf pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Grease and flour the pan.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into 1 bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup sugar, the eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. With a rubber spatula, fold the vegetable oil into the batter, making sure it's all incorporated. Add the palmful of lavender. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a cake tester placed in the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Meanwhile, cook the 1/3 cup lemon juice and remaining 1/3 cup sugar with a smaller palmful of lavender in a small pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Strain. Set aside.

When the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Carefully place on a baking rack over a sheet pan. While the cake is still warm, pour the lemon-sugar-lavender mixture over the cake and allow it to soak in. Cool.

For the glaze, combine the confectioners' sugar and lavender syrup until it makes a glaze and pour over the cake.

NOTE: I decorated the cakes with a crystalized lavender flower. (Brush a lavender flower with egg white and sprinkle sugar until the flower is coated and sparkly. Let dry)

Very beautiful!

Thank you for sharing your recipe, Linderhof/Martha, and my apologies for the delay in responding. (I've been out of town.) It sounds wonderful and I'm looking forward to trying it.

Do you grow your own lavender to use in recipes, such as this one?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: CA Rose,

I do although you can buy culinary lavender on line.

Lavender is the only herb that I dry for my use.

Martha

Very pretty and looks yummy!