Lavender Lemon Pound Cake

I have had a long standing love affair with lavender. During finals week at college, it was my lavender scented shampoo that helped calm me down after a stressful day of tests. In mid summer, the vibrant purple flowers of the lavender bushes flirted with my senses. And it wasn't until a few years back that I finally discovered that lavender could tickle my taste buds as well.

The first time I discovered a recipe that involved lavender was, I am embarrassed to admit, in a wedding magazine. As I flipped through the pages of day dreams, I stumbled upon a recipe for lavender shortbread cookies. Enthralled by the notion of cooking with lavender, I immediately set to work on testing out the recipe. Although I loved lavender dearly, I thought for sure that a lavender cookie would taste nothing short of munching on potpourri. But boy was I wrong! It was a whole new flavor I had never experienced before. Mingling with the buttery sweet taste of the shortbread was an aromatic, earthy flavor that is hard to describe.

Ever since that day I have been trying to think of new lavender concoctions, allowing this distinguished new flavor an equal opportunity in the world of desserts. And this weekend I finally took the plunge, testing out one of my ideas: lavender lemon pound cake. It was my hope that the sweet, tart flavor of the lemon pound cake would blend harmoniously with the distinctive taste of lavender. I am happy to say, the experiment was a success! This new twist on a classic dessert brought to light a whole new explosion of flavor that I feel quite proud of. I had to take a picture of the small heal of cake that was left before the last of it was consumed by my husband! This turned out to be one popular cake!

 

Lavender Lemon Pound Cake

Ingredients:
16 tablespoons unsalted butter (2 sticks), plus 1 tablespoon, softened, for greasing pan
1 1/2 cups flour, plus 1 tablespoon for dusting pan
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup dry lavender buds
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
2 tablespoons grated lemon zest
1/4 cup lemon juice (from 1-2 medium lemons)
4 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Lemon Glaze (Optional)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice (from 1-2 medium lemons)

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9 by 5-inch loaf pan with 1 tablespoon softened butter; dust with 1 tablespoon of flour, tapping out excess. In medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, dried lavender buds, and salt; set aside.
In glass measuring cup or microwave-safe bowl, microwave butter, covered with plastic wrap, at full power until melted, 1 minute.
In a medium bowl, mix together sugar and zest until combined. Add lemon juice, eggs, and vanilla; beat together with an electric mixer until combined, about 5 seconds. While beating, gradually add melted butter in steady stream. Transfer mixture to large bowl. Sift flour mixture over egg mixture, whisking gently after each addition until just combined.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees and continue to bake until deep golden brown and skewer inserted in center comes out clean, about 35 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking time. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn onto wire rack.
If using lemon glaze, while cake is cooling in pan, bring sugar and lemon juice to boil in small saucepan, stirring occasionally to dissolve sugar. Reduce heat to low and simmer until thickened slightly, about 2 minutes.
After turning cake onto wire rack, poke the cake's top and sides with a toothpick and drizzle on Lemon Glaze. Cool to room temperature, at least 1 hour.