Lavender-lemon Pound Cake

Total Time: 1 hr 25 mins Preparation Time: 35 mins Cook Time: 50 mins

Ingredients

• 2 cups unsalted butter (4 sticks)
• 2 tablespoons dried lavender
• 10 eggs
• 2 cups sugar
• 3 1/4 cups cake flour
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons grated fresh lemon zest (from about 4 lemons)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (or one large vanilla bean, scraped)
• 1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 4 tablespoons dried lavender, divided
• 1/2-1 cup powdered sugar

Recipe

• 1 preheat the oven to 350 degrees f. butter and flour a 9 to 10-inch bundt pan.
• 2 melt the butter with 2 tablespoons of dried lavender in a small saucepan. off the heat and let mixture steep for 10 minutes; strain and set aside to cool.
• 3 in a large mixing bowl (use a stand mixer or a hand held one) beat together the eggs and 2 cups of sugar until thick and pale, about 5 minutes.
• 4 sift together the flour and salt in a bowl.
• 5 fold the lemon zest and one-third of the flour mixture into the eggs until thoroughly combined. gradually fold in the remaining flour, in two batches, scraping the bowl as needed.
• 6 in a separate bowl, whisk 1 cup of the batter with the melted butter and vanilla. add this to the remaining batter and fold to combine.
• 7 pour the batter into the prepared pan and fill to about 2/3rds full. (use any remaining batter to make about 4 cupcakes). bake cake until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean, about 50 minutes.
• 8 transfer the cake to a wire rack and let cool completely.
• 9 meanwhile, make the lavender-lemon syrup.:.
• 10 combine sugar, water, lemon juice and 3 tablespoons of dried lavender in a saucepan.
• 11 bring the mixture to a simmer and cook until the sugar dissolves. remove from heat and let steep for 3-4 minutes. the syrup will take on the slightest blush color of pale lavender.
• 12 position the cake on a wire rack over a rimmed sheet pan. with a fork or skewer, poke the cake all over. brush the top and sides of the cake with almost half the syrup and let cool completely.
• 13 for the glaze:.
• 14 in a measuring cup with a pour spout add 2 strained tablespoons of the remaining syrup. gradually whisk in the powdered sugar to the desired consistency, and continue to whisk until blended and smooth. add a few drops of syrup at a time to adjust consistency, as needed.
• 15 drizzle the glaze onto the cake, and garnish with a sprinkle of dried lavender flowers or crystallized sugar for extra pizazz! if you like, serve cake slices with a scoop of lemon verbena sorbet on the side, studded with a sliver of candied ginger.