Simple Summer Baking: Lavender Tea Cake

By Julia Weeman in Food on Jul 22, 2012 7:00PM

Lavender is usually used as a subtle note in recipes, often paired with lemon or vanilla. This recipe is for a lovely chocolatey cake that allows the sweet floral flavor of lavender to really shine. It is a fantastic summer recipe as it is a lighter cake that requires no frosting - just a dusting of powdered sugar. This cake pairs well with Earl Grey tea (iced or hot) or is an excellent end to a spring or summer dinner. It’s a quick recipe that’s great for a crowd - it makes about 24 brownie-size slices.

Lavender Tea Cake

Ingredients:

3/4 C. raw sugar
3/4 C. white sugar
1 1/2 C. all-purpose flour
1/2 C. white whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. fine sea salt
1/2 C. extra virgin coconut oil
1/2 c. unsalted butter
1/3 C. unsweetened cocoa powder
2 eggs
1/2 C. lowfat milk
1 1/2 tsp. Madagascar bourbon vanilla
1/8 C. dried lavender

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Grease and flour a 13 x 18 inch baking sheet.
3. Mix sugar, flour, baking, soda, salt and lavender in a large bowl.
4. Combine 1 C. water with coconut oil, butter, and cocoa in a small pot and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and stir into dry ingredients until smooth.
5. Whisk together eggs, milk, and vanilla and add to bowl, stirring until batter is smooth and all ingredients are incorporated.
6. Pour into pan and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool on a rack.
7. While cake is still slightly warm, dust lightly with powdered sugar for a classic, elegant finish. We like to use a sifter to keep it looking pretty. If you prefer to create the fractal look in the photo, sprinkle heavily with powdered sugar and cover with plastic wrap, once bottom of pan is cool.