Lemon and Lavender Drizzle Cake (Recipe)

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Lemon and Lavender Drizzle Cake

A lovely lemon and lavender drizzle cake from Red Velvet and Chocolate Heartache. Featuring swede in the sponge, the cake is decorated with lavender flowers.

Introduction

Lemon and lavender might be the flavours of Provence, but this is an English summer garden with the tinkling of china cups and saucers, the creaking of wicker furniture, and hats like straw mushrooms (pretending it’s still 1912).

Serves 8

Ingredients

200g	swede, peeled and diced into 2cm cubes
120g	clear honey
2	medium free-range eggs
	finely grated zest of 1 unwaxed lemon
1 heaped tbsp	dried lavender flowers
60g	white rice flour
60g	ground almonds
2 tsp	baking powder
¼ tsp	salt
	For the drizzle:
3 tbsp	golden granulated sugar
2 tbsp	water
	freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon (100ml)
	For the top:
1 tbsp	golden granulated sugar
	a few lavender flowers

Essential kit

You will need a blender and a 19cm x 12cm x 8cm (1.7 l) loaf tin.

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Line the base of the tin with baking parchment and lightly brush the parchment and the sides of the tin with a little vegetable oil, then set aside.
Place the diced swede in a heatproof bowl with a splash of water and cover with cling film. Cook in the microwave on high for 7 minutes, until soft to the touch. Once cooked through, drain off the excess water and blend to a fine purée.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the honey and eggs for 2 minutes, until bubbly.
Add the lemon zest, lavender flowers, flour, ground almonds, baking powder and salt, and whisk again for 20 seconds. Once all the ingredients are fully incorporated, whisk in the swede purée to combine.
Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and put in the middle of the oven for 30 minutes.
Whilst the cake is cooking, prepare the drizzle. Dissolve the sugar in the water by heating slowly in a small pan. As soon as the sugar has dissolved, take off the heat and set aside. Add the lemon juice when the sugar syrup is cool.
Remove the cake from the oven, leave it in the tin and prick it right through to the bottom with a skewer so that it is covered in little holes. Drizzle the sweet lemon liquid over the cake. Do this while the cake is still hot and at its most absorbent. Finish off by sprinkling with the remaining sugar and the odd lavender flower before serving.

Copyright Penguin Books