Alice’s Southern Style Lemon Lavender Pound Cake

Cake Ingredients:

o 1 cup unsalted butter

o 6 tbs FRESH finely chopped lavender leaves

o 1/4 cup FRESH lemon juice

o 5 large eggs

o 1 1/2 cups sugar

o 1 1/2 cups plus 2 tbs white flour

o 1 tbsp baking powder

o 1/4 tsp salt

o 1 tbs REAL, organic lemon zest

o 2 tsp REAL vanilla extract

Soak/Glaze Ingredients:

o 3/4 cup FRESH lemon juice: divided into two increments (1/2 cup and 1/4 cup)

o 1 cup powdered sugar

o 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream or half-n-half

o Fresh lavender leaves -- enough to garnish the cake

Directions:

o Preheat the oven to 350 deg Fahrenheit.

o Butter and flour a Bundt cake pan.

o Melt the butter with lavender in a saucepan. Add the fresh lemon juice and let the mixture steep for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.

o Using an electric mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat the eggs with 1 cup of sugar until thick and pale, (about 5 minutes).

o Sift the flour and salt in a bowl. Add lemon zest and 1/3 of the flour mixture into the eggs, then using a whisk, fold until thoroughly combined. Fold remaining flour in two batches.

o In a separate bowl, whisk 1 cup of the batter with the melted batter and the vanilla. Add this to the remaining batter and fold to combine. Pour the batter into the prepared Bundt pan.

o Bake the cake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.

o While the cake is baking, make the glaze: Whisk 1/4 cup lemon juice into powdered sugar, then add the cream or half-and-half... (Add more cream, if necessary, to make it less of a paste and more of a glaze).

o Transfer the cake to a wire rack and let cool completely.

o Prick holes into the top of the cake and pour 1/2 cup FRESH lemon juice over the top of the cake.

o Pour glaze over the cake.

o Garnish the top of the glazed cake with fresh lavender leaves or flowers.

o Serve.

This recipe cannot be redistributed or published elsewhere without express permission.