Name: Lemon Lavender Cake
Yield: One 9-inch round cake, 8 to 10 servings
Ingredients: *Cake:**; 1½ cups all-purpose flour; 1½ teaspoons baking powder; ¼ teaspoon salt; ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened; ¾ cup granulated sugar; 2 large eggs, room temperature; Zest of 2 lemons; 1 tablespoon dried culinary lavender, finely chopped; ½ cup whole milk, room temperature; 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice; *Lemon Glaze:**; 1 cup powdered sugar; 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice; ½ teaspoon vanilla extract; A few whole lavender buds and thin lemon zest strips, for garnish

This is a cake for a spring afternoon — light, tender, fragrant. The lavender is subtle enough that people will taste it and pause, trying to place what makes it special. Use culinary lavender (not the kind from a garden center, which may be treated with pesticides).

Ingredients

*Cake:**
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
Zest of 2 lemons
1 tablespoon dried culinary lavender, finely chopped
½ cup whole milk, room temperature
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
*Lemon Glaze:**
1 cup powdered sugar
2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
A few whole lavender buds and thin lemon zest strips, for garnish

Method

Preheat your oven to 175°C (350°F). Butter and flour a 9-inch round cake pan, or line the bottom with parchment paper.
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Add the lemon zest and lavender.
Combine the milk and lemon juice in a measuring cup (it will curdle slightly — that's fine, it helps tenderize the cake).
Add the flour mixture and milk mixture to the butter mixture in alternating additions, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix on low speed, just until combined. Don't overmix.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the cake springs back when gently pressed.
Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the glaze: Whisk the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla until smooth and pourable. Add lemon juice by the teaspoon until you reach the consistency you want — it should flow slowly off a spoon.
Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cake. Scatter a few lavender buds and lemon zest strips on top.
*Storage:** Covered at room temperature for 3 days. Refrigerate in warm weather.
*Seasonal note:** If you grow lavender, harvest the buds just before they fully open for the strongest flavor. Dry them on a sheet tray in a warm spot for a few days. A little lavender goes a long way — use too much and the cake tastes like soap.