Lemon Bundt Cake with Lavender Cream

When I was home over spring break, one of our lavender plants was buzzing with honeybees and my grandma had brought over big, bright lemons. I felt like spring had finally come! Alas, I am back in the Davis rain, making this cake seem less seasonally-appropriate. (I find myself craving it nonetheless)
I made this lemon cake recipe for my sister’s baby shower last summer. Not to toot my horn too much, but it is seriously delicious. The lavender “cream” is somewhere between a thick icing and a thin cream cheese, making it a lighter treat for a hot spring/summer day.
Best enjoyed with a cup of tea and good company.

BEFORE YOU START

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
Grease and flour a standard bundt cake pan

INGREDIENTS

BATTER

• 1/2 cup of vegan butter (I used Miyokos)

• 1 cup of white, granulated sugar

• 1/4 cup of lemon juice

• 3-4 tbs of lemon zest (about 2 lemons)

• 2 tsp apple cider vinegar

• 1 cup of milk

• 2 cups of pastry/cake flour

• 2 sprigs of lavender, minced

• 2 tsp of baking powder

• 1/2 tsp of baking soda

• 1/2 tsp salt

Lavender Cream

• 1 (roughly 15 oz) can of chickpeas

• 1/4 tsp of cream of tartar

• Pinch of salt

• 1/2 cups of sugar

• 2.5 tbs of water

• 5 sprigs of lavender, de-stemmed

• 1/2 cup of vegetable shortening

• 1 cup of powdered sugar

• 1/4 cup of arrowroot

PREPARATION

1. Cream butter and sugar on the highest speed for 6 minutes in a stand mixer (or by hand, if you’re brave).

2. In a large measuring cup or a small bowl, whisk the lemon juice, lemon zest, apple cider vinegar, and milk. Pour into the creamed sugar and mix until just combined. The mixture will be lumpy and generally bad-looking.

3. In a medium to large bowl, whisk the flour, lavender, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

4. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet while mixing on low. Continue to mix until the batter is fluffy and no large lumps remain. Do not over mix.

5. Immediately pour this into your greased and floured bundt cake pan and bake for about 50 minutes, or until golden and pulling from the edges.

6. While the cake is baking, in a medium saucepan with a candy or laser thermometer (or judge by eye if you have made candy or Italian meringue before), add the sugar, lavender, and water. Heat on medium-high to about 200 degrees while whisking, and then remove from heat. Allow the lavender to steep while you do steps 7 and 8.

7. Pour the liquid from a chickpea can into a saucepan and heat on medium-high until it is reduced to 1/3 cup, occasionally stirring. Once it has reduced, cool in the freezer or on ice to at least room temperature or cooler.

8. After the chickpea liquid has cooled, add to stand mixer (or use hand-mixer) with the cream of tartar and a pinch of salt and beat on high until it has formed stiff peaks. Cover with a towel or plastic to prevent moisture damage.

9. Remove most of the lavender flowers from the lavender sugar with a slotted spoon, and then increase the heat to medium-high, whisking constantly. Once the sugar has reached 245 degrees (or “firm-ball” texture) immediately pour into the chickpea-meringue and beat on medium-high speed until incorporated. If you mess up and the sugar crystallizes, add a little bit of boiling water and try again!

10. Add the vegetable shortening, powdered sugar, and arrowroot powder to the stand mixer and beat until you have a thick, almost elastic consistency.

11. Once the cake has cooled, dump it right side up onto a serving plate. Using a spoon, spread dollops of the cream-frosting onto the upper surface of the bake and allow it to drip down. You can play around with how much you want to use on the top, but I kept the design somewhat minimalist. When I served the cake, I spread a little bit of the extra frosting on each slice.

Annalise