Lemon Lavender Everything

I'm not the biggest fan of lavender flavored things. In general, I don't like the taste of flowery things much. However, lemon and lavender is one of the best (and most trendy) flavor combos out there. In the summer I make an amazing lavender lemonade. I'll share that recipe with you at a later date though.

Today I decided to share with you a Lemon Lavender Polenta cake that I found on food52. I baked it with my friend Liv, and we took lots of pretty pictures of it, but I'll talk more about that later.

The cake was beautiful and really simple to make. Plus, I love polenta and cornmeal and pretty much anything made from corn, so that was fun for me. Who cares that corn has no nutritional value? #elkinthekitchen

Lemon Lavender Polenta Cake (from food52)

Ingredients

200 grams unsalted butter, softened, plus some to grease the cake pan

170 grams caster or natural cane sugar

100 grams cake flour (all-purpose flour also works)

200 grams polenta or cornmeal

1.5 teaspoons baking powder

3 medium eggs

Zest of 2 lemons

Juice of one lemon

1 teaspoon dried (culinary grade) lavender

Directions

1. Line the base of a 9-inch springform cake tin (a slightly smaller one will work as well) with baking parchment and grease sides lightly with butter. Preheat the oven to 350º F. 

2. Beat the butter and sugar till pale and whipped, 3 to 5 minutes. 

3. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, polenta, and baking powder, then beat some of this into the butter/sugar mixture, followed by one egg. Alternate adding dry ingredients and eggs, beating all the while. 

4. Finally, beat in the lemon zest, lemon juice, and lavender. Then pour, spoon, or scrape the mixture into your prepared tin and bake in the oven, about 40 minutes. (Please remember that depending on altitude, cooking times can change. Higher altitudes usually require a slightly longer time.) 

5. It may seem a bit wobbly but, if the cake is cooked, a cake tester (I actually just use a slender steak knife) should come out clean. Transfer it from oven to a wire cooling rack, but leave in its tin.

For the Syrup

Ingredients

Juice of 2 lemons

125 grams granulated sugar

Icing sugar, for topping

Directions

1. Make the syrup by boiling together the lemon juice and sugar in a small saucepan. 

2. Once the sugar has dissolved into the juice, leave it for about one minute more and then you’re done. 

3. Prick the top of the cake all over with a cake tester, fork, or skewer. Be careful not to tear the cake too much if using a fork or a skewer, as it is delicate. Pour the warm syrup over the cake, and leave to cool before taking it out of its tin. 

4. Before serving, sprinkle icing sugar (using a sieve) over the top of the cake. Then slice and serve.