Lavender Loaf Cake

 

A Lovely Lavender Cake Loaf

One of the joys of my Colorado gardens is lavender. It seems to like our dry climate, and the best part of all is that my daily visiting deer and rabbits don't eat it! I also love its pretty feathery flowers and sublime scent. It is one of the most successful things I've planted and as a perennial comes back year after year. 

Lavender is a new commercial cash crop for the state of Colorado, especially on our Western Slope. Lavender is traditionally grown in the mountainous regions of the Mediterranean and in Northern Africa, as it prefers a hot and dry climate with plenty of sunshine. It also does well in Colorado, as we get over 300 sunny days a year and certain areas have the sandy, well-draining soil that lavender loves to grow in.  Almost every year the Denver Botanic Garden at Chatfield holds a Lavender Festival--click here--to read a blog post about that. The garden grows nineteen different varieties of lavender in colors from blue to pink to white. The festival includes lavender demonstrations, live music, craft and food vendors, farm tours, and activities for children, but it sadly had to be canceled this year due to the virus.  Hopefully, it will be able to be held again next summer.

I planted lavender near walkways in my front yard so that I brush against it when I walk in and out of my house and smell its lovely scent. In my home's backyard, it gets more sun and grows thick and tall. I've seen many bees and hummingbirds visit it and in autumn tiny little birds sit in the lavender bushes and eat the seeds that have formed inside the lavender buds.  I always leave a bunch of lavender stems behind when I harvest it for that reason.

After blooming, I cut the lavender stalks and allow them to dry in a cool place.  I usually hang them in my north-facing garage which is always cool. When dried, I pull off the little buds and save them in a jar. It is a delightful job as it smells so good as I do this!  When my jar is filled I save the excess in small drawstring organza material bags and use them as sachets.

Dried lavender buds can be used to flavor many foods. Since the lavender flavor intensifies when the herb is dried, the dried buds should be used sparingly. Lavender can be ground into sugar and used in butter cookies or it can be infused in cream for lavender-scented whipped cream or ice cream. Herbes de Provence is a combination of thyme, marjoram, rosemary, oregano, savory, and often lavender, and goes wonderfully with lamb, or grilled or roasted chicken.

I like to add dried lavender to cakes and muffins. It tastes especially good when accompanied by another flavoring such as vanilla, lemon, or almond.  I love lavender so much I have a whole Pinterest board devoted to it--click here--that has many lavender ideas, recipes, growing tips, plus some beautiful scenic photos of it and lavender fields.

One of my favorite lavender recipes is a simple but delicious Lavender Loaf Cake, a slice of which is perfect as a not overly sweet treat with coffee or tea.  Recipe to follow...

Lovely Lavender Loaf Cake

Ingredients:

3/4 cup buttermilk
2 Tsp dried lavender or 1 Tbsp. fresh lavender, finely chopped 
6 Tbsp. butter softened
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a 9×5 inch loaf pan.

Combine the buttermilk and lavender in a small saucepan over medium heat. Heat to a simmer, then remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.

In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg until the mixture is light and fluffy; add in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt and stir into the creamed mixture alternately with the milk and lavender until just blended.

Pour into the prepared pan.

Bake for 45-50 minutes in the preheated oven.

 Cool in pan 20 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan and allow to cool completely.

You can dust with powdered sugar or add a glaze icing if desired, but I like to serve plain. This cake has a tender and moist crumb, almost like a pound cake, and a very delicate hint of lavender which makes it very enticing!  I hope you will enjoy it!

Stay happy, safe, and healthy!

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