Cooking Light Lavender Tea Cake

This Wednesday I made the CL Lavender Tea Cake. We were going to a friend's apartment for dinner, and I gleefully offered to make dessert. Whenever we go to this particular friend's for dinner, we always bring a course. So if she and her boyfriend come to us, she'll often bring dessert or appetizers. Since we went to them this time, I brought dessert.

M. and I joined a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) organization right here in Cobble Hill. We have mixed feelings about it so far - the yield is pitifully small for our veggie heavy needs. But, we get to try new things. The first new thing we tried were chive blossoms - which we crumbled in salads. It was interesting, but not spectacular. This week's new and exciting item was lavender. So I searched for a lavender recipe to make.

This cake was excellent. You can fool yourself into thinking its relatively good for you because its from Cooking Light, however barring the yogurt instead of oil - not much was light about it. But the plus side was that it had a rich taste to it, and didn't lack in flavor the way recipes that slash butter often can. Maybe that was the yogurt at work. I added a touch more lavender - maybe three and a half tablespoons but that didn't seem to detract from the taste. The lavender remained present but not too overwhelming. All the tasters at the dinner loved it, and I thought it was great. I would definitely make it again (and might to use up the lavender) although M. is dreaming of a lavender creme brulee so that might have to come first. But, it is a big bunch of lavender ....

Of course, I don't have a picture because I hadn't had my blog idea yet. But here's the recipe...

Glazed Lavender Tea Cake

A perfect vehicle for the beginner lavender cook, this subtly sweet, delicate tea cake is great for breakfast, dessert, or a snack.


Cake:
1 cup granulated sugar
5 tablespoons butter or stick margarine, softened
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 large egg white
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup plain fat-free yogurt
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh lavender leaves
Cooking spray

Glaze:
1/3 cup sifted powdered sugar
1 teaspoon water
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°.
To prepare cake, beat granulated sugar, butter, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla at medium speed of a mixer until well-blended (about 5 minutes). Add egg and egg white, 1 at a time; beat well after each addition. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; stir well. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture alternately with yogurt, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Stir in lavender.

Pour the batter into an 8-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

To prepare glaze, combine powdered sugar and remaining ingredients. Spread over hot cake. Cool in pan 20 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

Yield: 10 servings (serving size: 1 slice).

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