Chocolate and lavender a perfect pairing? Who knew? I certainly didn’t until I was introduced to culinary lavender by a friend who owns a lavender farm in Tasmania. I can’t wait to visit the farm with my kids one day to watch them run wild through the vibrant purple lavender fields. A photographer’s dream!
In this simple recipe the fragrant lavender cuts beautifully through the richness of the dark chocolate cake. Not only is this a deliciously surprising flavour combination, but the texture of this pound cake is gorgeous. The addition of boiling water helps to create a unique spongy texture that is super moist, decadently dark and rich in chocolate flavour.
Be careful when cooking with culinary lavender as a little goes a long way. I’ve only used one teaspoon in the glaze. The good news is dried lavender stores for a long time so it will not go to waste.
If lavender isn’t your thing feel free to replace the icing with a straight chocolate glaze or dusting of icing sugar. I’ll be daydreaming of gorgeous lavender fields whilst enjoying a mouthwatering slice of this cake with my favourite cuppa.
- 1 cup dutch process cocoa
- ⅔ cup boiling water
- 250g softened unsalted butter, softened
- 1⅔ cup brown sugar
- 3 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup gluten free plain flour, sifted
- 1 tsp baking soda, sifted
- Lavender Glaze
- 100g white chocolate, chopped
- ¼ cup (60ml) pouring cream
- 1 tsp culinary lavender
- Purple food colouring (optional)
- Preheat oven to 160°C.
- Combine cocoa and boiling water in a small bowl and mix until smooth.
- In a mixing bowl beat butter and sugar for a few minutes until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs, vanilla and chocolate mixture and beat until combined.
- Add baking soda and flour and beat until combined.
- Pour mixture into a greased loaf tin. Bake for 1 hour or until a skewer comes out dry. Remove from tin and cool completely.
- To make the lavender glaze, place the white chocolate, cream and lavender in a small saucepan and stir over low heat for a couple of minutes until combined. Add a few drops of purple food colouring to create desired colour. Let the glaze sit for 10 min for the lavender flavour to infuse. Strain glaze to remove lavender pieces and then pour over cake.
- Preheat oven to 160°C.
- Combine cocoa and boiling water in a small bowl and mix until smooth.
- Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy in Thermomix speed 5/30 sec.
- Add eggs, vanilla and chocolate mixture to Thermomix and combine speed 5/20 sec.
- Add baking soda and flour to Thermomix and combine speed 5/10 sec.
- Pour mixture into a greased loaf tin. Bake for 1 hour or until a skewer comes out dry. Remove from tin and cool completely.
- To make the lavender glaze, place the white chocolate, cream and lavender in clean Thermomix bowl and mix 4 min/50C/speed 4. Add a few drops of purple food colouring to create desired colour and mix 5 sec/speed 4. Let the glaze sit for 10 min for the lavender flavour to infuse. Strain glaze to remove lavender pieces and then pour over cake.
Wow! I have cooked with culinary lavender before but never has the end result been such a vivid indigo / violet colour. This might be my weekend baking venture…
enjoy