Lavender Lemonade Bundt Cake ~ #BundtBakers

The theme this month for #BundtBakers is Secret Garden, and we were asked to bake bundts with flowers, herbs or summer vegetables as an ingredient or theme. I choose a flower I have never baked with before - lavender.

The idea for this cake actually came about from a recipe for a drink I happened to see - lavender lemonade - and of course I wanted to turn it into a cake. I also wanted to use lavender as we have a beautiful lavender farm on Maui called Ali'i Kula Lavender Farm, and thought it would be great to use something local.  Unfortunately I looked everywhere on Oahu and even called the farm to ask whom they ship to, and still drew a blank.  It was too cost prohibitive to order directly from them.  In the end I found culinary lavender at a health food store.

Whilst searching for a recipe I came across a quick and easy recipe that originally started out as cupcakes.  It also used a boxed cake mix.  I don't know about you, but sometimes I find a boxed mix is a lifesaver.  You know those nights when just before bed your child casually mentions that there is a bake sale tomorrow, and you have been signed up to provide cupcakes. My youngest just graduated high school, so I guess those days are behind me unless she decided to do a bake sale at college ;)

I swear I followed the recipe as written, but I have to be honest and say that it did not turn out as well as I would have liked.  The flavor was good, with a nice tang from the lemonade concentrate but the lavender was way too faint for my liking.  There is such a delicate balance between lavender being a wonderful accent in baking or it coming out tasting like soap, but I definitely think this recipe needs more lavender. The other problem was how dense it was, and I knew I was in trouble when it shrunk after coming out of the pan. Honestly, I wondered if I would wake up to a pancake-shaped cake the following morning.  Maybe there was some user error, but I won't know until I try making it again using the same recipe which I intend to do soon as the flavors show such promise and it was so easy to put together.

If you would like to know more about #BundtBakers and see what the other bakers made for the Secret Garden theme please scroll down below the recipe. Thank you to Sue from A Palatable Pastime for hosting this month.


Lavender Lemonade Bundt Cake
(Printer Friendly Recipe)

Ingredients
Cake ~

• 160ml frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
• 1 package white cake mix
• 1 tablespoon dried culinary lavender, finely ground in a spice grinder
• 225g sour cream
• 85g cream cheese, softened
• 3 large eggs
• 80ml vegetable oil

Frosting ~

• 85g unsalted butter, softened
• 85g cream cheese, softened
• 30ml frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
• 250g powdered sugar

Preparation

Cake ~

1. Preheat oven to 180℃.
2. Remove 30 ml lemonade concentrate from can, and reserve for frosting.
3. Combine remaining concentrate, cake mix, finely ground lavender, sour cream, cream cheese and eggs in a mixing bowl, beat at low speed with an electric mixer until moistened.
4. Beat at high speed 3 minutes, stopping to scrape down sides. 
5. Spoon batter into bundt pan.
6. Bake approximately 45 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. 
7. Cool in pan on a wire rack 5 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely on wire rack.
8. Once cool frost as desired.

Frosting ~

1. In a large bowl, beat together the butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer. 
2. With the mixer on low speed, add the powdered sugar a cup at a time until smooth and creamy. 
3. Beat in the lemonade concentrate.

Recipe adapted from Home is Where the Boat Is

For US Measurements please click here

#BundtBakers is a group of Bundt loving bakers who get together once a month to bake Bundts with a common ingredient or theme.  Follow our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated each month on the BundtBakers home page.

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