INGREDIENTS

For the Love of LAVENDER

STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY LAUREN FERRAGUT CARLSON

I

get a lot of inspiration for baking by looking out my windows. In summer, the flower gardens are in full bloom and the vegetables are ripe for picking. Pops of peach from roses, the pink hues from cosmos and bursts of bright red from tomatoes surround me. Since I started gardening, I’ve always incorporated lavender. It is great for pollinators, color, long blooms and its intoxicating smell when the breeze blows it just right. In late summer, I enjoy harvesting and drying my lavender to use in candles and soaps. Incorporating it dried, into my baking, is a perfect way to enjoy the fragrant floral days of summer well into the fall and winter seasons.

Lavender is simple to process. Just after this year’s bloom, I harvested the stems, rinsed them well, and hung or laid them flat to dry. That’s it! It will only take a couple of days, depending on the humidity. My favorite way to use this fragrant natural flavor is in fig and lavender cake with goat cheese frosting.

If you don’t have dried lavender, don’t let that stop you! You can purchase dried lavender online, at specialty stores and in grocery stores. This cake is simple to make. My favorite component about this cake (besides the lavender) is the dried figs, mostly their seeds. The fig itself is chewy and the seeds add a delicious crunch. One baking tip for chopping the figs is to first coat them in flour. This will help keep the figs from sticking together (and on your knife)

when you chop them. It will also hinder the figs from sinking to the bottom of your cake batter.

The frosting for this cake is similar to cream cheese frosting but one level up because I use goat cheese. It is the perfect blend of tang and sweetness. I like the frosting to be soft. It is somewhere between a frosting and a very thick glaze. You can dollop it on top of the cake, smear it over to the sides and let gravity take over. If you like a thicker frosting, you may add more powdered sugar and omit the tablespoon of whole milk.

The texture is soft and almost pillow-like,

Native to western Asia and the Middle East, figs commonly found dried, are delicious when eaten fresh. They are packed with vitamin A, C, calcium, iron, potassium, and magnesium.

One baking tip for chopping figs is to first coat them with flour to prevent them from sticking together. This will also hinder the figs from sinking to the very bottom of the baking pan.

There are several options I have tried when baking. I have used loaf pans, round cake pans, and cupcake pans – all work perfectly. Goat cheese frosting is the crowning glory.

thanks to the addition of the beaten egg white, which you gently fold in at the end just before baking. This cake does not require a special occasion to be made. It is a humble cake with a sophisticated twist.

The fragrant flavor of a summer garden, all year long.

continued on page 78

FIG AND LAVENDER CAKE WITH GOAT CHEESE FROSTING

INGREDIENTS: ½ cup salted butter, softened 1 cup granulated sugar 2 large eggs, separated ²∕³ cups whole milk 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 tsp. baking powder ¼ tsp. salt 6 or 7 dried figs, dusted in flour and chopped 1 Tbsp. crushed lavender METHOD: Beat softened butter with sugar until pale yellow, 2-3 minutes. Add in egg yolks and chopped dried figs. In another bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt. Alternating with the milk, add dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Beat well. Whip egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold gently into the cake batter until well incorporated. Line a 9-inch cake pan with a parchment round. Butter and flour. You can also spray well with a baking spray. This recipe also makes about 12-15 cupcakes. Bake at 350 degrees F. for approximately 40 minutes or until golden brown.

What is Lavender?

Lavender is a bushy, lovely-scented perennial plant that originates from the Mediterranean. Prized for its fragrance, medicinal properties, and beautiful color, lavender is a valued plant across the world. We associate lavender with its fragrance and color, but the essential oil derived from the flower provides a multitude of purposes. The fragrant oil has antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties and can be used as a natural mosquito repellant. The sweet overtones of the oil are desired for fragrances, balms, salves, perfumes, and cosmetics. For culinary applications, its notable taste of lemon and citrus notes is highly desired as a spice for teas, pasta, salads, dressings, and desserts. The flower buds, processed by bees, are an essential ingredient in honey. Lavender flowers yield abundant amounts of nectar, from which bees make high-quality honey. A member of the mint family, lavender is also cultivated as an ornamental plant to be WineTime! enjoyed in our gardens. An added benefit? Its fragrant addition to our landscapes provides a strong attraction to pollinators.

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THE FROSTING:

INGREDIENTS: ½ cup salted butter, softened 8 oz. plain goat cheese 1 vanilla bean, scraped (or 1 tsp. vanilla extract) 1 Tbsp. whole milk 2-4 cups powdered sugar ¼ tsp. salt

METHOD: Whip butter and goat cheese together with vanilla bean until smooth. Add in milk, powdered sugar and salt, and beat until fluffy. Add more sugar if you prefer a thicker frosting.

Dollop and smear on top of the cake.

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