SERVES 8-10
The combination of chocolate, lavender and lemon is an absolute winner in this cake. The lavender is subtle – it’s not like nibbling a bar of Grandma’s soap at all – and the lemon adds freshness to the whole shebang. The cake itself is light and moist, but one best eaten within a couple of days.
Flavourless vegetable oil, for oiling
¾tbsp culinary lavender buds
350g caster sugar
200g unsalted butter, softened
280g plain flour
50g dark chocolate (60–70% cocoa solids), grated
50g cocoa powder 1tsp baking powder
½tsp bicarbonate of soda
½tsp fine sea salt
3 large eggs
180g Greek yogurt
1–2tbsp milk, if needed
FOR THE GLAZE
200g icing sugar, sifted
40–50ml lemon juice
1½tbsp unsalted butter, melted
Pinch of fine sea salt
Lavender sprigs, to decorate
1 Preheat the oven to 170C/Gas mark 3. Generously brush the inside of a 2.4-litre bundt tin with oil, making sure to get into all the crevices.
2 Blitz the lavender and half the sugar to a powder in a food processor. Transfer to a mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, add the remaining sugar and the butter and beat until very pale and creamy – this will take at least 7 minutes.
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