Lavender Lemon Cake with Chunky Berry Chutney

by Nyani-Iisha Martin

Cake:

2 sticks soft (NOT melted) butter

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

4 eggs, separated and whites beaten lightly

2 cups flour

1/4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp grated/chopped lemon peel

juice of 1/2 lemon

1 tsp crumbled lavender

1 pinch nutmeg or mace

1 pinch salt

Mix this cake by hand for the best results. The cake base can be flavored many different ways, but I like this flavoring.

Whirl sugars, lavender, lemon peel and juice, and spices in food processor until well-combined. Dump into a bowl and cream well with the butter, then add yolks and blend thoroughly. Then add the flour and baking powder all at once and cream them in until just barely combined; add egg whites and mix in until batter is spoonably-thick and sticky, not pourable, but is well mixed (about a half minute to minute of beating after incorporation). The batter should be thick, like sour cream, not pourable (but if it is pourable it'll just be a little tough. It'll still taste good). Put into a prepared bundt pan or ring pan and bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes. Do not open oven for at least 1/2 hour.

Chunky Berry Chutney:

1 cup assorted berries, washed and cut into raspberry-sized pieces

1 small cinnamon stick

1/2 cup jam (any kind you like)

1/2 cup juice or water

assorted herbs and spices (I use a piece of candied ginger, broken up, a sprig of mint if I can get it,some lemon peel, and some hibiscus or an herbal tea bag containing a hibiscus mix)

1 tbsp sugar

Put the juice, sugar, jam, and spices in the saucepan, bring to a boil, and cook over fairly high heat for 5 to ten minutes, until reduced by half again. Strain out the seasonings and put the syrup back into the pan. Bring it to a boil again and add the berries; stir to coat and pour into a bowl to cool.

Return to the Too Much Food Recipes Page
Return to Rachel's Nest