yields: Four-layer 6-inch cake + 7 cupcakes
Earl Grey Lavender Cake
410g unsalted butter, room temp2 3/4 cup sugar
6 eggs
1 lb + 6 1/2 oz all purpose flour
1 tbsp earl grey tea, finely ground (3 bags)
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
400 ml milk
2 tbsp earl grey tea (6 bags) and 1 tsp culinary lavender
Preheat oven to 350F and grease four cake pans.
In a small sauce pan, steep the earl grey tea and lavender in the milk over medium heat. Once milk comes to a soft boil, remove the saucepan from the heat and let tea steep for 5 minutes. Strain and set aside to cool to room temp.
In a standing mixer with a paddle attachment cream the butter and sugar together. Gradually add in the eggs, one at a time.
In a separate bowl, whisk to combine flour, baking powder, finely ground earl grey tea, and salt.
Add half of the dry ingredients to the butter-sugar mixture and mix on slow to combine. Gradually pour in the milk and add in the remainder of the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.
Divide the mixture evenly among the four prepared cake pans and bake for 35-37 minutes. Check for doneness a few minutes before the 35 minute mark by using a toothpick - if the toothpick comes out clean, you're good to go. You can also test for doneness by gently pressing your finger on the cake - it should spring back up.
It's important to ensure each pan gets the exact same amount of batter; so place 580 grams of batter into each 6-inch pan. I had enough batter left over for seven additional cupcakes. Cupcakes require less cooking time, roughly 20 minutes to bake.
Honey Poached Pears
1/2 cup honey2 1/3 cup sugar
1 vanilla bean
4 large pears (Bartlett is a great variety)
Combine 6 cups water, honey, and sugar in a large saucepan.
Scrape the seeds out of the vanilla pod and add to saucepan (throw the pod husk in too, will be strained later).
Bring mixture to the boil and lower heat. Simmer for 10 minutes on low heat.
Add the pears to the mixture and continue to simmer for 20 minutes or until the pears are tender.
Remove the saucepan off the heat and strain the pears into a large bowl.
Pour the honey mixture over the pears and allow to cool before placing in refrigerator.
Lavender Buttercream
(this makes enough frosting for the cake, cupcakes, macarons and leftover bits from leveling cakes and coring cuppies)12 cups icing sugar, sifted
8 oz unsalted butter, room temp
8 oz cream cheese, room temp
3/4 cup milk
4 tsp culinary lavender
Few drops purple food coloring
In a small sauce pan, steep the lavender in the milk over medium heat. Once milk comes to a soft boil, remove the saucepan from the heat and let lavender steep for 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.
In a large bowl, cream the butter until it is pale and fluffy. Add the icing sugar, one cup at a time. Add in the three tablespoons of milk, one at a time. If buttercream is too thick, add half tablespoon of milk at a time until desired consistency is reached. Add in a few drops of purple food coloring and mix well.
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