Ginger Lavender Cake

[vgnwtch]

As my mother requested a birthday cake that was neither too big nor too sweet, I took Ellen Abraham's basic vanilla cake from Simple Treats and jazzed it up a little. It became a ginger lavender cake, and here's the recipe, along with a photo:

Ginger Lavender Cake:

• 1/4c. sunflower oil
• 1/4c. maple syrup
• 2c. soymilk (I used 1 1/2c. water and 1/2c. soymilk)
• 2tsp. apple cider vinegar
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract

• 1/2c. sugar
• 3 1/2c. barley flour (you can use plain, unbleached flour, but the barley flour's lovely)
• 2 tsp. bicarb [baking soda]
• 2tsp. baking powder
• 1\4tsp. grated nutmeg (I used ground nutmeg)
• 1tsp.salt

To this, I added the buds of 3 medium-large fresh lavender flowers and 1 tbsp. grated ginger. I was tempted to throw in more ginger, but erred on the side of caution.

1. Heat oven to 350F/176C
2. Mix dry ingredients well with a whisk
   
3. Mix wet ingredients well with a whisk
4. Pour wet into dry, add ginger and lavender buds, and mix well
5. Pour into an oiled and floured cake tin - mine was an old one of my grandmother's, a sort of pre-springform tin with a removable bottom, and there was enough left over to make 6 cupcakes
6. Bake 30 minutes, turn half way and bake 5-6 minutes
   

An important caveat: When I made it, I forgot the vinegar. The cake, therefore, didn't rise as well as it should have, and rose slightly unevenly. That's fine in this case, because it helped with the whole slightly eccentric, straight from the garden look I was going for, and the cupcakes tasted pretty fab (spousal rating: "Really good. In fact, excellent."), and my mother will never know that this is usually a fluffier, taller cake...!

I then made lavender syrup, buttercream, and glaze:

Lavender Syrup:

• 2c. sugar (I used caster sugar)
• 1c. water
• 1/4c. lavender flower heads, packed well

1. Place in pot on high heat and bring to boil, stirring
2. Remove from heat
3. Boil water and sterilise clean glass jar and lid
   
4. Pour boiling water over clean muslin to sterilise it
5. Place muslin over jar mouth and secure (I used an elastic band
6. Pour syrup through muslin

I sliced the cooled cake horizontally and drizzled 3tsp. lavender syrup on each of the sliced halves. Then I made basic buttercream (margarine, icing sugar, a pinch of salt, and a little water) and spread it thinly. Over the cake, I poured a thin glaze of icing sugar and water, with a little lavender colouring, and made sure it caught all of the top and most of the sides. I then added 5 candles, lavender heads, and sprigs of marjoram.



The cake is to be served with cashew cream:

Cashew Cream:

• 3/4c. cashews
• 1c. water

1. Whizz in blender for several minutes, until smooth and fluffy