.
Iced Lavender Loaf
Time: 35 mins
Makes 2 loaves
Per loaf:
Calories 176/slice
Fat 10g of which 6g is saturated
Suitable for vegetarians
Suitable for freezing
Milk 75ml (3fl oz)
Fresh lavender flower heads 6, plus extra for decoration, or 1 tsp dried lavender
Unsalted butter 175g (6oz) softened
Caster sugar 175g (6oz)
Lemon 1, finely grated zest
Eggs 3, beaten
Self-raising flour 175g (6oz)
Icing sugar 225g (8oz)
Violet food colouring
1 Put milk and flower heads, or dried lavender, in a small pan and bring slowly to simmering point over a low heat. Remove from heat, cover and set aside for 30 minutes.
2 Strain milk into a bowl and discard lavender.
3 Preheat oven to 180°C/Gas 4.
4 Beat butter, caster sugar and lemon zest together until soft and creamy. Beat in eggs a little at a time, adding a tablespoon of flour with each egg. Fold in remaining flour and 2 tablespoons of lavender milk.
5 Spoon the mixture into two loaf tins and level the top of each one. Stand the tins on a baking sheet and bake for 35 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
6 Leave to cool in tins for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
7 Sieve icing sugar into a bowl and stir in enough lavender milk to make a smooth paste that just holds its shape. Tint icing by mixing in a little violet food colouring and then spread it over tops of cakes with a palette knife. Decorate each cake with small sprigs of lavender flowers. Leave to set before serving.
Read the blogs on the Dairy Diary website.
Win a gorgeous
china cake stand
I would also LOVE this fabulous
cake stand (though sadly I am
not allowed to enter).
Enter our prize draw to be in a
chance to win it and a 2015 Dairy Diary.
ENTER NOW
I remember how it was always the answer to most questions in our family.It became a household catchphrase ”just look in the Dairy Diary” whether we were trying to make a sponge cake and needed to know grams from ounces or just trying to figure out how many weeks till school broke up!
i think it is time i comment on dairy diary as i bought the first one in about 1979 1980 when you bought it off the milkman i use it every day as my memory is not great i jot down down everything using the dates stickers also mty weight is recorded and distancces i walk every day i honestly coulld not do without it for which i gratefully thank you i like the fact that there is plenty of writing space and so much information on cooking and metric conversions ect ect
Thank you very much Carol (and thank you too for your loyalty!) I’m so glad that you value the Dairy Diary and use it daily.