Lemon & lavender cakes

 

(for the cake)

340g butter, softened

340g granulated sugar

6 eggs

340g self-raising flour, sifted

3 t baking powder

3 T buttermilk or sourcream

lemon zest

purple food coloring gel

icing sugar for dusting

(for the syrup & curd filling)

juice of 5 lemons

1 t edible lavender

2 T icing sugar, sifted

3 T lemon curd

(for the buttercream)

350g icing sugar, sifted

1 T cream cheese

15g butter, softened

juice of 1 lemon

[how to make]

(for the cake)

*Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

*Grease and line three 8" round cake pans with parchment.

*Using an electric whisk to mix the butter and sugar in a bowl until light and creamy.

*Add eggs and whisk again.

*Fold in the flour, baking powder, buttermilk or sour ceam, and lemon zest using a spatula, until incorporated.

*Spoon one-third of the mixture into one of the prepared cake pans.

*Add a few drops of food coloring to the cake mixture and whisk in so that you have an even pale purple color.

*Spoon half of the colored mixture into another of the cake pans.

*Add a few more drops of food coloring to the remaining batter to make it a darker purple color, then spoon the mixture into the final pan.

*Bake for 25~30 minutes, until they are firm to the touch and a knife inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean.

(for the syrup & curd filling)

*In a small saucepan set over medium heat, heat the lemon juice, lavender and icing sugar and bring to the boil.

*Mix 1 T of the syrup with the lemon curd and set aside, then spoon the remaining syrup over the cakes and leave to cool in the pans.

*Once cool, remove the cakes from the pans.

*Place one of the cakes on a chopping board and cut out 5 circles of sponge with the 2.5" cutter.

*Discard the trimmings.(You could save them for some other purpose.)

*Repeat with the remaining 2 cakes. 

*Cut each small cake in half horizontally, so that you have 10 discs of cake in each color, 30 in total.

(for the buttercream)

*Whisk together the icing sugar, cream cheese, butter and lemon juice until you have a smooth, stiff icing.

(for the assembling)

*Spoon the buttercream into the pastry bag and pipe a ring of buttercream around the edge of the 10 darkest purple cakes.

*Spoon a teaspoonful of the leavender lemon curd into the center of each ring, then top each with one of the light purple-colored cakes.

*Repeat with another ring of buttercream adn fill with lemon curd, then top each cake with one of the plain sponges.

*Dust the cakes with icing sugar, then scatter edible lavender pieces.

(These cakes will keep for up to 3 days stored in an airtight container, but are best eaten on the day they are made.)

-makes 10-

Note: I modified the decoration from the original recipe in "naked cakes" by Hannah Miles.