CHOCOLATE, LAVENDER AND LEMON BUNDT CAKE

SERVES 8-10

The combination of chocolate, lavender and lemon is an absolute winner in this cake. The lavender is subtle – it’s not like nibbling a bar of Grandma’s soap at all – and the lemon adds freshness to the whole shebang. The cake itself is light and moist, but one best eaten within a couple of days.

Flavourless vegetable oil, for oiling ¾tbsp culinary lavender buds 350g caster sugar 200g unsalted butter, softened 280g plain flour 50g dark chocolate (60–70% cocoa solids), grated 50g cocoa powder 1tsp baking powder

½tsp bicarbonate of soda ½tsp fine sea salt 3 large eggs 180g Greek yogurt 1–2tbsp milk, if needed FOR THE GLAZE 200g icing sugar, sifted 40–50ml lemon juice 1½tbsp unsalted butter, melted Pinch of fine sea salt Lavender sprigs, to decorate 1 Preheat the oven to 170C/gas mark 3. Generously brush the inside of a 2.4-litre bundt tin with oil, making sure to get into all the crevices.

2 Blitz the lavender and half the sugar to a powder in a food processor. Transfer to a mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, add the remaining sugar and the butter and beat until very pale and creamy – this will take at least 7 minutes.

3 Using a fork or balloon whisk, whisk the flour, grated chocolate, cocoa, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt together in another bowl.

4 In a jug, whisk the eggs and yogurt together. Add this to the butter and sugar mixture, alternating with the flour mixture, beating well after each addition. Add a splash of milk to loosen if the batter is too stiff to fall off the end of a wooden spoon, but it shouldn’t be runny.

5 Spoon the batter into the prepared tin, smoothing with the back of a spoon to ensure that the batter fills all the crevices at the bottom of the tin. Tap the tin on the work surface a couple of times to remove all the air bubbles.

6 Bake for 40–45 minutes until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool. 7 To make the glaze, mix the icing sugar, lemon juice, melted butter and salt together in a bowl. Drizzle over the cooled cake so that it covers the top and runs down the sides, then decorate with lavender sprigs.

Cook’s Note: Culinary lavender is a particularly flavourful variety sold in speciality shops specifically to cook with. Unsprayed lavender buds from the garden are fine, but might vary in strength.