Lavender flowers are decidedly old-fashioned, as is this not-too-rich tea loaf. You can usually find the flowers in a health food store that sells herbs and spices in bulk. Wrap the cakes in cellophane, tie them with purple ribbon, and attach a yellow lemon-shaped tag to the package.
Grinding the almonds in a food processor with a little of the sugar will keep them from turning into nut butter. Used blanched whole almonds or whole almonds with their natural brown skins, depending on the effect you want. Ground unblanched almonds give the cake a homey look, while blanched almonds are less noticeable, emphasizing the flecks of lavender.
Recipe information
Yield
Makes 2 loaf cakes
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour two 8 by 3 3/4 by 2 1/2-inch disposable aluminum loaf pans.
Step 2
Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt onto a piece of waxed paper. Set aside.
Step 3
In a food processor, grind the almonds with 2 tablespoons of the sugar. Set aside.
Step 4
Combine the remaining sugar and the lemon zest in a mixing bowl. With your hands, rub the lemon zest into the sugar. Add the butter. With a wooden spoon or electric mixer set on medium-high speed, beat for about 3 minutes, or until very light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for about 30 seconds after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Beat in the lemon juice.
Step 5
Add half of the flour and beat in on low speed. Add all of the buttermilk, and then the remaining flour, beating on low speed after each addition just until the ingredients are blended. Finally, add the ground almonds and lavender flowers, again mixing just until combined. Spoon the batter into the prepared pans and smooth the tops with the back of a spoon.
Step 6
Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of a loaf comes out clean. Remove from the oven, let cool in the pans on a rack for 10 minutes, then turn the cakes out onto the rack to cool.
Step 7
Wrapped in plastic or aluminum foil, the cakes will keep for 2 to 3 days at room temperature and for up to 3 months in the freezer.
