French Lavender And Vanilla Sugar For Elegant Cakes And Bakes Recipes

LAVENDER AND VANILLA CUPCAKE RECIPE

Steps:

• Line each cup of a 12-hole muffin tin with a cupcake insert.
• Put all the cake ingredients except the lavender in either a stand mixer or baking bowl, and beat together to create a lovely smooth cake batter. Add the lavender and stir again.
• As carefully as you can, divide the mixture evenly between the cupcake inserts. Using the back of a teaspoon, ever so gently, smooth the surface of the mixture. This is to assist in having evenly sized cakes.
• Pop into the middle shelf of the oven and bake for 20 minutes until risen and golden brown.­ Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 5 minutes, then take each cake from the tin and leave to cool completely on a wire cooling rack.
• Put the butter, the vanilla , and milk in a large bowl. Sift in half the sugar and a few drops of lavender food coloring-only add a little. You can always add more if needed. Beat fiercely with a wooden spoon to create a light, airy cream.
• Continue beating as you add the remaining sugar and a few tablespoons of milk if the mixture becomes too dry.
• Once the cupcakes are cold, it is time to be as artistic as you desire. Using a piping bag, pipe the buttercream onto the cakes in swirls, twists, ribbons, or however you wish. Finish with a sprinkling of culinary lavender. The cakes will only keep for a day when stored in an airtight tin, so best eat them as soon as you can.

FRENCH LAVENDER AND VANILLA SUGAR FOR ELEGANT CAKES AND BAKES

Steps:

• Place the lavender heads and about 2 tablespoons sugar into a food mixer, or coffee/spice blender. Pulse together for about 1 minute or until the lavender is ground, the same consistency as ground spices.
• Place the rest of the sugar into a large mixing bowl & add the ground lavender and sugar mix.
• Mix well.
• In tall jar, Kilner jars are good, pour half the lavender sugar; place the three vanilla pods in the jar, towards the outside so they may be seen,.
• Carefully add the rest of the sugar so the vanilla pods are standing up in the sugar.
• Seal and keep for about 2 weeks before using,.
• Store in a dark, dry and cool place.
• This lasts up to 1 year and the vanilla pods can be used numerous times again, after the sugar has finished.
• Use in cakes, biscuits, cookies, jams, cream desserts, ice-cream, pies and tarts, crumbles, trifles and junkets etc.

FRENCH VANILLA CAKE WITH FRENCH VANILLA BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease two 9-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
• Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg in a bowl until well combined.
• Cream together white sugar and butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add in egg yolks and beat until incorporated. Add in whole eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat mixture on medium-high speed until very fluffy, and mixture has lightened in color, 3 to 5 minutes more.
• Slice vanilla bean in half lengthwise. Use the back of a knife to scrape seeds out of both halves, and add seeds to the butter mixture. Set vanilla bean pod aside to use for the frosting. Mix vanilla bean seeds into the butter mixture on low speed until incorporated.
• Add vanilla and almond extracts to the batter and mix on low speed until incorporated. Pour in half of the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Add milk and sour cream and mix until combined. Pour in remaining dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Divide batter evenly between the cake pans and smooth into even layers.
• Place pans into the preheated oven and bake until centers of the cakes spring back lightly when touched, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from oven and allow cakes to cool in pans for 15 minutes before running a knife carefully around the edges of the pans to loosen. Transfer cakes to a wire rack to cool completely.
• While cakes are in the oven, begin making the frosting. Add reserved vanilla bean pod to a small saucepan and pour in heavy cream. Place pan over low heat and cook until mixture is just warm, about 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat and allow mixture to sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before placing into the refrigerator until chilled, about 30 minutes more.
• When heavy cream mixture is chilled, finish the frosting. Place 1 cup butter into a large bowl and beat on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. Mix in powdered sugar gradually, 1 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition.
• Remove vanilla bean pod from chilled heavy cream. Discard vanilla bean pod. Pour heavy cream into the butter-powdered sugar mixture. Add in vanilla extract and salt. Beat mixture on low speed until cream is incorporated, then turn mixer speed up to medium-high and continue to beat until frosting is light and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes more.
• Pipe a layer of frosting to the top of one of the cakes and set 2nd cake on top. Frost cake as desired with remaining frosting.