Lavender-Scented Pound Cake
Recipe Courtesy of Jessica Shelton, Pastry Chef, Forsyth CC, Winston-Salem, N.C.
Ingredients
- For Pound Cake
- butter - 1 lb., diced and not too cold
- sugar - 6 cups, flavor with lavender for 24 hours, then tamis)
- fresh lavender - 2 Tbsps. (optional)
- eggs - 12 (room temp.)
- vanilla extract - 4 tsp.
- lemon - 1, juice and zest
- cake flour - 18 ozs.
- salt - 1 tsp.
- baking powder - 2 tsp.
- cream - 16 ozs.
- For Ricotta Ice Cream
- cream - 2 qts.
- milk - 2 qts.
- sugar - 2 lbs.
- egg yolks - 35
- ricotta - 2 kg.
- rum - 1/4 cup
- salt - 1 Tbsp.
- lemon - 1, finely zested and juiced
- For Lavender Syrup
- sugar - 4 cups
- water - 3 cups
- vanilla beans - 2, split
- lavender flowers - 1/4 cup
- For Macerated Strawberries
- strawberries - 2 cups, stemmed and quarters
- sugar - 3 Tbsps.
Instructions
Procedure:
- For pound cake: Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, approximately 5 minutes. Slowly add eggs two at a time, scraping bowl often. Sift flour, salt and baking powder, then add half of it; then add in the cream and finish with remaining dry. Do not overmix. Divide between four buttered and floured loaf pans, sprinkle the top with sugar, and bake at 310˚ F for approximately 45-60 minutes. When cooled, cut end off of loaves and cut into large dice.
- For Ricotta Ice Cream: Bring cream, milk and half the sugar to a full boil. Temper in yolks and remaining sugar, passing through a fine-mesh sieve. Stir in remaining ingredients and cool in water bath.
- For Lavender Syrup: Reduce sugar, water and vanilla beans to syrup; add flowers and cool.
- For Macerated Strawberries: Toss and let macerate for a minimum of 20 minutes.
