Lavender Angel's Food Cake ~ Recipe

This was my first time baking with lavender, and also my first time baking Angel's Food Cake, so I was a little unsure as to how it would turn out, especially being a relatively improvised recipe.  The result, however, was divine... so deliciously light, and airy, and fragrant, and summery... 

~ Lavender Angel's Food Cake ~

for the cake:

140g plain flour

12 egg whites

1 tbsp warm lavender water (see below)

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cream of tartar

300g caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla essence

a 25cm ring shaped cake tin, ungreased

for the lavender glaze:

icing sugar

lavender water

for the lavender water:

fill a ramekin with lavender flowers, then add boiling water and allow to steep for an hour or two.

ramekin with lavender flowers steeping in boiling water

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.

Sift the flour four times, set aside.

Using an electric whisk, beat the egg whites and warm lavender water on a low speed until foamy.

Add in the salt and cream of tartar and increase the speed until you get soft peaks.

Add in the sugar gradually and continue to beat until your mixture is stiff and glossy.

Beat in the vanilla essence.

Using a metal spoon, gently but thoroughly fold in the sifted flour.

Spoon the mixture into the ungreased cake ring, there should be enough to completely fill the tin.

Bake for 35-40 mins, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.

Now the cake needs to cool for about an hour... upside down. Invert the cake tin over the neck of a bottle.  Don't worry, the cake won't fall out, this is so the cake can cool without sinking down and losing its airy-ness.

my ring tin didn't actually have a hole all the way through, so here it is, balancing quite precariously on the top of a bottle...

Now when the cake has cooled, loosen the sides by running a knife inside the edges and invert onto a wire rack.  It doesn't come out so easily so you need to gently ease it out of the tin without breaking the sponge.

To make the lavender glaze, simply add the rest of the lavender water from the ramekin into a mixing bowl, and slowly go sifting some icing sugar in and mixing until you get a drizzlable glazey consistency.

Drizzle over the top of the cake, and finish by scattering some lavender over the top.