LAVENDER POLENTA CAKE

So, post Galentines and ValentinesDIEDIEDIE as my workmate calls it, I was feeling all whimsical and thought, hey, why not make something ethereal and delicious? And what better way to make an ethereal dish than to add flowers, particularly lavender. What’s more, I love a good “let’s do it right” challenge, in other words, getting on the #paleo #glutenfree #thinspo boat. So, when I came across a recipe (thanks to my mother)  that incorporated polenta, well, I lost it. But that was before I looked at the rest of the recipe, which incorporates every other sinful ingredient known to man #treatyoself. It must also be mentioned that because of the lavender in the recipe, I found myself foraging around the ‘burbs of Wellington while hungover. Needless to say, it would’ve been a treat for any onlookers. I was also wearing double polka-dots (not to be confused with double-denim) and spotted a dalmatian so naturally I had to take a photograph. #whoworeitbest #bitchstolemylook

Ingredients:

200g softened butter

⅔ c caster sugar

200 g polenta

100 g all-purpose flour

1 ½ tsp baking powder

3 eggs

zest of two lemons, plus juice of one lemon

1 tsp of dried lavender.

Grab a cake tin from the cupboard or your next door neighbour. No meatloaf tin will do. You need it. Grease that thang. Grease it real good. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Now, either with your hulk-like arms or a mixer, beat the butter and sugar until you have a deliciously whipped mixture. We are talking 3-5 minutes worth of whipping, folks. Now, forage around your kitchen to find another bowl, in it, combine flour, polenta, and baking powder. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and beat the heck out of, simultaneously. Hustle. Add those eggs while you beat, beat, beat. Finally beat in the lemon zest, juice and lavender. Pour the said mixture into the cake (not meatloaf) tin and bake for about 40-45 minutes. Now, while I’m VERY partial to icing, this cake really only needs a dusting of icing sugar. However, for all the icing fiends, like myself, might I suggest you make a syrup of sorts by boiling together a bit of lemon juice and sugar on a stove-top.