Lemon & Lavender Birthday Cake

Ingredients

100g almond flour

325g plain flour

½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt

2 tablespoons (lavender buds)

500g caster sugar

4 large eggs

400 ml corn oil (or any neutral oil)

2 ¼ teaspoons almond extract

2 lemons

1 teaspoon lemon zest

6 tablespoons lemon juice

310g plain yoghurt

Lemon Buttercream:

600g icing sugar

1 large lemon

2 teaspoons lemon zest

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 or 5 tablespoons double cream

450g salted butter, room temperature

    Steps
  1. Bake at 350°F/180 °C 35 - 45 mins. (depending on your oven), or until it comes out clean when a toothpick is inserted in the centre.
  2. Zest all of the lemons and place the zest in a small container. Cover with cling film, and set aside. Next, cut the lemons in half and juice them into a small bowl, straining with a sieve to remove any seeds. Set aside.
  3. Line two cake tins with greaseproof paper and set aside. Cake baking pan or springform baking tins: Use Standard 23-25cm (8-inch to 9-inch).
  4. Cake: In a bowl, of a standing mixer with the whisk attachment, add the almond flour, plain flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder, salt, and lavender. Whisk together
    until incorporated.
  5. In a separate medium mixing bowl, add the caster sugar, and eggs (one egg at a time) whisk vigorously between each egg, then slowly pour in half of the corn oil, and almond extract. Whisk until incorporated.
  6. Whisk in the lemon zest, and lemon juice to egg mixture.
  7. With the standing mixer on low speed, add in the wet egg mixture to the mixing bowl of dry ingredients. Turn the mixer off, and use a spatula to scrape the sides of the mixing bowl. Switch the mixer on medium low speed, and add in the plain yoghurt, and the remaining corn oil. Mix until everything is incorporated.
  8. Pour in the batter into the prepared cake tins. Bake for 35-45 mins (depending on your oven), or until it comes out clean when a toothpick is inserted in the centre.
  9. Remove from the oven and let the cake cool for 10-12 minutes before removing from the pan onto a cooking rack. Allow the cakes to cool completely. Then, slice off the top of the cakes.
  10. Buttercream: In a large mixing bowl, add in all of the ingredients, use an electric hand mixture to beat everything together until smooth, and a thick frosting forms.
  11. If preferred, cut each cake in half to layer with frosting, otherwise ice the entire cake.
  12. Spread icing on the completely cooled cake and decorate to your preference. Place the cake in the refrigerator to set or leave at room temperature.