Orange and lavender cake

Yesterday we spent a lovely family day out at Petworth House and Park. When we stopped to refuel we shared a piece of delicious Orange and Lavender Cake. Of course, I came home and decided I needed to bake my own version of this so have been busy in the kitchen! This is my recipe for an Orange and Lavender Cake. I was really pleased with this for a proper teatime cake, my only change would be to make it even more lavendery next time, but that may not be to everyone's taste!

Yummy Mummy's Orange and Lavender Cake

Cake mix:
8oz/200g self raising flour,
5oz/125g lavender sugar (you can see here on my blog how to make your own or you can buy it:
http://yummymummy2012.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/lavenders-blue-dilly-dilly.html)
5oz/125g Stork,
1 tsp baking powder,
2 large eggs,
Zest of 2 oranges (I used big Navel oranges),
Juice of 1 orange. 

Orange/lavender syrup:
Juice of 1 orange,
3tbsps of lavender sugar.

Icing:
1 mug of icing sugar,
Hot water (you could also make it up with orange juice from another orange),
Food colouring (I went for a lavender colour but pale orange or white would also look lovely),
2tbsp purple decorating sugar,
2tsp lavender sugar.

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas mark 4.
2. Mix together the self raising flour, lavender sugar, Stork, eggs and baking powder (the mixture will be quite dry at the moment).
3. Grate the zest into the mixture and add the orange juice and mix quickly.

4. Grease a large round cake tin (I used a loose bottomed tin) and spoon the mixture in, it should come up just above half way.
5. Bake in the oven for
6. When the cake is nearly ready make the orange/lavender syrup by heating the orange juice gently (or cheat and stick it in the microwave for 30 seconds like I did), then stirring in the lavender sugar until it completely dissolves. Make sure you try a big spoonful of this, it is to die for!!

6. Remove from the oven and using a cocktail stick prick small, but deep, holes all over the top of the cake. Gently drizzle over the orange and lavender syrup mixture and leave the cake in the tin until completely cool. 

7. Remove from the tin and mix up the icing, spread on top and decorate with some extra lavender sugar (including petals) and purple sugar.

Hope you enjoy baking this cake and enjoying it in the garden in the sunshine, with a cup of tea!

xxxx