When we moved into our little farm last fall I had absolutely no idea what was planted here. This spring has felt like both a complete surprise and a gift, every corner I walk around something is blooming and it’s so, so lovely. We have a lilac bush that is nearly as tall as the garage that put out so many blooms this year it made our entire yard smell amazing. I decided to put some of those blooms to good use. I’ve baked with lilac sugar before (these scones were winners) but tried a different method this year. Instead of waiting a few days for the lilac scent to infuse the sugar, I blended the blossoms and sugar in a food processor and baked the lilacs right into the cake. My impatience has never paid off so well! The cake is delicately scented with lilac, has a lovely texture, and is drizzled with a matcha glaze (which I’m obviously a fan of).
Some notes on baking with lilacs or any other edible flower: Be sure that the lilacs you’re using haven’t been sprayed with pesticides and that they’ve been grown away from any major roads or highways. Before you bring them inside, give them a good shake to encourage any critters to find a new home. If you want to rinse them (I don’t), make sure they are completely dry before using them. You can pull the lilac blossoms off much like honeysuckle blossoms, but try to avoid including any green from the stems in the lilacs you’ll be using. Picking off the blossoms is tedious but goes much faster than you might think, and your kitchen will smell amazing.
Adapted from King Arthur Flour.
- 2 cups lilac blossoms, plus more for decorating
- 1½ (300 grams) cups sugar
- ¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 3 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon lemon extract
- zest of 1 lemon
- 5 large eggs, at room temperature
- 3 tablespoons milk
- 1¾ cups + 2 tablespoons (220 grams) gluten-free flour blend, such as Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 Flour
- 1½ cups (170 grams) confectioner's sugar
- ½ teaspoon powdered matcha tea
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (from about ¼ of a large lemon)
- 1½ tablespoons milk, more if needed
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Thoroughly butter a 8-10 cup capacity bundt pan, dust with flour and tap out the excess.
- Combine the sugar and lilac blossoms in the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times, just until the flowers are chopped into small bits. Over blending the sugar can cause the cake to become gummy.
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, beat together the butter, cream cheese, salt, baking powder, vanilla extract, lemon extract, lemon zest, and sugar/lilac mixture until well combined.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. The mixture may look slightly curdled. After you've added the final egg, scrape the sides of the bowl down and beat at high speed for 3 minutes. Stir in the milk.
- Turn the mixer on low speed and sprinkle the flour in gradually, mixing just until combined. The batter will be smooth and thick but still pourable. Pour and scrape the batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake it for 30 minutes, then check the cake. If the top is browning too quickly, lightly tent the pan with foil. Check frequently, cooking for an additional 10-15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Place the pan on a cooling rack. After 10-15 minutes run a sharp knife around the edges of the cake to loosen and turn it out of the pan to cool completely on a rack.
- While the cake cools, combine the glaze ingredients in a bowl and mix well until bleded. Drizzle over the room temperature cake, sprinkle with lilac blossoms if desired, and serve.
- Cake will last up to 5 days wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and stored in the refrigerator.
I made the matcha glaze for topping a chocolate cake and it was amazing!!! Thank you so much for the inspiration. 🙂
Oh, that sounds DELICIOUS! Thanks so much for sharing and I’m glad you liked it 🙂