CHAMOMILE LEMON CAKE
This super easy​ chamomile loaf cake is basically like everyone's favorite cup of night time tea, but in cake form - so better. It's moist, beautifully aromatic, and full of lemony, floral flavor. It gets topped with a simple, delicious glaze and little slices of lemon peel, making it pretty and elegant, just like you.
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Total time: 3 hours and 30 minutes
Active time: 40 minutes
Bake time: 40-50 minutes
Makes 1 9" x 5" - loaf cake
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Ingredients for the cake:
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3 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup olive oil
Zest of 1 lemon
2 tbsp ground chamomile (about 5 tea bags + 1 for the glaze)
1 1/2 cups (188 grams) all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 lemon, for garnish
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Ingredients for the glaze:
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1+1/2 cups powdered sugar
Juice of 1 lemon (about 2 tbsp)
2 tbsp honey
1+1/4 tsp ground chamomile (about 1 tea bag)
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Instructions for the cake:
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1.) Preheat the oven to 350° F. Use a paper towel to grease a 9x5 loaf pan and line the pan with a strip of parchment paper slightly narrower than the bottom of the pan, but long enough to hang over the sides a bit. Then, take the strip of parchment out, flip it over, and press it back into the dish. This way both sides of the parchment are now greased!
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2.) In a large bowl, add the eggs, sugar, and sour cream and whisk until fully combined. Add the vegetable and olive oils slowly while whisking, and continue to whisk until the oil is fully incorporated. Add the lemon zest and chamomile and whisk to incorporate.
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3.) Add the flour, baking powder, and salt to the bowl and whisk briefly until the ingredients are just combined. It's okay if the batter has some lumps. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and use a spatula to even out the height of the batter across the pan.
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4.) Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until the cake is light golden brown across the top and a tooth pick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a couple crumbs, but no wet batter.
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5.) Allow the loaf to cool in the pan for 30 minutes. Run a knife or rubber spatula around the edges of the cake to loosen it, and use the parchment paper to lift it out of the pan. Allow to cool completely, about another 2 hours. In the meantime, make the glaze.
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Instructions for the glaze:
1.) Put powdered sugar and lemon juice in a medium bowl and whisk until smooth. Add in honey and chamomile and whisk until fully incorporated. Lay plastic wrap on the surface of the glaze and keep it covered until the cake is cooled to prevent the glaze from drying out.
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2.) Once the cake is completely cooled, drizzle the glaze all over the top. For the garnish, use a peeler or pairing knife to the remove the outer layer of skin from the lemon, without going deep enough to remove pith (the white, bitter part). Slice the lemon skin into thin strips and sprinkle them all over the glaze. Cut yourself a slice of cake and enjoy - maybe with a nice cup of tea!
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adapted from averiecooks.com's lemon loaf