Spring is in the air, and you can make this spring-themed dessert to get a taste of this spectacular season! This spring, I will be baking with flowers. Edible flora make for some of the most intriguing ingredients- lavender, rose, nasturtium, and violets are just a few that provide a splash of color to appetizers, salads and desserts.
I purchased culinary lavender from one of my favorite places- The Spice House in Evanston. Just stepping into the store is a sensory treat, and the array of scents and tastes is amazing. Lavender can be substituted for Rosemary in many dishes and lends a more floral, earthy flavor.
Lemons are another favorite spring flavor and scent! The fresh citrus flavor of the zest complements the lavender and adds a little tartness to the cakes.
Side style note– Lemons are major in the fashion world right now! Dolce&Gabbana has this gorgeous Lemon Print Skirt at Nordstrom…for $795 (on the left). Get the look for less with this T+J Designs midi for $88 (on the right).
I also added one of my favorite products, Lemon Lavender Honey Creme, to the top of the petit fours to add a rich, sweet finish! I adore the versatility of this ingredient- I love to have an old-fashioned tea party and serve these cakes with Chamomile tea, sweetened with Lemon Lavender Honey Creme. This jar of deliciousness comes from the family-owned company Honey Ridge Farms, which has fifth-generation beekeepers in their history.
Lemon & Lavender Honey Petit Fours
- 3/4 teaspoons culinary dried lavender
- Zest from 1 small lemon
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks); slightly softened
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1/4 teaspoon + 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
- 3 large eggs
- 3 tablespoons sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Jar of Lemon Lavender Honey Creme
Recipe
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees (F). Coat a 13×9″ pan with cooking spray; you can also line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray to make it easier for the cake to release from the pan.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, lemon zest, lavender, baking powder and salt.
3. Add butter, sugar and corn syrup to a large bowl and cream on medium speed for a few minutes until fluffy.
4. Whisk together eggs, sour cream and vanilla extract together in a small bowl and add to the butter/sugar/corn syrup mixture.
5. Add the dry ingredients a little at a time to the wet ingredients and mix as you go.
6. Pour into the prepared pan and spread evenly; mixture will be very thick.
7. Bake for 25-30 minutes until toothpick comes out clean and top springs back.
8. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Lay cake on flat surface and use a small circular cookie cutter to make the petit fours. Place cakes on wire rack set on top of a baking sheet. Drizzle the Lemon Lavender Honey Creme over the top and garnish with a few buds of lavender. You can also make a traditional petit fours glaze and pool the honey creme on top of that for a more traditional dessert like I did in the photos. Let glaze harden before adding the honey creme and lavender garnish.
I hope you enjoy these delicious cakes!! I broke my 24 hour dessert rule with these- I usually only let desserts hang out for 24 hours in my house before I kick them out, but these were so delish I let them stay 🙂 Thank you to Honey Ridge Farms for providing product for this post- they are an amazing company whose dedication to quality products is unrivaled 🙂
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