Vanilla sponge with lavender syrup

March 5, 2010 (Last Updated: January 11, 2019)
Vanilla sponge with lavender syrup recipe

Vanilla sponge with lavender syrup

Ingredients

  • Syrup

  • 60ml (¼ cup) white sugar
  • 45ml (3 tbsp) water
  • handful lavender leaves, crushed
  • thin rind of 1 lemon
  • Sponge

  • 160g butter
  • 150g castor sugar
  • 5ml (1 tsp) vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs
  • 280g (2 cups) self-raising flour
  • 125ml (½ cup) milk
  • 250ml (1 cup) fresh cream, whipped
  • 30ml (2 tbsp) icing sugar, plus extra to serve
  • fresh lavender flowers, optional, to serve

Instructions

1

For the syrup, combine all the ingredients in a saucepan and heat until the sugar has dissolved and you have a lovely hot syrup. Add a spoon of water if it needs thinning, and set aside to keep warm.

2

Preheat the oven to 190°C. Grease and line 2 x 20cm round or heartshaped tins.

3

Cream the butter, castor sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Alternately fold in the flour and milk.

4

Pour the batter evenly into the prepared tins. Bake until an inserted toothpick comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to stand for a few minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack.

5

Prick the cakes evenly all over with a toothpick, pour over the hot syrup and leave to cool.

6

Whip the fresh cream and icing sugar and refrigerate until needed.

7

To serve, spread the cream evenly over one cooled cake. Sandwich the cakes together, dust with icing sugar and garnish with lavender flowers if they are available.

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