My Love Affair continues....Individual Lavender Cakes

In the words of Shakespeare - "There are a few things I've learned in life; always throw salt over your left shoulder, keep rosemary by your garden gate, plant lavender in your garden and fall in love whenever you can". 

Clearly wise words that live on - I superstitiously throw spilt salt, there is rosemary at our garden gate, there is more lavender than I know what to do with in our garden and I fall in love every day with the world around me - maybe that's reflected in my need to 'Pin' inspiring images continuously.
So having felt compelled to find something useful to do with all this lavender and already  baked biscuits with it, which I posted on a couple of weeks ago ("The Scent of Summer - Lavender Biscuits") - I wanted to continue to my new found cooking love affair with this flower before autumn takes it from me until next Spring.
I was really pleased to settle down to Great British Bake Off a few days after first baking with lavender to see James using the very same in his Tarte Tatin recipe.
Maybe after all I wasn't alone in thinking that this wonderful scent shouldn't be consigned to Grandma's bathroom cabinet or muslin bags in wardrobes, perhaps it did have a place in the kitchen after all and it can be used subtly and not be not leave an over whelming perfume taste in our mouths and have us reaching for the nearest glass of liquid.  So, buoyed by this I decided this time to not use the actual flowers in the recipe but infuse milk.  I wanted to find a way to have the taste and scent of the lavender come through in both the sponge and the frosting, but without using the actual flowers in the recipe.
To be honest this was a bit of trial and error - I took a recipe I had and didn't have individual cake tins so I just baked in a large tin and then used a cookie cutter once the sponge had cooled.
The milk needs to be well infused, preferably overnight and I would recommend allowing some additional to the amount recommended in the recipe as the flowers do tend to absorb some of it.  Put milk and flowers into a container and cover and leave in the fridge.  Before using the milk strain with a sieve to remove the flowers.

For the sponge;

120ml whole milk
3 1/2 tablespoons dried lavender flowers
120g plain flour
140g caster sugar
1½ teaspoons baking powder
40g unsalted butter
1 egg

Put flour, baking powder, sugar & butter into the mixer and combine on a slow speed .  Add the strained milk slowly, once all well mixed add the egg and  continue to mix well on a medium speed.  Spoon the mixture into two greased & lined cake tins (20cm) and bake at 170 degrees (non-fan assisted) for 20 mins or until the sponge bounces back when touched.

Leave to cool for 5 minutes before removing from tins & peeling off grease proof paper and place on wire racks.  Once cool cut into desired shape and decorate.

For the frosting;

25ml whole milk
1 tablespoon dried lavender flowers
250g icing sugar
80g unsalted butter

Sift the icing sugar and add the butter - mix together on a medium speed until combined.  Then add the milk & vanilla extract slowly while still mixing.  Once done turn the mixer onto a high speed and continue for 5-7 minutes.  Add food colouring if desired, I think the lavender colour just adds to the effect. Then decorate as you want.....

Looked lovely served on a vintage cake plate on a Sunday afternoon, and so small that it would be rude to only eat one.

Perfect with an espresso.....