Pound Cake with Blueberries and Lavender Syrup

Ingredients

• •2 cups all-purpose flour
• •½ teaspoon baking powder
• •¼ teaspoon salt
• •2 sticks unsalted butter
• •1½ cups sugar
• •3 large eggs
• •1 teaspoon lemon zest
• •1 teaspoon vanilla
• •½ cup whole milk
• •¾ cup water
• •½ cup sugar
• •4 teaspoons dried lavender flowers
• •2 teaspoons lemon juice
• •10 oz blueberries
• •1 piece metal loaf pan

Cooking Instructions

1. 1.

   Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Generously butter and flour loaf pan, knocking out excess flour.

   10 min

2. 2.

   Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes in a stand mixer or 5 with a handheld. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in zest and vanilla. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture and milk alternately in batches, beginning and ending with flour and mixing until just incorporated.

   15 min

3. 3.

   Spoon batter into loaf pan and bake until golden and a wooden pick or skewer inserted in center comes out with crumbs adhering, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Cool cake in pan on a rack 30 minutes, then invert onto rack and cool completely.

   105 min

4. 4.

   Bring water and sugar to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in lavender, then steep 30 minutes for dried lavender or 40 minutes for fresh. Pour syrup through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, discarding lavender. Stir in lemon juice and blueberries.

   40 min

5. 5.

   Spoon berries and syrup over slices of cake just before serving.

   5 min