Lavender Lemonade Blackberry Cake (aka the easiest cake to make and eat)

I'd like to think I'm aging as gracefully Ina Garten, Alice Waters and the candelabra version of Celine Dion at this years Met Gala. I don't know if I am. Sometimes I can't believe I'm this old. I swear wasn't it just yesterday I was 17? What I DO know though, is that the older I get the more humor becomes a necessity of thriving in this life rather than a "nice quality or trait."For example, I've noticed my dog is farting more as she gets older. It's hilarious and disgusting. Old girl's farts are so special, that she in fact will shart in her sleep. As in a little unmistakeable nugget  will magically appear in her dog bed in the morning.No joke.(Yes I'm telling you this.)I mean, there were a lot of reasons I never wanted a dog to sleep in our bed, but this just solidifies my belief, you know?My teenage self would have cracked up at this stuff. Luckily, my adult self also cracks up at this stuff.I think my point in saying all of this is, like my dog - my body is older (but luckily we don't share the same problem), I look older, I FEEL older in so many ways... and I mean I'm definitely wiser but sometimes I look in the mirror and still see my teenage self with glitter eye lids all ready for the school dance - She was confident, but self conscious, she wanted to be skinnier and prettier than she was so she relied on a sense of humor and brains to make up for anything she felt she lacked.Basically I'm the same, but different.In a recent date night discussion, John (my husband) and I have asked if we could go back and tell ourselves something in our "younger years" what would we say?I'd say this: Look, there’s a lot of poop ahead. Both literally and figuratively. Good stuff too though, don't worry, really good stuff, but your sense of humor for the next decade or so is key. It's going to make all the difference and give you the gift of I'm-laughing-so-hard-I'm-crying moments when you've wanted to crumble instead. Cling to your humor like a barnacle to a whale.You are going to learn that the best gift you can give is to love yourself. You're really good at loving other people, always have been, but it's not until you learn to love yourself that you really start to sparkle more than those eyelids.You're going to fall wildly in love with your best friend and baking and have the most hilarious, beautiful babies.And btw that frenchie you just HAD to have after your 30th birthday because you couldn't get pregnant when you wanted to is gonna shart. You've been warned.Oh, and don't worry, you're gonna age as gracefully as Ina Garten, Alice Waters... and Celine Dion at 2019’s Met Gala. I love you and you're welcome.Now back to you -Turns out, as I've gotten older I've gotten super into lavender. It's a beautiful thing. And truthfully I'm usually not one for floral flavors as I feel they can be too perfume-y and overpowering - but if you're anything like me, lemme smash that idea for you real quick with this cake and beautiful lavender extract.I have yet to meet a person who hasn't loved it. Even teenagers. I repeat, present day 17 year olds have also loved and devoured this cake. It's unfortunately really easy to eat. The lavender notes are just right and pair perfectly with tart lemon and dark jewel-like blackberries - plus that crackly, bright pinkish purplish glaze is the lipstick color of my dreams - both past and present - I'm pretty sure my 17 year old self would love all of it. xoThis post was sponsored by Taylor and Colledge. Thank you for supporting the brands that support Sweetish Co. (Remember we only align with brands we believe in and absolutely LOVE.) 

Lavender lemonade blackberry cake (aka the easiest cake to make and eat)

I’m just gonna warn you real quick - this cake is as easy to eat as it is to make. It’s the perfect brunch cake, snack cake, wanna impress someone but don’t want to spend a ton of time baking cake. It’s tart and lemony (I have a thing for lemony desserts - but they must be lemony) and fun and perfectly floral. This cake is like wearing your grandma’s 1960’s p-coat; looking this good shouldn’t be this easy, but it is! I honestly just want everyone to make it and then come back and tell me how much you love it. Okay ready? Go! 

for the cake:

• 3 eggs
• 1 cup / 200g sugar
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• zest of 2 lemons
• 1 teaspoon lavender extract (preferably taylor and colledge)
• ½ cup / 112g sunflower oil
• 1 ½ cups / 188g all-purpose flour
• ½ cup / 48g almond flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt (if using sea salt ¼ teaspoon)
• 1 cup / 145g fresh or frozen blackberries (generous)

for the lemon soak:

• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons sugar

for the purplish pinkish glaze

• 1 cup / 120g powdered sugar / confectioners sugar
• ⅓ cup / 65g fresh or thawed blackberries
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon lavender extract (preferably taylor and colledge)

for the cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350° F / 180° C and grease + line one 9” cake tin with parchment paper at the bottom.

2. With the paddle attachment on your electric mixer beat eggs and sugar together until light and fluffy (about 5-7 minutes).

3. While eggs + sugar beat, sift together your dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl and set aside. Take about a tablespoon out of your dry ingredient mixture and set aside too. (We’re going to use this tablespoon to coat our blackberries).

4. Add lemon zest, juice and lavender extract. Beat for a minute or so.

5. Then on low speed, slowly stream in oil.

6. With mixer still on low speed slowly add dry ingredients. Mix until juuuuuust combined (so a little less than a minute.)

7. Toss blackberries with that tablespoon of flour mixture and slowly fold into the batter.

8. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 45-ish minutes. Top of the cake should be golden brown and toothpick should come out clean.

For the lemon soak:

1. While the cake bakes, prepare the lemonade soak by mixing lemon juice + sugar over in a pan over low heat for a few seconds until sugar dissolves.

For the glaze:

1. Have powdered sugar sifted and set aside in a bowl. Mush blackberries in a sealed plastic bag and then smoosh blackberries in a strainer until you get 1-1.5 tablespoons of blackberry juice. Add blackberry juice, lemon juice and lavender to powdered sugar and whisk until combined. If you want a thicker glaze keep it to 1 tablespoon of each juice, thinner glaze = add a little more.

2. Let cake cool in tin for 15-ish minutes.

3. Then remove cake from tin and place on a cooling rack. tip! Place parchment paper, plate or cookie sheet underneath the cooling rack to catch drips.

4. Using a toothpick poke some holes into the top of the cake (make sure it’s the top of the cake, not the bottom of the cake).

5. Pour lemonade over warm cake until it sinks in. Let it cool a little more (about 15-20 more mins).

6. Pour prepared glaze and serve. Cake keeps well tightly wrapped for about 3-4 days room temperature and about 7 days in the fridge.